Advocacy and Communications Director, Syria Response

3 أكتوبر، 2022

0 23 5 دقائق

الوصف الوظيفي

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.
Come join our 34,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

International Assignment – Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

Job purpose:
This position will lead on advocacy and communications for WV’s Syria Response, including strategy design and implementation. The Director will consider key influencers, field level realities and WV’s strengths to determine objectives that advocate for and with Syrian children and children from host communities and leverage WV’s presence, evidence, brand and opportunities. To accomplish this purpose, the role holder will develop policy analysis, positions, messaging and reports on an ongoing basis and advocate externally. This position will also manage communications for World Vision’s Syria Response, overseeing strategic direction and management of a small communications team, to provide support and resources to enable the World Vision partnership to appropriately engage with its various audiences in order to raise funds and the profile of the organization.

Major Responsibilities:

STARTEGY

Set the strategic direction for external engagement and influencing for the Syria Response.
Set the strategic direction for an annual targeted communications plan, including a targeted social media plan, for the Syria Response.
Actively participate in the Senior Leadership Team and keep abreast of response activities and issues by regularly attending Response Team Meetings and working closely with Operations and Programmes staff.
In partnership with the Syria Response Security Director, provide ongoing context analysis to the Response Director, Response Managers, Regional Offices (RO), Support Offices (SOs) and the ARG.
Lead on the design and implementation of the It Takes a World Campaign and a flagship annual public report or briefing.
Lead on the design and implementation of a joined up comms/advocacy campaign to mark the anniversary of the conflict in Syria in March
Supervise the design and drafting of new grant proposals for advocacy and communications, making sure they align with strategy and with program objectives and donor requirements.

Dotted line support to the Lebanon and Iraq country offices on Syria-related advocacy and communications

Create, manage and monitor the implementation of a Syria Response advocacy strategy which bridges issues of humanitarian protection, coordination, funding and access with emergent issues connected to WV’s sector-based programming and the evolving context.
Develop and update humanitarian and child rights policy positions and messaging on a regular basis in line with context changes and where strategic, in alignment with WVI’s It Takes a World Campaign.
Work with Syria Response and WV global sector leads to develop policy messaging on sector-specific issues that are critical to WV programming responses (including ending violence against children).
Actively participate in meetings and humanitarian advocacy initiatives of the Syria INGO Response Forum, Jordan INGO Forum, No Lost Generation Initiative and Regional Durable Solutions Working Group, leading activities where appropriate to WV strategy and expertise.
Build strategic relationships with aligned policy and advocacy NGOs and civil society with a focus on children, as well as with UN agencies, regional governments and donors.
Act as lead convener for WV Syria Response Advocacy Resource Group (ARG) to coordinate and provide messaging and participate in events with WV Support Offices and Humanitarian Capitals.
In the scope of WVI’s global campaign [It Takes a World], provide evidence, programmatic results and messaging that focuses on solutions to reduce violence against children in the context of response.
Oversee the provision of humanitarian advocacy training for Response staff and provide on-going technical assistance in the implementation of humanitarian advocacy work.

Provide strategic guidance / support and assist with preparing senior leaders (Response Director, Response Managers, visiting CEOs/Regional Leads) for high-level external engagement and representation meetings.

Build the capacity and support the advocacy initiatives of Syrian, Jordanian and Turkish partners.
Facilitate opportunities for Syrian children and youth and Syrian humanitarians to be represented or have their voices heard at regional and global policy fora.

COMMUNICATION

Reputation Risk Manager for the Syria Response: actively respond to risks as they arise using established protocols.
Oversee requests on ContentFlow and TripFlow
Oversee management, analysis and leveraging of Meltwater platform for Syria Response
.

Oversee the implementation and adaption of the Syria Crisis Response Communications strategy.
Advise the Syria Response Director and Country Managers on communications issues.
Develop and maintain professional contacts with key international media in the Middle East, in collaboration with the relevant Support Office.
Act as a spokesperson for the regional response, and identify and train other media spokespeople.
Lead on drafting press releases and reactive media lines, with the support of the Communications Manager and global communications colleagues.
Sign off key communications products to ensure quality control and risk management and ensure they are uploaded to StoryHub in the correct format and in a timely manner.

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Provide leadership for mainstreaming advocacy with Response Team Leaders and SMT teams across response offices.
Direct management of a Communications Manager, and oversight of performance and work plan of 1- 2 Communications Officers
Facilitate or provide technical capacity building to communications staff and where relevant, programmes staff.
Guide, coach and motivate the team to strengthen high performance within the team
Be responsible for the staff care for the team
Promote WV Christian identity and values in the security function working environment and lead by example.
Lead or participate in spiritual sessions of prayer and biblical reflection with staff
To be committed to actively working and living in accordance with WV’s Mission, Values and Christian beliefs.

Required Professional Experience:

Minimum of 3 years of experience in Advocacy and Partnering and with a thorough understanding of all areas of project management cycles in a complex, international organization
Experience in Leadership role within the core strategic team
Proven multi-partner management skills, especially with to engage at a strategic level with senior government, UN and INGO officials.
Strong networking and negotiations skills
Demonstrated ability in financial management skills

Required Education, training, license, registration, and certification

Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Business Administration, or a related field applicable to developing country context
Master’s degree in International Development, Management or other field applicable to developing country context preferred.
Demonstrated contribution to the development of country-level strategy, directions and key priorities of an organization’s operations.
Proven experience in advocacy initiatives, coalition building and ability to rally coalitions and networks to take positions on specific policy issues.
Proven ability to lead a campaign and successfully achieve organisational objectives.
Substantial knowledge of country legislative framework at all levels.
Ability to form and maintain solid relationships with wide range of different stakeholders, partners, co-workers.
Evidence of high level written and spoken English language abilities.
Computer literate in Microsoft Office applications, Lotus Notes or similar database, email and internet programs. Experience using computers for a variety of tasks.

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications

Good interpersonal, organizational and time management skills. Able to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
Ability to maintain performance expectations in a continues changing environments
Excellent written and verbal communication and relational skills, especially in a cross-cultural environment, and ability to analyze and solve problems, persuade, network and negotiate.
Ability to solve complex problems and to exercise independent judgment.
Active listening
Demonstrated track record in advocacy, external engagement and partnering initiatives.
Track record of trying new ideas and innovation
Demonstrable experience in child development and issues affecting most vulnerable children

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA's) Accepted