Director of Policy at Adeso

Organization: NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) (Hosted by Adeso– African Development Solutions)

Position: Director of Policy

Reporting To: NEAR Executive Director

Working With: NEAR’s Leadership Council (i.e. Board of Directors); NEAR Secretariat & NEAR Members/Partners

Duty Station: Remote

Duration: 12 months, with the possibility of extension

Starting Date: As soon as** possible

ABOUT NEAR: NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) is a movement of Global South civil society organizations with a bold ambition – to reshape the top-down humanitarian and development system to one that is locally driven and owned, and is built around equitable, dignified and accountable partnerships. NEAR’s vision is a world where local communities have the resources and agency to address the challenges that impact them. NEAR is currently hosted by Adeso, an African based international development and humanitarian organization. Adeso and NEAR both aspire to prevent and overcome situations that adversely affect community well-being by: Influencing policy change and enacting systemic change through innovative solutions led by local and national actors.

POSITION SUMMARY: From its inception, NEAR has worked with its members to discuss and propose policy solutions for complex issues. After initiating its work within the humanitarian sector, it became clear that systematic inefficiencies to support affected communities were not an issue unique to the humanitarian sector, but that they existed amongst development and rights-based practitioners as well. To overcome these inefficiencies, NEAR plans to focus its influencing work on redesigning the aid system, both humanitarian and development. As one of the two institutional priorities of NEAR, our influencing work focuses on engaging stakeholders at the national, regional and global levels. To ensure complementarity of our policy and practice work, the Director of Policy will lead our influencing, research and communications departments.

POSITION PURPOSE: The Director of Policy will lead a team of three staff including two Advocacy Officers and a Senior Communications Specialist. The candidate will lead all NEAR work focused on influencing, communications and research. The candidate will also manage NEARs representation at the national, regional and global levels, working alongside NEAR Regional Representatives and management. S/he will also lead the expansion of NEAR’s influencing work, including strategic, operational and program development.

SPECIFIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Development/Management:

· Oversee the strategic analysis of policy positioning of the organization according to NEAR’s priorities.

· Develop and lead NEAR and NEAR members’ advocacy structure, to ensure policy positions concerning localization, innovative financing models and research efforts are communicated efficiently and grounded in reality.

· Lead in developing NEAR’s internal and external stakeholder mapping exercise, including prioritization of partners, allies and other stakeholders.

· Lead NEAR’s influencing and research resource mobilization efforts.

· Track multilateral agency (UN, World Bank, etc) developments related to global priorities and conduct targeted outreach and engagement to member states at global and national levels.

· Analyze and report on relevant global policy trends, humanitarian dimensions, and key developments within the UN, World Bank, etc; identify opportunities and develop clear recommendations for policymakers.

· Together with colleagues, develop and implement advocacy strategies to influence policy and program approaches of donors, host governments, and humanitarian and development organizations to improve the use of aid and ensure better outcomes for affected communities consistent with our overall priorities and strategy on aid reform.

Membership Engagement:

· Manage NEAR Influencing team to liaise with Regional Representatives in order to ensure continued coordination with national, regional, and global fora, and to ensure NEAR messaging is coherent, and in the best interest of member organizations.

External Representation:

· Manage NEAR representation at global coordination bodies, e.g. Grand Bargain, IASC, Global Cluster System

· Manage NEAR representation externally at policy and advocacy related events and meetings, as well as with outside parties interested in the overarching policy issues regarding the work of both the humanitarian and development community.

· Identify and facilitate opportunities for NEAR Leadership Council and Senior Management to build relationships with humanitarian and development decision-makers to directly advance NEAR’s thought leadership agenda.

· Communicate with journalists and speak to public audiences to showcase the work of the NEAR.

Other Duties:

· Work with NEAR’s Secretariat and Leadership Council to ensure implementation of NEAR’s Strategic Plan and Annual Operational Plan.

· As this organization is still establishing and building, as a member of the Senior Management Team, perform other duties as assigned*.*

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

· Advanced Degree in Public Policy, Law, International Relations, or its equivalent in relevant field.

· Knowledge of the international humanitarian sector including the major current humanitarian policy issues and trends (especially related to NEARs strategic priorities);

· Experience leading or supporting networks and managing diverse relationships;

· Knowledge of the major global humanitarian and development settings;

· Demonstrated experience in engaging with political, humanitarian and development actors globally, including those outside the UN and NGO sectors;

· Preferred experience working with national, regional and global-level NGO Networks/Fora;

· Excellent people management skills and good communicator;

· Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment;

· Proven ability to work in a team;

· Highly organized and self-motivated;

· Ability to work under pressure and prioritize tasks;

· High standard of written and spoken English is a must. Fluency in French, Spanish and/or Arabic is a plus.