Senior Advocacy Advisor, Humanitarian and Conflict

Position description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 50 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

The Global Advocacy & Influence Department is a dynamic team that uses the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients. From the drivers of conflict to the needs displaced people, the team partners with politicians, policy makers and civil society to bring these solutions to life. We take pride in being solutions-oriented and creative. We are precise in our tactics, and messages. We lead change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Finally, we are collaborative, working not only with programs, strategy, research and innovation, and communications teams across the IRC, but also externally, constantly seeking to new ideas and perspectives from others in the humanitarian sector and beyond.

Job Overview:

As the Senior Advocacy Advisor, Humanitarian and Conflict, you are one of the IRC’s leading external specialists on our global influence agenda for the EU for countries facing crisis, including humanitarian access, international humanitarian law and civilian protection. You are responsible for crafting our influence strategies using IRC’s programmatic and research evidence, surgical policy and practice solutions, and trusted brand to inspire collective action. You are the go-to expert for understanding current legislative and policy trends in the EU and how our policies support tor clash with political agendas. You contribute your fresh and creative analysis to inform IRC’s policy objectives and co-create solutions.

Major Responsibilities:

• Advocacy Strategy: Lead advocacy strategies for countries facing crisis, including to uphold humanitarian access, international humanitarian law and civilian protection, collaborating with policy leads, policy communications and digital communications, to advance IRCs key influence priorities and maximize the opportunity for IRC to advance our influence objectives;
• Influence Analysis: Develop power maps for key policy issues to identify influence priorities and targets. Work with team to support development and execution of creative influence strategies, including with nontraditional partners encouraging IRC to develop new approaches to advocacy as usual;
• Advocacy: Support efforts to build IRC’s credibility, profile and relationships by engaging with policy stakeholders and supporting opportunities to raise IRC’s profile at key meetings and fora;
• Legislative and Policy Tracking. Expand IRC’s legislative reach by tracking and analyzing shifting government positions, individuals engaging on our issues, and the politics around our issues. Translate policy asks into legislative/parliamentary asks. Track EU policy making processes & profile opportunities/events, including parliamentary hearings and resolutions. Analyze and report on relevant policy trends and regularly communicate trends to IRC’s Solutions Network to power global priorities and strategy;
• Policy Engagement: Contribute to policy generation by providing EU specific analysis that increases the credibility and efficacy of our solutions through constant collaboration and in focused policy roundtables. Support IRC’s policy team in identifying and developing policy priorities that are impactful and achievable;
• Communications: Provide market and audience expertise to communications team to shape policy communications specific to the EU. Support team in developing communications strategy and develop materials for advocacy targets, including digital/social content and take actions. Support planning and implementation of strategic activities including events;
• Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: both in the culture of IRC, as well as in the policy solutions we develop and the ways we wield influence;
• Spokesperson: Act as an IRC influence spokesperson on focused advocacy areas. Act as key interlocutor with legislative and governmental staffers;
• Board and Advisors: Support relationships with IRC’s Board and Advisors by identifying points of mutual interest and opportunity around our priority issues;
• Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate:
• • Spokesperson: Act as an IRC influence spokesperson on focused advocacy areas. Act as key interlocutor with legislative and governmental staffers;
  • Board and Advisors: Support relationships with IRC’s Board and Advisors by identifying points of mutual interest and opportunity around our priority issues;
  • Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate.

Key Working Relationships:

Position reports to: EU Advocacy Director.

Internal contacts: Policy and Advocacy colleagues in Brussels and across the globe; Technical Excellence leads; International Programmes leads; Communications; Donor relations; President’s Office, External Relations Department.

External contacts: Key Opinion Formers and policy makers in the EU.

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Degree in relevant field such as Public Policy, Law or International Relations.

Work experience:

• Demonstrated experience in advocacy and advocacy strategy development with a focus on creativity and strategic thinking;
• 6-8 years of experience working on complex humanitarian and/or development issues.

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

• Examples of influence/impact on legislative and executive policy. Strong network of influencers and policy makers;
• Deep understanding of EU politics and policy making, and familiarity with leverage points within the EU institutions that can be targeted to achieve policy change objectives;
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, being solutions-oriented when traditional advocacy means do not suffice;
• Extensive knowledge of the humanitarian and development sector, particularly around the dynamics of conflict and crisis, humanitarian operations in complex contexts, IHL, access and protracted displacement;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with experts, high level decision-makers, and colleagues in the humanitarian and development fields;
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate complex material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers;
• Fluency with key parts of the IRC’s strategy and existing policy strategy;
• Ability to work on tight deadlines;
• Initiative and ability to work independently on fast-paced issues, and juggle competing demands.

Working Environment: Flexible hybrid office-based/remote working environment.

This is a contract role for two years and can be extended.

Application instructions

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