Open Positions at Hivos East Africa

Job Context

• Hivos is looking for an Advocacy and Communication Officer who will be responsible for producing & curating content that contributes to Hivos’ positioning and leading campaign efforts on LGBTIQ+ rights.  They will work with external and internal audiences to deliver key advocacy and communication initiatives for the promotion, coordination, and advancement of the human rights of the LGBTIQ+ community.

Your responsibilities:

Advocacy and Campaign Management

• Develop advocacy and campaign guidelines for the project in the region
• Support community advocacy efforts for policies promoting online safety, and protection of LGBTQ+ rights in online and offline spaces.
• Organize convenings with policymakers to enhance support for human rights for all
• Collaborate with existing networks and regional bodies in the protection and promotion of LGBTIQ+ rights
• Support efforts to counter the anti-rights/ anti-gender movements in the region
• Support creatives in the design and dissemination of new and empowering narratives
• Connect communities of action to networks of creatives in the design and dissemination of powerful alternative narratives

Communication strategy and implementation   

• Develop and implement a project specific communication strategy in line with Hivos’ global corporate communications strategy in East Africa
• Implement an annual budgeted editorial calendar by working with various vendors and consultants in execution
• Provide communications advice and counsel to the Free to be Me program closely weighing possible (security & reputational) risks

Online strategy and content development         

• Develop and play a lead role in implementation of the program's digital advocacy strategy.
• Produce, edit and/or curate (multimedia) content for the main hivos.org website through blogs, news items and opinion articles, illustrations, videos, and infographics
• Contribute to Hivos East Africa’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Movement building & strengthening

• Pro-actively gather intelligence in the environment through issue management and advise program and executive leadership where appropriate
• Map out and work closely with movements in the region and mobilize allies of human rights defenders
• Capacity strengthening of media organizations on positive messaging that promotes non-discrimination
• Continuously seek targeted opportunities to position Hivos’ work in East Africa through global bilateral and multilateral events, media interviews, Op-Eds amongst others

Engagement with the International Communications & Program Teams

• Work in partnership with the Corporate communications team based in the Netherlands, and our global Communications Officer to co-create campaigns, strategy, pro-active and reactive content pieces, amongst others.
• Actively participate and contribute as an advocacy and communications team member from East Africa.
• Work closely with the Program Officer for East Africa in engagement with societal leaders

Your Profile

• Degree in Sociology, Media/ journalism/ communications, public relations, or a human rights-related field from a recognized institution
• At least five years of work experience in an international organization or working in a regional setting
• Experience in advocacy strategy development and implementation
• Experience in human rights advocacy and/ or campaign management is essential
• High-level interpersonal skills including the ability to build relationships internally and externally
• Must possess excellent journalistic and photographic skills
• Ability to craft messaging for effective advocacy including production of video and audio documentaries
• Exceptionally good writing skills.

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Main goal of the position

• The Project Officer (PO) will support and strengthen existing efforts in mobilizing and setting up of communities of action (CoAs). The role involves the development, approval and implementation of organizational level and joint project proposals, and ensures these processes are developed in line with agreed procedures. S/he/they ensures contracts with local organizations are signed and checks on progress and deliverables.
• She/he/they is responsible for upholding F2BM values and principles and translating them into practice. The PO coordinates the delivery of sound country level narrative plans and reports, that visualise activities and results of local organizations, and joint CoA and Hivos activities thus contributes to the overarching F2BM plans and reports. In doing so, s/he/they will closely work together with the Hivos financial officer, the DMEL officer, as well as with the CoA facilitator, amongst others.
• She/he/they participates in the regional management team and plays an active role in coordinating activities in the field of capacity strengthening, lobby and advocacy, learning, etc. with consortium partners and local organizations, as well as with the relevant Hivos staff. The PO will share progress and results of the program to both the global program management team as well as Hivos colleagues in other countries and global office. She/he/they is also responsible for the preparation of stories and content for website, media and other channels and the organization of internal and external events. The PO will assist the Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and
• Learning (DMEL) officer in outcome harvesting, narrative assessment and other reporting needed. The PO will work within the existing Free to be Me team.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

RESULT AREAS & RESULT DESCRIPTIONS

Program design

• Supports the CoAs in developing their localized theory of change (ToC), plans and (in coordination with the financial officer) budget, in line with guidelines
• Supports and guides local organizations in the development of their individual or joint plans and proposals for lobby and advocacy, and including activities on capacity strengthening.
• Contributes to the development of Hivos’ overarching F2BM planning, and particularly to the design of innovative elements of the program, in particular the functioning of the CoAs, as well as the design of a participatory grant making mechanism.

Implementation of work plans

• Realizes successful implementation in accordance with the specific goals, working methods and budgets of the projects.
• Supports and guides local organizations in the development of their individual or joint plans and proposals.
• Oversee grant making processes including mapping of potential partners in different countries.
• Ensures contracts with partner organizations are established and provides guidance to partners on key priority areas for their countries.
• Coordinates with CoAs, Alliance partners and with Hivos’ staff around capacity strengthening and advocacy activities.
• Ensures Hivos’ own activities are implemented according to plan.

Monitoring & control

• Monitors progress towards established goals with partners and in the organizational level or joint project plans, and flags in the Hivos overarching management team when problems arise.
• Coordinates and liaises with the safety and security officer to ensure timely response to emergencies.
• Relates progress to the overarching F2BM plans.

Coordination and collaboration

• Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the PO plays a proactive role in coordinating with the CoA facilitator, with the organizations that participate in the CoA, in-country partners, Alliance partners and with the regional and global Hivos team.
• Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, such as research, advocacy campaigns, learning events, etc.

Sharing, learning, and quality improvement

• Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.
• Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.
• Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.
• Collaborates with the CoAs, the Alliance partners, and Hivos’ capacity strengthening officer, in the design and realization of exchange and learning events.
• Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level.

REQUIREMENTS

This is a medior position for nationals or residents of Kenya:

• Relevant degree or equivalent work experience, and academic level of working and thinking.
• Minimum of three to five years of relevant working experience.
• Work experience in working with civil society, in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and working in international teams.
• Expertise in working on LGBTIQ+ issues, or on other human rights issues.
• Keen on ensuring ownership by local organizations, and in finding innovative and creative solutions to realize goals.
• Work experience in an international environment.
• Flexible attitude, creative, supports Hivos’ and F2BM values, has a progressive and positive view on F2BM and the leadership of rightsholders.
• Full professional proficiency in English.
• Job skills: communication, project management, independence, creativity, collaboration
• Level skills: conceptual skills, persuasiveness, decisiveness