Head of International Advocacy and Public Positionings

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a civil European rescue association founded in 2015 to face the humanitarian tragedy and the lack of adequate state rescue capacity in the Mediterranean on the deadliest maritime migratory route in the world since 2014. Created by a group of European citizens, our maritime and humanitarian organization has three missions:

1. To rescue people in distress at sea.
2. To protect and assist survivors on board our ship.
3. To bear witness and raise awareness about the tragedy unfolding in the central Mediterranean.

Today, SOS MEDITERRANEE is an international network composed of four entities (Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland) sharing the objective to support our rescue operations at sea. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations have been carried out since February 2016 in the Central Mediterranean off the Libyan coasts with the chartered ships Aquarius and Ocean Viking. To date, nearly 40.000 people have been rescued by SOS MEDITERRANEE. After 8 years of operations in the Central Mediterranean, our association is in the process of strengthening and developing its operations as well as capitalizing its expertise. Working in a challenging political environment, SOS MEDITERRANEE is calling for the respect of maritime and humanitarian law in the Mediterranean and for the recognition of a humanitarian space at sea.

Aim of the position

Directed collegially by the three General Directors of the international network, the Head of International Advocacy and Public Positionings is a new position aimed at better coordinating the international advocacy strategy of SOS MEDITERRANEE, as well as supervising and supporting its implementation in the network. The main objectives of the position are currently defined as the following:

• The Head of International Advocacy and Public Positionings will be a member of the “International Coordination Meeting” which gathers a pool of senior Directors of SOS MEDITERRANEE’s international network.
• He/she will manage the Advocacy Manager whose job is to produce advocacy materials, in close collaboration with the Operations department.
• He/she will collaborate with the Head of Operations Communications to draft SOS MEDITERRANEE’s public positionings related to our operations. More generally, he/she will work in close collaboration with the Operations team as well as national teams in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy and will act as focal point for SOS MEDITERRANEE’s international advocacy in the network.
• He/she might act as spokesperson of the organization.

The integration of this new function within the network and its perimeter might evolve and be refined depending on the developments in the governance of the organisation, and will be in any case closely monitored together with the successful candidate.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

1.Monitor the developments regarding SAR policies and key elements impacting our operations

• Monitor and analyze SAR European public policies, SAR events as well as key contextual changes and policies that can impact our operations
• Share with the SOS MEDITERRANEE network a regular context analysis
• Identify key moments for public positioning and communication.

2.Elaborate SOS MEDITERRANEE’s international advocacy strategies and public positionings

• ​Lead the internal process to define international advocacy strategies and public positionings
• Consult SOS MEDITERRANEE General Directors and Director of operations (Dirops) on strategic decision-making. ​
• Elaborate and review annually SOS MEDITERRANEE’s advocacy objectives and roadmap
• Elaborate position papers and key messages with the support of the Advocacy Manager and in collaboration with the Head of Operations Communication
• Advise SOS MEDITERRANEE’s General Directors and Director of Operations on risks, dilemmas, priorities, and benefits of sensitive public positioning
• Initiate spaces and/or partnerships with external stakeholders to create opportunities.

3.Coordinate and support the implementation of international advocacy activities with internal and external stakeholders

• ​Lead mid/long-term advocacy projects and campaigns and liaise with the General Directors of the national associations for their implementation at national level (wherever needed)
• Support the implementation of the advocacy roadmap in the different countries of the international network in relation with their Directors and/or the relevant teams (wherever needed)
• Act as focal point of the network for advocacy internally and externally – in particular, participate in internal steering committees on sensitive public positionings or transversal communications projects (thematic campaigns, SOS MEDITERRANEE 10-year anniversary project, advocacy campaigns)
• ​Liaise with SOS MEDITERRANEE’ partners (IFRC – MDM – ACF) on joint narrative and advocacy projects.
• Represent SOS MEDITERRANEE in high-level meetings related to international advocacy and public positionings
• Act as a spokesperson in public events and support with media interviews when needed.

4. Supervise the Advocacy manager

• Manage and provide support to the Advocacy manager: defines his/her roadmap, supervises his/her work
• Collaborate with the Operations team to define and prioritize the needs in terms of collecting data and testimonies from the ship as well as to elaborate the public positionings regarding our operations.

PROFILE SOUGHT

Vocational qualifications and certifications

• Master’s degree in law, Humanitarian Aid, International Development, Communications /Public Relations, Social Sciences, or related field

Work experience

• At least 7-10 years of work experience in advocacy in international development contexts
• Previous experience in team management

Technical expertise

• Knowledge of humanitarian sector and migration issues
• Excellent networking, relationship building and people management skills.
• Solid research, reporting, policy analysis and writing skills.
• Experience collecting and using data analytics to inform program activities.
• Knowledge of context of migration in the Mediterranean Sea
• Knowledge of maritime law and SAR conventions, maritime industry an added value

Languages

• Excellent command of English
• Knowledge of French, German, or Italian is an added value.

Interpersonal competencies

• Ability to work in a complex and quick-evolving international network composed of different entities
• Management skills
• Sound teamwork experience
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving, conflict management skills
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, autonomous
• Ability to step back from hostile external contexts
• Good understanding of cross-cultural issues
• Capacity to work with remote teams
• Ability to cope with uncertainty and frequent change of plans.
• Ability to respond to requests quickly and accurately.

CONDITIONS:

• Open-ended contract (permanent contract).
• Position based in one of the SOS MEDITERRANEE offices, mobility required in the countries of the network
• Possibility of partial homeworking
• Valid work permit to work within the EU is necessary.
• Annual gross salary subject to location and experience.