Regional Advocacy Coordinator (RAC)

Are you ready to pursue an exciting opportunity with a progressive humanitarian organisation in a senior management role? Would you thrive working in one of the world’s most challenging humanitarian regions, the Middle East?

Who are we?

Danish Refugee Council is a leading humanitarian agency pursuing our mandate to protect and promote durable solutions to displacement-affected populations based on humanitarian principles. DRC applies a regional approach with operational presence in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey & Yemen with a Middle East Regional Office (MERO) based in Amman, Jordan, which has 30 staff. Overall in the region DRC Middle East has more than 1,800 staff and an operating budget of USD 120 million.

About the job

- Pursuing change to the benefit of DRC’s target groups by targeting and engaging stakeholders, building alliances and providing analysis and evidence based messaging.

- Engaging with DRC’s country operations in the Middle East region, as well as the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) and Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) and ensuring that the programmatic response, research and analysis to be generated is translated into concrete policy recommendations and subsequently disseminated through appropriate channels.

- Support MERO in shaping its policy positioning on key issues of relevance in the Middle East as they arise, with a particular focus on humanitarian response, migration and durable solutions to displacement.

- Representation at technical level working groups, e.g. Syria INGO Regional Forum (SIRF) of DRC priorities and advocacy asks and lead or co-lead on the development of interagency (and DRC owned) papers, research and positioning, both private and public.

- Lead on the production of key internal advocacy documents including regional wide and subject specific talking points and DRC position papers.

- Engage in global DRC networks and processes around advocacy and ensure that global policies and positions are contextually rolled out successfully in the Middle East region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Lead the production of the Middle East wide advocacy strategy and theory of change.
• Suggest actions to national policy responses and policy frameworks, as well as other factors such as UN coordination, funding for the response, security and current and future challenges that have an impact on displaced populations and their access to humanitarian assistance and protection services.
• Follow international and global policy and advocacy opportunities - in collaboration with DRC Representations - and suggest key advocacy opportunities and targets at regional and international levels (linking macro-regional-micro)
• Draft and otherwise support the creation of advocacy products as outlined in the advocacy strategy for use at the country, regional and international levels.
• Support the generation of high quality analysis and lead the production of analytical reports, thematic research, policy products within the MERO on the themes of interest identified and as per agreed workplan. Ensure the translation of country and regional evidence and research into advocacy messaging.
• Develop clear recommendations on how to engage with global processes of interest to the work of MERO —the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) among others—at regional level, proposing activities, defining milestones and  expected outcomes.
• Establish strategic networks and alliances for policy and advocacy activities.
• Participate in regular Middle East wide advocacy coordination discussions, and contribute to Middle East wide reporting on policy and advocacy activities and achievements
• Work closely with the Regional DRC & DDG Heads of Programme to ensure DRC and DDG policy positions are grounded in programme realities across Middle East countries, that advocacy effort supports programmatic outcomes, and to assess and advise on risk identification and mitigation within the regional and country specific strategies.
• Provide advice to country office advocacy staff in the region through remote support as well as in-country missions including providing capacity building and training, supporting strategy and theory of change development and ensuring that key local priorities travel to the regional and global level.
• Support the roll-out of global advocacy policies and guidelines.
• In collaboration with the RD, lead the strategic framing and coordinate support to high-level visits to the Middle East region.
• Contribute to a coherent and sensitive communication strategy development, ensuring that research and policy products are presented in formats relevant for the intended audiences.
• Provide analysis of and suggestions for national policy responses and policy frameworks within the Middle East region (with a particular focus on ‘solutions’ and migration discussions, as well as on issues such as UN coordination, funding for responses and current and future challenges that have an impact on displaced populations and their access to humanitarian assistance and protection services.
• Promote and maintain strong and productive working relationships with key actors (UN, NGO and other interlocutors) in the region as agreed with the RD to ensure DRC has up to date information on the humanitarian situation and policy initiatives in the region, as well as relevant policy developments related to mixed migration.
• Develop tools and processes to effectively share analyses, reports and meeting notes with MERO and COs.
• Participate in the relevant regional INGO forums to represent DRC’s policy positions as delegated, and report back.
• Participate in monthly meetings with the different representational offices and HQ to represent the MERO asks and provide MERO with updates on ongoing and imminent policy initiatives led by HQs to inform regional planning accordingly.  Forge strong advocay alliance with likeminded partners and stakeholders.

About you

Experience and technical competencies:

• At least (5) years of work experience within initiatives or programmes focusing on displacement, preferably within a national or International NGO, UN or Government agencies.
• Proven skills in advocacy work.
• Experience within and knowledge about displacement issues including refugee, IDP and vulnerable persons related international regimes and national policies
• Experience of influencing, policy development and information provision on humanitarian and development issues
• Extensive knowledge of refugee rights and international humanitarian and human rights law.
• Understanding of UN and donor operations at country and regional level.
• High level analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Contextual knowledge of the Middle East and the crises in Iraq, Syria and Yemen preferred.
• Cultural awareness and ability to build relationships and alliances quickly with a wide variety of people.
• Patience, adaptability, flexibility, ability to improvise and remain responsive and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure.
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities.
• Strong communication (written and spoken), and interpersonal skills, with experience in coordinating multicultural teams.

Education

Master's degree in International Relations, Law, Human Rights, Communications or similar. Qualifications in migration or refugee issues preferred.

Languages

• Excellent English language skills.
• Good command of Arabic is an advantage

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies: 

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: (24) months

Start date: January 01st, 2022

Duty station: Amman with frequent travel in the region

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates or Nationals. This position will be placed at Non-Management (F) band.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: September 28th, 2021

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.