Regional Access Advisor at Norwegian Refugee Council

Access to people in need remains one of the greatest challenges for humanitarian organisations working to reach vulnerable communities. Shrinking humanitarian space and deteriorating security have left many of those most in need with limited or no assistance. Given the operational conditions of highly dynamic security, political and conflict situations, humanitarians are preparing for increasing complexity in reaching the most vulnerable populations in hard to reach areas.NRC aims to expand its access into new areas in the East Africa and Yemen Region to address unmet needs and respond to new emergencies. The goal is to ensure that NRC is present and able to provide assistance in areas with the highest needs.

NRC’s East Africa & Yemen Regional Office is therefore looking for a Regional Access Advisor (RAA) to play a key role in implementing a project on Access and Negotiations across the region. The RAA will drive forward this project which aims to support both field workers and critical decision-makers to improve presence and programming in complex operating environments. The RAA is part of a global project team and is well-suited to individuals who can work independently and take initiative. This is an interesting role and and excellent opportunity to work in one of NRC’s areas of strategic importance.

Job description

• Key member of the global project team delivering on the Access & Negotiations Project.
• Development and delivery of humanitarian access trainings within the region to a diverse audience including frontline staff and key decision makers.
• Contribute to “evidence gathering” or research on best practice related to humanitarian access and operations, to include topics on bureaucratic impediments, operations in hard to reach areas, risk mitigation measures, etc.
• Advocate to the broader humanitarian community on issues related to access, including delivering workshops or presenting findings.
• Support NRC operations and the humanitarian community in developing access strategies, drafting key messages, or building staff capacity in areas related to programming in hard to reach areas, humanitarian access, negotiations, acceptance and civil-military coordination.
• Support to NRC Regional and Country Offices by contributing to interagency access coordination; advise on programming in high risk and/or hard to reach areas; and contribute to regional initiatives

*Please see the full Job Description attached below*

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years experience in humanitarian work in conflict/post-conflict environments/volatile contexts
• Master’s Degree in related field (or Bachelor’s with equivalent work experience)
• Demonstrated technical knowledge of humanitarian access and familiarity with industry access tools, resources and methodologies
• Experienced trainer and mentor with knowledge of skills development capacity
• Demonstrated strong understanding of humanitarian principles and how to operationalize them within programming
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal plus languages relevant to the East Africa & Yemen region an asset.
• Demonstrable technical knowledge of and experience managing and/or advising on humanitarian access
• Demonstrable knowledge of and experience dealing with protection concerns in high risk settings
• Excellent writing and analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, including capability to negotiate with stakeholders
• Experience in project management, particularly budgeting, monitoring and evaluation.

Personal qualities

• Empowering and building trust
• Managing resources to optimize results
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Strategic thinking and analytical skills
• Ability and willingness to work and live under pressure in insecure environments
• Flexible, creative and cooperative
• Working with people | Collaborative leadership

We offer

Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya (possibility to be located in one of NRC’s Country Offices in the EA&Y Region)
Travel: 40-60%
Contract Duration: 2 years
Salary/Benefits: Competitive compensation and benefits package
An approved health clearance will be required before commencement of the contract.
NRC may be required to verify the identity of its partners and employees to check they have not been involved in illegal activities. NRC reserves the right to use electronic screening tools for this purpose