Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Advocacy and Communication Coordinator
Job ID: 21000529 Location: Kaduna
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Grade: 3
Team: Nigeria Country Office
Post Type: National
Reports to: State Team Leader
Staff directly reporting to this post: None
Technical Support from: Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist
Child Safeguarding
Level 3- The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children or young people and, in the overseas context all posts are considered to be level 3 posts in view of potential situations which may allow staff unsupervised access to vulnerable children and young people.
Role Purpose
Enhanced state level engagement in social protection led to increased capacity of state and local government stakeholders to design implement and expand cost-effective, inclusive and accountable social protection systems
The objective of this assignment is to develop and build government commitment and investment in social protection through effective Advocacy and communications and capacity building effort at National and Sub National Levels.
In the discharge of this role, the officer will also work with and build the capacity of civil society to advocate for inclusive, effective, sustainable and impactful social protection services.
Key Areas of Accountability
The Advocacy coordinator will be responsible for providing strategic Advocacy and Communications technical and program guidance to the Child Development grant programme (CDGP) specifically at the state level.
Achieving programme outputs, activities, deliverables and expected results within budget, agreed timeframe and to the highest standards.
Contribute to key Programme planning, coordination and reporting activities.
Support policy dialogue and a successful record of accomplishment in advocacy and strategies for influencing policy decision-makers on social protection.
Experience building capacity of government counterparts, mentoring and training.
Facilitate public relations, crisis communications/issue management, and collaborates with the Program Partnerships team on donor and partner communications and community relations.
Contribute to all efforts to raise/nurture CSOs and champions for the programme at the state level if need arise.
Produce reports, briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed.
Undertake a range of lobbying, communications and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of financing for social protection.
Support the Communications and Advocacy Coordinator in coordinating the development of communications materials and participate in their review and comment on print and electronic media materials including scripts, posters, leaflets, video/audio recordings
Link with other organisations present in the area for coordination and sharing lessons learned.
Develop good knowledge of state government structures, parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them.
Prepare a monthly plan or field activities
Identify the problems in the implementation process and propose solutions
Evaluate regularly the impact of the activities and propose changes for improvement
Produce case studies related to programme implementation at least one per quarter or as per line manager’s request
Support development and implementation of programme advocacy and communication plans
Engage with and strengthen capacity of media organisations and journalist to report social protection
Produce lessons learnt from the set-up of CDGP in knowledge products such as occasional papers.
Support knowledge management and thought leadership in CDGP through identification of methodologies and systematization of approaches and provide support for production and dissemination via appropriate channels.
Support development, structuring, and occasional implementation of strategic partnerships
Source, validate and prioritize incoming government demands through a collaborative, consultative process
Conduct research to inform and shape the effort(s) within policy consolidation and translation and best practices
Additional Job Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Skills And Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
Holds self and others accountable
Ambition:
Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively
Collaboration:
Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
Designing more effective admin systems
Willing to take disciplined risks
Integrity:
Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.
Qualifications
Master's degree in the Social Sciences, such as Economics, Geography, Development Studies, Rural Development / Sociology or other related fields.
Any training on Advocacy and Communication, social protection will be an added advantage
Kills & Experience
Administrative & General Skills:
At least 3 years of experience in advocacy and policy engagement
Previous experience with other local and international NGOs
Experience in Social protection and engaging Government
Should have strong collaboration and networking skills.
Experience using Political Economy Analysis (PEA) that informs on-going program iteration
Computer literacy (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint)
Fluency in English and Hausa, spoken and written
Ability to work in partnership with government and other NGO staff
Good interpersonal skills
Ability to work within a team setting
Independence, adaptability and flexibility
Excellent comunicación skills
Working Conditions:
Ability and willingness to travel to projects and stay in basic conditions when necessary
Health and Safety:
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.