CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality, and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world.  Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe.  Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us.

I JOB SUMMARY:

The purpose of the Policy, Communications and Networking Senior Advisor is to lead the development of policy objectives at national and regional levels, oversee networking and partnerships of the Unit, and lead documentation, packaging and dissemination of lessons from the field. S/he also engages in appropriate policy forums and sector discussions at the national, regional, and local levels and contributes key learning and evidence from CARE programs and contributes to organizational visibility. The post holder will also enhance collaboration and partnership with relevant NGO implementing partners, government and sector stakeholders, contributes to systems strengthening and improve the exchange of information and best practices between stakeholders including donors.  In addition, in collaboration with Head Office and Field Office staff, the post holder will be responsible for leading development of key program written materials, including relevant policy and position papers, and briefs describing key learning and sector recommendations. The incumbent will work closely with Project and Program Managers, support in facilitating trainings and capacity building, report writing and new proposal developments.  The post holder will also work closely with CARE Program Quality and Learning team 

II RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS: 

 Job Responsibility #1:  Communication and Advocacy (30%)

• Develop/revise and implement a policy and communications strategy for the Food and Water Systems (FWS), which includes engagement and representation in National level fourms and discussions (e.g. WASH and NTD, MHH, Hygiene and Environmental Health) 

• Work with the FWS team to develop different promotion and advocacy tools which are appropriate for different levels of intervention, including community, government, donor etc.,

• Identify key learning and evidence from CARE’s FWS that can inform policy and practice at national, regional, or zone levels; and analysis of key sector priorities, identification of opportunities for cross-sector collaboration

• Write policy briefs, position papers, implementation guidelines, and documents that describe lessons learned and recommendations for scale, relevant to FWS

• Work with media, partners, and other networks to disseminate and scale learning and best practices.

• In collaboration with the FWS Coordinator and LDM Manager, develop a learning, policy, and advocacy agenda for CARE Ethiopia’s broader FWS, including identification of and regular communication with key stakeholders and strategic partners, 

• Create a capacity development plan for FWS staff focusing on identification of lessons and evidence, documentation, lobbying, story and report writing.

• Support in networking with and communication of status updates, approaches, and lessons learned from FWS to partners and government stakeholders on a regular basis.

 Job Responsibility #2:  Learning, documentation and reporting (25%)

• Lead development/review and implementation of strategies for learning, advocacy, communication, and partnerships.

• Facilitate cross-program and cross-geographic learning within FWS and beyond, relevant to key Food and Water + issue-areas,

• Organize and facilitate annual government reviews, learning, and benchmarking as relevant.

• Keep up to date with the development in the sector, ensure the documentation and dissemination of success stories and lessons learned within the unit, with partners and other stakeholders.

• Support in research, production of research synthesis and dissemination of findings.

• Support FWS team during project kick-offs, monitoring and quality reporting.

• Support in review and polishing of relevant documents such as reports, assessment findings, and human-interest stories.

Job Responsibility #3:  Partnership development (20%)

• Contribute to the development of proposals for funding of FWS related interventions.

• Work with project and program managers to organize and facilitate regular partnership meetings, donor visits, and ensure proper documentation of such events.

• Actively participate and represent CARE FWS in national and regional key events such as World Water Day, Menstrual Hygiene Day, Global handwashing day, and others

Job Responsibility #5: Capacity building and Systems Strengthening (20 %)

• Work closely with the PQL team to assess capacities of new and existing partners and develop capacity enhancement plans.

• Facilitate capacity development of partners and government stakeholders including training, experience sharing, and documentation of capacity development impacts.

• Work closely with the PQL team and develop partnership phase out strategies, and follow-up its implementation.

• Support in handing over of completed projects and preparation of completion reports.

• Work closely with project and program managers and put in place project sustainability mechanisms and follow-up progress

Job Responsibility #5: Other (5%)

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

 III GENDER EQUALITY

• Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth and social inclusion issues.

• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

Job Requirements

A)      EDUCATION

Required: 

•  5 years of relevant experience with the first degree.

• 4 years of relevant experience plus post graduate degree.

• At least 1 year of management experience.

Skills Required

• Proven management skills

• Project management experience

• Proposal and report writing skills

• Excellent representational skills

• Fluent spoken and written English.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Master's degree in social sciences, journalism and communications.

 Desired

• Good NGO experience preferably Rural area context

• Computer literacy in MS-Word, Excel, and layout design software’s

• Excellent interpersonal communication and report writing skills.

• Good facilitation and presentation skills

• Demonstrated technical ability and sound judgment to work effectively with others at all levels.

B)  EXPERIENCE

• Five years of previous professional experience in a policy, advocacy, networking or learning and communication role or an equivalent combination of work, study, and volunteer experience. The experience should include development and implementation of policy agendas, and research and communications activities.

• Know-how of the opportunities and challenges of FWS development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia

• Demonstrated experience in writing reports, policy and learning briefs, and presentations in English.

C)  COMPETENCIES

• Respect, integrity, diversity, excellence, adaptability, stress tolerance, innovation, building partnership, communicating with impact, coaching, facilitating change, developing teams, information monitoring, planning and organizing, leading through vision and value.

• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, sensitivity to HIV/AIDS, transparent and participatory management

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK

Note: Passionate and dedicated candidates who meet the requirement are strongly encouraged to apply, especially women!