Senior Adviser, African Union at International Crises Group

Based in Addis Ababa or Nairobi, the Senior Adviser will lead the Africa Program’s advocacy efforts with relation to the African Union, coordinating our interaction with the AU, its member states' missions and the wider diplomatic community in Addis Ababa. They will undertake research and draft reports and other forms of shorter publications on AU issues as well as engage in high-level advocacy on behalf of the organisation. They will keep abreast of developments at the AU to help inform Crisis Group’s analysis, policy recommendations and discussions with stakeholders on conflict prevention. They will also assist with preparation for advocacy initiatives in Addis Ababa including roundtable dialogue events and publication launches.

Specific responsibilities

• Engages and coordinates interactions with policy-makers within the AU, RECs and key regional capitals, with the aim of building broad-based support for the implementation of Crisis Group’s policy recommendations on country-specific and regional issues on the continent;
• Leads and organises Crisis Group’s research and advocacy activities in Addis Ababa including roundtable events and publication launches;
• Monitors and analyses AU policy developments and keeps the program, project directors, and other relevant staff in the organisation informed on a regular basis;
• Engages with policy-makers, the Africa program staff, as well as Crisis Group staff based in New York, Brussels, London, Washington D.C. and elsewhere, to contribute to the formulation of policies and recommendations for the AU to prevent or resolve deadly conflicts on the continent;
• Works with relevant NGOs to promote Crisis Group recommendations and, where relevant, coordinate advocacy strategies.
• Researches and writes Crisis Group's annual briefing highlighting priorities for the AU as well as other publications on the AU, its responses to conflicts, and its relations with key regional and international partners;
• Drafts talking points for Program Director, President & CEO, and others where relevant;
• Creates and maintains a central database of advocacy contacts in Addis Ababa and a continent wide database for high-level advocacy;
• Creates and maintains a calendar of events and anniversaries relevant to African conflicts to identify potential advocacy hooks for Crisis Group publications;
• In coordination with the Africa Program Director and Deputy Directors, monitor and evaluate all activities.

Requirements include:

• At least seven years of professional experience in conflict prevention and resolution, working in government, multilateral organisations, non-governmental organisations or the media;
• Excellent knowledge of and access within the AU system; and understanding of the AU’s relationships with regional organisations;
• A network of governmental and non-governmental, official, media and civil society contacts in the region;
• Demonstrated excellent writing, research and analytical skills, and proven experience of formulating persuasive policy recommendations;
• Extensive knowledge of the African continent’s security political and governance issues, and experience of living and working in the region;
• Post-graduate qualification in international relations, political science, social sciences or other relevant field of academic study;
• Fluency in English required, strong French language skills highly desirable;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including public presentation skills;
• Experience of working successfully within a team as well as the ability to work independently in a fast-paced and often demanding environment.