Middle East policy change officer Christian Aid

Christian Aid is striving for wholesale change to the structures and rules that keep people poor. We work wherever the need is greatest, giving people strength to find their own solutions to the problems they face, irrespective of their religion. So if you’re passionate about helping others and want to help us drive positive change across the world, join us.

Christian Aid is now looking to recruit a highly innovative and dynamic Policy change officer for the Middle East.

Christian Aid is working together with our partners in the Middle East to generate policy changes that will challenge the root causes of poverty. We are challenging decision makers and policy makers in key national, regional and international institutions to introduce and strengthen pro-poor policies. The programme has a strong rights base, focusing on enabling people to gain control over their lives and to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

Working together with our partners from across the Middle East (including Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory) you will help develop innovative and effective programmes which result in significant impact on the lives of people living in poverty and on changing the policies that keep people poor. You will work closely with our Economic Justice and Secure Livelihoods programmes to ensure that the policy and advocacy dimension is fully integrated into the programme. You will support our partners in the region to develop effective approaches to influence policy in their contexts. You will use your networking skills to help develop innovative regional and global partnerships to advocate for positive change.

You are educated to degree level with a proven track record of pro-poor policy influencing. You will have experience of research and policy and a strong record of delivering quantitative and qualitative analysis. Given your strong analytical skills, you will have an in-depth understanding of the drivers of poverty and its eradication in the Middle East context. You will have a commitment to working in partnership with civil society and church-based/ecumenical organisations. A strategic thinker, you have a strong track record in bringing innovative approaches to programme based policy and advocacy in rapidly changing contexts. You will have the drive and initiative to develop effective advocacy strategies and the knowledge of impact assessment that will enable you to support our partners to effectively demonstrate the change that results. You’ll have a proven ability to convey complex ideas to different audiences with well-developed communication and interpersonal skills.

Please show your suitability for this post by giving answers to the following questions: Using the guidance notes may help you formulate your answers.

Analytical thinking

Describe a time when your analysis brought about innovative solutions to a problem.

Impact and Influence

Please describe a time when you developed an advocacy strategy, including linkages or relationships within or outside your organisation, in order to gain support for a policy position.

Critical judgement

Give an example of a situation where you had to develop a policy or proposal on a strategic issue when key elements affecting the policy or proposal were still evolving.

Initiative

Please tell us about a situation where you tried various approaches or solutions in order to solve a problem and explain the outcome.

We value the contribution each person makes to the success of our organisation. That’s why you can expect a wide range of rewards and benefits, including a generous holiday allowance, a season ticket loan and flexibility that will ensure you enjoy a good work/life balance.

As this post is UK based, non-EC nationals will require current and valid permission to work in the UK.

Download the role profile (70 KB pdf)

To apply for this post, please download an application pack and email your completed UK & Ireland application form to: recruitment@christian-aid.org (quoting the reference number). Alternatively, your completed application form, can be printed out and posted to us at:

Christian Aid
35 Lower Marsh
Waterloo
London SE1 7RT

Please note that CVs will not be accepted.

Job reference: 254/LJ

Closing date: 12 noon GMT, Monday 12 March 2012

Interview date: Friday 23 March 2012 (To be confirmed)

Christian Aid values diversity and aspires to reflect this in our workforce. We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.