Middle East and North Africa Expert Analyst Interpeace

Job title: Middle East and North Africa expert analyst

Duty station: Geneva and MENA region

Date of Issuance: December 2011

Deadline for applications: This position will remain open until suitable candidate is found

Duration: Six months consultancy contract with possibility of renewal

Interpeace, a Swiss non-profit organisation, works in close partnership with national partner organizations and the UN, with the aim of building lasting peace. Interpeace has a two-fold mandate: (i) to strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion; and (ii) to assist the international community (and in particular the United Nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world through better understanding and response to the challenges of creating local capacities that enhance social and political cohesion.

Chaired by former President of Ghana, John A. Kufuor, and headquartered in Geneva, Interpeace is supported by bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private funding. The organization is currently active in Africa, Central America, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Interpeace has established a Programme Development Unit to increase its capacity to effectively respond to needs and opportunities for the inception of new projects by the organization. In this context, Interpeace is seeking a Middle East and North Africa expert analyst that will help support a number of new programme opportunities in the region.

Reporting to the Director of Programme Development, the expert analyst will act as the primary operational focal point for explorations of new programmes in the MENA region. The range of tasks is wide-ranging and includes coordinating operational and logistical aspects of exploratory missions, to deploying to the field for a period of up to 3 months.

Operational management

- Monitor ongoing political situations of specific areas or countries in the MENA region as assigned by the Director of Programme Development;

- Conduct desk research on prioritized areas and countries, including media monitoring and outreach to experts and stakeholders;

- Prepare briefing notes for the Programme Development Group, the decision-making body for programme development;

- Provide operational and logistical coordination for missions of the exploratory teams to the field.

Operational implementation

- Coordinate and participate in missions to the field (sometimes up to 3 months) as part of a small exploratory team that will assess potential for programme development. Specifically, this could include some or all of the following:

o Organize consultations with various stakeholders and conduct focus group discussions (civil society, government, international community, etc.);

o Conduct actor and issue mapping with respect to the social and political cohesion of the context being assessed;

o Analyze information and prepare both analytical and missions reports;

o Assess and identify potential local partners and provide comprehensive institutional background information;

o Support the development of programme design;

o Ensure that exploratory/inception missions maintain effective communication with Interpeace through the Director for Programme Development;

o Under the supervision of the Director of Programme Development, coordinate the preparation of programme development proposals, project documents and budgets;

Knowledge and Experience

Graduate university degree in international relations, social or political science or equivalent.

At least five years of field experience in political, developmental and/or humanitarian work.

Strong commitment to supporting peace building initiatives, participatory processes, specifically in the MENA region.

Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution, programme development and proposal writing.

Strong political analysis and experience in programme design.

Fluent in English and Arabic required, knowledge of French is an asset;

Excellent logistical and organizational skills;

Ability to work in multi-cultural environments and to engage with local communities;

Strong sense of responsibility, professionalism and thoroughness.

A willingness and ability to travel internationally as needed (up to 50% or up to 3 months at a time).

Strong regional networks in the MENA region.

Success Factors

Creative team player with an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible.

Commitment to inclusiveness and consensus-building.

Confident, tactful, participatory skills.

Ability to problem solve, prioritize and follow up (execution).

Solid understanding of conflict environments and their associated political, economic, social conditions.

Ability to obtain, analyze and act on large amounts of information from diverse range of sources.

Excellent research and writing skills.

How to Apply:

Qualified candidates may submit their application, including a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to the Administrative Officer at: recruitment@interpeace.org . Please indicate MENA Expert Analyst– Programme Development in the subject line.