Regional Advocacy Officer, East Africa Job at Water.org

Summary

The Regional Advocacy Officer supports Water.org’s Global Advocacy strategy in the Africa region by managing public relations and learning activities. The candidate must thrive in an environment where he/she is expected to be highly proactive, extremely organized and assertive.

Key Responsibilities

Public Affairs – 50%

• Contribute to the development of the public affairs strategy for each country in the region, as requested. This includes: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ghana.
• Support all public affairs activities for the Africa region.
• Cultivate media relationships and facilitate multimedia assistance.
• Project manage all advocacy-related exchange visits and stakeholder forums in the region including coordinating learning goals and providing logistical support

Communications & Learning Materials – 50%

• Develop promotional content for the Africa region to be used in advocacy work. This includes identifying content needs, content collection and editing, and publishing relevant stories that showcase Water.org’s impact.
• Create and maintain a suite of materials that represent the collateral for Water.org Africa Region.
• Develop Memorandums of Understanding, Terms of Reference, and Contractor Agreements as needed.
• Support the development of presentation and learning materials and participate in conferences, workshops, and other external events as requested to showcase Water.org’s impact.

Scope Data

This professional, individual contributor position serves as a support role and will require a moderate level of direction from the East Africa Regional Director, Ethiopia Country Director, Senior Portfolio Managers, and Global Advocacy team.

Examples:

• Will conduct research and landscaping to inform decision making.
• Will make recommendations about public relations opportunities and event planning to Country Director.
• Will draft and review various documents and publications in support of Water.org’s advocacy work in Africa.

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus – Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Nimble Learning – Actively learning through experimentation when talking new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
• Drives Results – Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Collaborates – Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Self-development – Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using other formal and informal development channels.
• Optimize Work Processes – Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Manages Ambiguity - Manages ambiguity by operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.
• Instills Trust – Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Financial Stewardship - Demonstrates fiscally responsible decision making as applicable to one’s role.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understanding of local legal requirements for media, content collection, etc.
• Advanced computer skills including MS Office products and database software; excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; critical thinking, creativity, good judgment, initiative, attention to detail, and professionalism; strong desire to contribute to increased access to water and sanitation at the BOP.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in communications, public relations, public affairs, or related field.
• At least three to five years of relevant experience in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and/or policy development in the international development sector.
• Demonstrated understanding of and familiarity with the financial services sector and utilities and/or public services (particularly in the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector), including stakeholder engagement and policy development.
• Demonstrated proficiency in communications, media engagement, and event management. This includes having a strong network with local media outlets.
• Proven track record proactively identifying challenges and developing innovative solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results working in a small team.

Travel Requirement

• Willingness to travel up to 40% of time.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

This position offers full-time benefits, including medical/dental insurance, group life insurance, and a retirement program. Salary is competitive with similar positions in the international development sector and is based on education and experience.