Head of Department Advocacy and Communications at Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger is the world’s hunger specialist and leader in a global movement that aims to end life-threatening hunger for good within our lifetimes. For 40 years, the humanitarian and development organization has been on the front lines, treating and preventing hunger across nearly 50 countries. It served more than 21 million people in 2018 alone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Department Advocacy and Communications

Location: Abuja (FCT), Nigeria
Job type: Full Time
Department: Operations
Reporting to: Country Director
Proposed start date: October 2023

Description

• Action Against Hunger is currently looking to fill the role of Head of Department Advocacy and Communications who will be responsible to work as part of the Action Against Hunger Team member in Nigeria to develop advocacy and communications strategies and contribute to the overall programme and influence of Action Against Hunger in the country.

Key Responsibilities

• Guide advocacy strategy development and priority setting for aforementioned working groups in Nigeria, ensuring views of Action Against Hunger are represented and included;
• Lead on the definition and the implementation of the country-specific advocacy and communications strategy in close collaboration with other Coordinators and HQ advisors ensuring alignment with Action Against Hunger’s global and regional advocacy strategy and objectives;
• Responsible for advocacy initiatives when appropriate, in multiple programs as well as coordinating advocacy work for Action Against Hunger for both the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel Region;
• Responsible for advocacy campaigns when appropriate, in multiple programs as well as coordinating advocacy and communications work for Action Against Hunger for Nigeria;
• Implement the advocacy work plan with specific advocacy and communications objectives and activities, as well as a calendar and budget;
• Train Action Against Hunger teams in Nigeria about their role in advocacy, humanitarian principles, Action Against Hunger mandate and ways of working and International humanitarian law/legal frameworks as appropriate. Promote the application of humanitarian principles in daily operational and advocacy activities within Action Against Hunger teams and externally;
• Maintain a regular close collaboration and work with the programme departments and field offices (Nutrition, WASH, FSL teams) to collect their analysis of the situation supported by data and testimonies from ongoing and relevant assessments/activities;
• Monitor closely relevant humanitarian and policy issues, including media reports, surveys, statistical reports, databases and relevant literature, as needed for the production of reports and background/position papers;
• Work with field teams identify advocacy related issues based on program delivery including the development of a plan for achieving their priority advocacy objectives in both an emergency and development context;
• Implement ad hoc advocacy activities: carry out context, stakeholders and policy analyses for the mission; draft appropriate papers (talking points, policy/briefing/discussion papers, lessons learned, testimonies, reports, etc.); organize specific high level events, etc;
• Engage in networking, building relations with federal and states stakeholders to continually inform, challenge and improve advocacy messages and tactics;
• Liaison, networking and building relationships with donors, UN and diplomatic community in Nigeria as requested and under overall supervision of the Country Director;
• Work closely with advocacy team in headquarters, under overall supervision of the Country Director, to develop advocacy initiatives, messaging and materials in line with advocacy priorities in both headquarters and Nigeria mission;
• Establish exchange of information between MEAL unit, advocacy team, technical/program units and Information management considering different levels: activities/project; project/mission;
• Manage and oversee the mission communications and visibility budget;
• Train programme staff on communications as per the capacity needs identified;
• Responsible for regular progress reports on advocacy activities, outcomes, lessons learned, best practices and challenges for the mission;
• Create repository of communication initiatives, tools and documents and support colleagues in identification, documenting and drafting of best practices and lessons learned from Action Against Hunger interventions;
• Support the Country Director (or Deputy CD) in establishing strategic contact with the media in order to have channels for advocacy messages and representation;
• Overall responsibility for the management of Action Against Hunger social media accounts.

Position Requirements

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in Law, International Relations, Development Studies and Planning or a related field from an accredited academic institution;
• Minimum 4 to 5 years’ relevant professional experience in advocacy and communications;
• Proven exposure to high-level stakeholders (governments, UN agencies, NGOs Humanitarian INGOs Platform – at national level);
• Must have strong drafting and verbal communications skills; research and analytical skills; ability to manage competing deadlines and priorities;
• Solid understanding of the political and humanitarian context of Nigeria, the Lack Chad Basin Crisis and the issues in the Sahel Region;
• Credibility to lobby, network, influence and represent Action Against Hunger Nigeria at all levels;
• Demonstrated working experience in policy analysis, writing and production of reports, policy briefs and publications;
• Proven track record of achieving international media coverage, both traditional and new media;
• Solid understanding of the global dynamics: Triple Nexus, Coter measures, Grand Bargain;
• Must be disciplined and able to work autonomously and arrive at decisions and conclusions with minimal guidance;
• Willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where services are limited and as a part of a team to deliver under tight deadline;
• Proven ability to learn and adapt professional, motivated, open, creative, mature and responsible;
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skill with good capacity for creative thinking and creative production;
• Open minded, autonomous and result-oriented;
• Strong negotiation skills and capacity to promote consortiums and partnership.

Application Closing Date
25th September, 2023.