Senior Policy Advisor at International Rescue Committee

Requisition ID: req25411

Responsibilities

Define IRC’s influence strategy for education

• With the Senior Director and ELT, establish the strategic direction for the external policies and practices the IRC seeks to influence to achieve the biggest impact in early childhood development and education in conflict and crisis contexts.
• Identify strategic opportunities, tactics and audiences that will most effectively influence policies and practices of our targets and raise our profile as needed to achieve impact.
• Seek out and appraise opportunities for policy advocacy and engagement on a regular basis; be disciplined and discriminating in this appraisal to make best use of scarce resources.
• Alongside the Director, County Support, help Country Offices to understand, deliver and advocate for IRC’s education strategy.
• Internal influence and profile raising around IRC’s education portfolio including preparing presentations, Brown Bags, engagement with Senior Leaders across the organization, preparing regular updates for an internal audience through newsletters etc. 
• Work closely with the Policy and Advocacy Department to integrate education / ECD into global objectives for humanitarian reform and high-level talking points for IRC’s CEO.

Execute Global Education Strategy

• Execute, and oversee strategic opportunities, including but not limited to:
• Arrange and attend meetings to further IRC’s education policy goals;
• Draft talking points and accompanying materials for presentations and present as needed,
• Write/edit think pieces and content showcasing IRC’s programs and evidence;
• inputting into global consultations and frameworks;
• horizon scan global trends/donor developments and policy landscape;
• Choreograph key policy events with support from the Education TU Unit Manager;
• Maintain a collection of core briefs and policy documents for use by program teams; Country Offices and headquarters.

Perform high level Chief of Staff duties to support the Senior Director for Education and other organizational leaders

• Identify strategic relationships, meetings and fora for IRC senior leadership on education and early childhood development; escalate opportunities; seek and appraise requests for senior leadership’s time or other commitment.
• Coordinate and participate in opportunities alongside senior leadership; ensure follow-up.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to:  Senior Director, Education.
• Position directly supervises:  No current direct reports, potential for supervision of consultants, specialists, or officers as work evolves.
• Indirect Reporting: Director, Country Support and Director Special initiatives and ECD, US and European Policy and Advocacy Departments.
• Internal: position is part of Education Leadership Team and the Education Technical Unit. Works closely with colleagues in Communications.  
• External: education in emergencies, development and humanitarian stakeholders, policy makers and advocates.

Professional Profile

Success in this position requires an individual with strong policy and advocacy skills, expertise in development or humanitarian settings and a keen interest in furthering IRC’s strategy and vision. Expertise in education is preferred but not essential.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, with field and programmatic experience in a donor, NGO or comparable international agency required.
• Experience and familiarity with donors, peer agencies and national contexts required, preferably in education, humanitarian and transitional, post-crisis contexts.
• Experience and expertise raising funds from bilateral, multilateral, and private donors.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Self-directed, able to independently set priorities and solve problems with minimal guidance; comfortable working for a supervisor who is remotely located.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced environment and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff.
• Highly effective strategic planning, policy development and execution.
• Private and statutory business development/ fundraising.

Education: Master’s in relevant field.

Language Skills: Excellent spoken and written English essential. Proficiency in additional IRC relevant languages (Arabic, French, Spanish, Kiswahili, etc.) strongly preferred