Policy & Advocacy Advisor

Oxfam is a world-wide development organization that mobilizes the power of people against poverty.

We are looking for a

Policy & Advocacy Advisor
for Oxfam Novib Great Lakes Peace Beyond Borders Program
Fulltime: 40 hours/week
Start date: asap for 1 year (with possible extension to end of program period subject to need)
Location: either Goma (single posting) or Bujumbura (family posting) subject to mutual agreement

The Peace Beyond Borders program is one of four programs which Oxfam is implementing in Africa and South Asia. The program implements a Regional Roadmap to Peace across a number of provinces in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda to address the root causes and consequences of conflicts related to land and governance. The Roadmap, following a conflict transformation approach, is anchored in an analysis of the inter-related problems between amongst others (ethnic) conflict, land, and governance on multiple levels. To achieve lasting results, the Roadmap capitalizes on restored trust relations, cooperation, and commitment between the multiple stakeholders across the region that are involved in or affected by issues around land and governance. The program has a value of around 8 million Euro and the total program period is from 1 October 2012 to 1 February 2016.

Objective of the position
The objective of the Peace Beyond Borders program is to address the causes and consequences of conflict by implementing a Regional Roadmap to Peace in the Great Lakes region. The Policy & Advocacy Advisor will contribute to this objective by developing and implementing, together with partners, the advocacy and campaigns strategy for this program. The influencing strategy will ensure that key elements of the program, like the Virtual Regional Parliament, Roundtables and results from the participatory research, are implemented in the most impactful way.

Main tasks

• Lead role in the development and delivery of the Peace Beyond Borders advocacy and campaigns strategy;
• Provide advice and leadership to Peace Beyond Borders staff and partners on advocacy and campaigning;
• Work with partners and Oxfam colleagues to turn the results from the participatory research into accurate and persuasive briefing papers and media briefs. This will require editing and drafting, and analysis of results;
• Develop a strategy to obtain buy in from key actors (national, regional and international levels) for the Roadmap to Peace;
• Work with partners to design the dialogue processes (virtual regional parliament and roundtables) so that they will be key influencing moments;
• Work with partners to ensure strategic coordination where appropriate with peace brokers as they mobilize support for the Roadmap to Peace;
• Serve as liaison between Peace Beyond Borders and Oxfam RIC Campaign;
• Represent Oxfam to external policy and/or media stakeholders;
• Take steps to promote greater opportunities for national/local voices to be heard. To facilitate involvement of all Peace Beyond Borders partners in influencing work;
• Identify and mobilize new sources of income in order to create funding for the continuation of Peace Beyond Borders influencing work.

You have

• Experience with policy and advocacy work at local, national and international levels;
• Understanding and experience of Great Lakes' complex and evolving political and development situation;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of peace and security concerns;
• Experience working in a complex programme with partners on advocacy and campaigning, and ability to engage in innovative and strategic thinking;
• Experience with civil society coalition-building, preferably in the Great Lakes;
• Experience of complex, multi-dimensional policy environments preferably within larger NGOs;
• Excellent research, analysis and report writing skills;
• Proven ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of actors and audiences;
• The ability to build relationships with a variety of stakeholders at a number of different levels;
• The ability to work as part of a team and be able to self-manage;
• The ability to prioritise key issues and analyse their impact on the policy environment;
• The ability and willingness to travel both nationally and internationally;
• Proven commitment to development and humanitarian affairs;
• Flexibility to work in a challenging and pressurised environment;
• Excellent professional working knowledge of both French and English essential;
• Strong cultural sensitivity and gender awareness.

We
Offer a competitive, fair and comprehensive pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. We offer a gross salary (a hypo tax will be deducted) in the range from EU 2.933 to EU 4.512 on the basis of a fulltime position. This is excl. 8% holiday fee, for international candidates additional expat allowances will be offered.

More information and application procedure
Are you interested? Send your application with reference number 5-266 tojobs@oxfamnovib.nl, before October 1, 2014. Further information about the job can be obtained from Arthur Molenaar, Regional Program Coordinator viaarthur.molenaar@oxfamnovib.nl. For information about the procedure you can contact Shabinah Asgarali via shabinah.asgarali@oxfamnovib.nl.