Senior Advocacy Officer

Starting Date: Immediately

Reports to: Director of Programs

Location: Dakar, Senegal

Founded in 2008, we are an impact-driven make-the-world-better campaigns, advocacy, and public affairs firm. We are looking for a mission-focused, seasoned, strategic, and process-minded leader with experience in managing complex advocacy and policy-oriented projects. The Senior Advocacy Officer must be able to develop and support the implementation of highly effective strategies for a range of clients, lead a group of diverse and talented campaigners and communicators, and provide leadership in delivering the Niyel strategic plan. 

Specific Duties 

Advocacy  

• Lead strategic planning, help national and international organizations develop road maps for impact.

• Develop advocacy materials and train partners to translate data into powerful messages 

• Provide strategic counsel to leading nonprofits, corporations, and associations on a range of public affairs issues.

• Lead innovative programs and positioning campaigns for organizations looking to strengthen their identities, increase their profiles and improve the public good.

• Provide wide-ranging advocacy support for a range of clients and initiatives

Research and Analysis 

• Data collection and analysis of content to inform policy influencing strategies and  projects 

• Coordinate and produce reports as well as updates on projects as required by the  line manager 

• Research and develop written materials for Niyel and partners  

• Work with relevant partners to develop position papers and advocacy strategy 

• Contribute to the production of highlights, website content, and other written  materials as needed 

• Maintain up-to-date information on political and advocacy developments on the  continent as well as international governments and organizations’ respective  positions to those developments 

• Filter relevant information for the website to the Communications team  

• Work with other advocacy and campaigns officers to research relevant information  for campaigns and contribute to strategic planning and messaging  

• Coordinate the proofreading and editing of documents in French and English as  required 

Capacity Building

• Help develop and put in place a strategic and integrated capacity building plan for Niyel and partner organizations and movements, consulting colleagues, other NGOS, and other actors to apply a common understanding, principles, and good practice

• Compile and update high-quality resources for capacity building within and outside Niyel

• Set up and maintain a coordination system to achieve the best use of capacity building resources within and outside Niyel

• Identify, develop and promote tools and guidelines for capacity building that help us mobilize people to achieve the greatest possible impact, promote growth in people, and help expand activism and diversity

• Contribute to the development of capacity building standards and best practice, in Advocacy, Campaigns, and Communication and recommend how to spread good practice to ensure Niyel is a leader in change management and organizational development

• Initiate, develop and coordinate capacity-building projects and advice and help others to achieve similar projects. Launch and carry out capacity building learning projects to strengthen our capacity-building supportability

• Keep abreast of developments in capacity building practice and recommend enhancements to Niyel’s efficiency and effectiveness

• Share results and experiences of the Capacity Building Programme with colleagues

Knowledge management and report writing 

• Work with the teams to develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks 

• Monitor project progress and develop lessons 

• Identify learning opportunities and work with colleagues to develop assessments and reports of internal and external projects.  

• Work with the creative team and the communication team to map out and deliver on  research and learning outputs 

• Work with the creative team and the communication team to translate the learning  outputs into publishable content

Position Requirements

As a prerequisite, the Senior Advocacy Officer must believe in the core values of Niyel - Innovation, Accountability, Ethics, Positive Work Environment and be driven by the mission. The candidate should demonstrate a passion for breaking new ground to lead social change. Beyond that, we are seeking a candidate that has proven experience in advocacy and campaigns across different issues, as well as different political and cultural contexts. They must also have demonstrated the ability to both lead and build the capabilities of a driven, bright, diverse team

Key Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Communications, International Relations, Public Relations, Diplomacy, Policy Analysis, or related field

•  At least 5 years of post-qualification experience leading advocacy initiatives in policy advocacy or governmental institution, five of which must be at a management level.

Skills and Experience 

• Fluency in oral and written English and French is required

• Proven experience of capacity building and learning theory 

• Ability to find and mobilize resources to support our capacity building work

• Ability to develop suitable materials for capacity building. 

• Experienced in strategy development and implementation of projects 

• Understanding of development issues and contexts 

• Project management experience  

• Solid research and analytical skills especially in public policy (qualitative data  collection and analysis – while quantitative research skills would be an asset) 

• Ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from several different  sources 

• Ability to deliver oral presentations to various audiences 

• Ability to produce a variety of written and visual communication products in a clear and concise style 

• Well versed in Social Media communication 

• Experienced in events planning and organizing  

• Knowledgeable in public relations

•  Understanding of development issues and contexts 

Personal traits 

• Holds a high interest for Capacity Building, Advocacy, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Communications,  Public Relations, and Research 

• Self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, and  achieving impact 

• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, flexible, and innovative approach to operational management. 

• Passion, humility, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed. 

• Remain focused in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines, not intimidated  by tasks/time/budget limitations 

•  Thinks strategically and on a global scale 

• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to  

• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength 

• Work well within a team and comfortable in social and culturally diverse  environments 

Why work at Niyel?

We welcome you to a team of dynamic advocates, political operatives, and mobilizers who are learners that do make mistakes but never stop trying.  We believe in compassion, empathy and have an open and respectful culture.   Providing a place where your views matter and you have space to make an impact.   We offer competitive compensation, medical benefits, vacation, mental health days, hybrid remote working, fun company team building, and ongoing learning opportunities to grow your career.

To apply, please fill out an application located on the contact page of the Niyel website (www.niyel.net) and attach your CV and cover letter addressed to Tasha Mills, Director of People and Partnerships, or email to recruiting@niyel.net.

Application deadline: January 31, 2022