Regional Advocacy Manager

IRC has a 40-year history in Latin America, with on and off programming of various scales. IRC returned to the region in 2017 and consolidated as a regional approach in 2019. The IRC’s currently responds in the region to support vulnerable populations, individuals and families, whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future through protection, economic recovery and development, education, and health programming as well as work in resettlement asylum and integration activities and through Research and innovation efforts in evidence to action. Though Latin America has a long history of migration, with relationships developed between countries from these migration patterns, the current acute regional crises are more profound. They have evolved from a symptom of the underlying humanitarian emergency to become a crisis in and of itself. Many of the countries in the region play multiple roles in today’s migration crises: they are places of origin, transit and destination. As the region continues to face rising challenges, including violence, the effects of climate change, high rates of gender-based violence, ongoing poverty and economic inequality and the impacts of Covid-19, a comprehensive approach is necessary to respond to critical and evolving humanitarian needs.

In Latin America, the IRC is currently active in seven countries, with three crisis responses: Venezuela Crisis Response (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru); Northern Central America Response (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras), and Mexico and Cross-Border Response. In Latin America, the IRC doubled its portfolio each year since 2018 with donors such as ECHO, Sida, GFFO, UNHCR, GIZ, and OFDA as well as private partners such as Lego, the Tinker Foundation, GSMA and Johnson and Johnson among others. IRC’s current portfolio in the region is $23million and includes nearly 300 staff.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Regional Advocacy Manager is a key member of IRC’s LATAM regional support team and the Global Policy & Advocacy team, charged with strategically positioning IRC on key humanitarian policy debates and raising its profile locally, regionally and internationally. As a member of the regional team, s/he will work closely with country programs throughout the region to provide targeted support in developing local advocacy and policy solutions and building the capacity of country program teams to advocate on priority issues. The Regional Advocacy Officer works closely and collaboratively with these internal stakeholders as well as broad range of external stakeholders. S/he will develop appropriate, coherent and compelling messaging with the aim of influencing the policies and practices of key actors, enhancing the impact and increasing the coverage of IRC’s work.

S/he reports to the Deputy Regional Director and works closely with the Global Policy & Advocacy’s International Programs Director and advocacy officers in the U.S. and Europe. The position is based in IRC locations in Latin America or in the US with travel in the region, and occasionally to U.S. or European cities.

SCOPE OF WORK

•Using real-time, credible data, facilitate the development and implementation of influencing strategies and policies within the region in coordination with country programs and regional teams; ensuring consistency in messaging and information flow from the local to global arena;

•Support representation of the IRC in regional fora, think tanks, policy institutes, and develop or strengthen networks/alliances to push forward topics of shared concern within the humanitarian community – bridging understanding of key issues from the local/national, to regional, to global level;

•Support IRC engagement in an expanded and coordinated dialogue about improvements to international humanitarian and development architecture and corresponding systems and tools for more effective response.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

•Manage developing and implementing regional advocacy strategies and ensure timely revisions as the context evolves

•Ensure that country priorities are integrated into appropriate strategy documents and plans

•Work closely with advocacy and communications staff in Washington DC, New York, London, Brussels and Geneva, sharing the strategy and other information

•Closely monitor policy debates and ensure relevant information is disseminated to advocacy colleagues throughout the IRC

•When necessary, contribute IRC position on advocacy issues and take part in relevant country and international policy/advocacy fora as guided by key stakeholders

•Manage qualitative research projects within the region to ensure that advocacy themes are shaped by new evidence being generated

REQUIREMENTS:

•At least five years of experience in delivering advocacy and policy development work responding to complex humanitarian crises and/or post-conflict environments;

•Must have at least three years of professional experience in humanitarian affairs; protection; refugee affairs; and international human rights;

•Demonstrated creativity, ability to apply innovative thinking and problem solving skills;

•Excellent analytical, presentation, communication and writing skills;

•Fluency in Spanish and English (written and spoken) is essential;

•Must be willing to travel to remote sites under challenging conditions;

•Ability to work well in unstable security environments, and under significant administrative and programmatic pressures.

Positions Reports to: Deputy Regional Director, LATAM

Works Closely With: Global Policy & Advocacy team in the U.S. and Europe

https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/16073?c=rescue