Regional Conflict Transformation Advisor for the Citizens First Program in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Oxfam, a confederation of 17 affiliate organisations, is committed to ridding the world of poverty. We believe that people are capable of building sustainable livelihoods to overcome poverty on their own, once given the chance to do so. This is why we support local projects in developing countries; strengthen local organisations; lobby companies and governments to take into account the interests of the poorest people; and campaign locally and internationally for just policies. As a confederation, we work together to increase the impact of our long term development and humanitarian responses.

Oxfam Novib is looking for a

Regional Conflict Transformation Advisor (RCTA)

for the Citizens First Program in Afghanistan and Pakistan

40 hours per week

Contract: 1 year with possibility to extend, until end of the project (September 2016)

Kabul, Afghanistan (with frequent travel to Pakistan and the Netherlands)

Unaccompanied posting

The Citizens First Program
The Citizens First Program in Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of four across South Asia and Africa, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Citizens First aims to contribute to human security in and good governance in the region by strengthening the social contract between Afghan and Pakistani citizens and their governments. This will be done by empowering civil society to hold their governments more accountable for the provision of law, order and basic services, as well as through enhancing communities' understanding of the root causes of conflict. The program has a budget Euro 5 million over three years and is implemented jointly by Oxfam Novib (ON) and national partners in both countries.

Objective of the position
Provide conflict transformation expertise to support the Oxfam country teams and partners to effectively implement the Citizens First program in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The RCTA will facilitate the development of effective national and regional conflict transformation strategies and ensure that key lessons learnt from this program feed into the further development of Oxfam Novib's conflict transformation programming in the region. The RCTA will also support ON's country teams to identify new opportunities to extend this work beyond the initial Dutch Government funded program.

Core responsibilities

• Facilitate national and regional conflict assessments and the develop national and regional conflict transformation strategies, in coordination with the Afghanistan and Pakistan country teams and the Citizens First Regional Program Coordinator (RPC);
• Facilitate linkages conflict analysis and programming between Afghanistan and Pakistan projects, ensuring that the key driving factors for conflict are identified and addressed;
• Provide training and mentoring to ensure that all program and partner staff understand and use do no harm and conflict sensitive principles throughout the project;
• Provide training and mentoring to ensure that all program and partner staff understand Oxfam's approach to conflict transformation and apply this to the program;
• Support the RPC and country office MEAL staff to develop and implement an effective regional program monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for the program and facilitate regular regional learning events;
• Ensure the effective integration of the Citizens First program into ON's broader conflict transformation strategies in both countries and identify opportunities to build on this work to further extend conflict transformation work in each country and regionally;
• Liaise regularly with the RPC and the country office advocacy, communications and campaigns teams to promote program ON's approach to conflict transformation, enhance program visibility and capitalise on synergies with Oxfam policy objectives;
• Liaise regularly with relevant Head Office to ensure consistency and continuity across the global Reconstruction Tender program;
• Represent Oxfam at relevant national and regional fora.

Essential skills and experience

• Post-graduate degree in international relations, political science, human rights, peace and conflict studies, or other relevant fields;
• At least 7 years relevant work experience in conflict-affected contexts, preferably in South/Central Asia;
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale, regional, project and program development, implementation, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and learning;
• Demonstrated understanding of conflict analysis, transformation and sensitivity principles and practice, sensitivity and do no harm principles and practice, along with experience of peace
• Understanding of, and commitment to promoting, Oxfam's core values and key development principles, including gender justice, human rights, protection, disability and participation;
• Proven people management skills, with experience coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and motivating individuals from diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds;
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with proven ability to build relationships with a diverse range of local, national and global stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, prioritise, meet deadlines, and hold self and others to account;
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to rural, remote and insecure parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, regionally and to the ON head office in Den Haag;
• Adaptable and resilient, with previous experience of, and willingness to accept, high-risk, insecure contexts, restricted movements and basic living conditions, shared with colleagues;
• Excellent written and oral English language skills.

Desirable

• Teaching, training, facilitation and moderation experience and skills;
• Afghan (Dari/Pashtu) and/or Pakistani language skills (Urdu/Pashtu) language skills.

We offer
Oxfam Novib is committed to providing a competitive, fair and comprehensive pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. The salary range for this position is set between EU 2,896 and EU 4,456 gross per calendar month. Additional allowances include 8% holiday, hardship, R&R, pension and comprehensive insurance.

More information and application procedure
Please send your CV and motivation letter addressing the key criteria to the attention of Louise Karso at jobs@oxfamnovib.nl before March 18, 2014, quoting reference number 5-242.
Please contact Ms Stijn Sas, International HR Advisor, <stijn.sas@oxfamnovib.nl> or Kate O'Rourke, ACD Afghanistan, <kate.orourke@oxfamnovib.nl> for further information about this role.

This vacancy is subject to to the condition that the funding will be confirmed.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.