Advocacy and Communication Officer Ukraine

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships.

1. Role and responsibilities

The following is a brief description of the role.

As a member of NRC Ukraine’s Advocacy team, Advocacy Technical Officer (TO) will contribute to implementation of NRC’s Advocacy Framework towards systemic changes in the laws, policies and practices so that civilians affected by the war and displacement are protected, can exercise their human rights without discrimination and have access to essential services, support and durable solutions. Advocacy TO will support the design and implementation of advocacy interventions at the local, regional, national and international levels. He/she will develop regular context, legal and policy updates, conduct in-depth legal and policy research and analysis thus informing NRC’s advocacy and programming. He/she will liaise with partners and authorities, and will assist in strengthening NRC Advocacy strategic networks and alliances, with a particular focus on IDP protection, access, principled humanitarian action, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and durable solutions.

• Ensure compliance with NRC policies, guidelines and standards.
• Ensure compliance with Advocacy Strategy Framework, tools, handbooks, guidelines and standards.
• Advocacy specific technical responsibility for the implementation, quality control, monitoring, project documentation and tracking of financial expenditures for technical activities.
• Provide specific technical support and capacity building towards project staff.
• Provide specific technical legal, policy and context analysis and feedback to NRC representatives in coordination forums.
• Assess, promote and document ideas for technical improvement of advocacy interventions and further program development options.
• Ensure that projects target beneficiaries most in need, and explore and assess new and better ways to assist.
• Ensure proper filing of documents.
• Contribute to specific advocacy risks and needs analyses.
• Contribute to designing advocacy response to identified risks and needs.

Specific responsibilities

These responsibilities shall be adapted to the particularities of the job location and context, phase of operation, strategic focus and type of programme intervention. This section shall be revised whenever a new employee is hired, or the context changes significantly.

• Monitor and provide regular updates and quality context, legal and policy analysis on the key concerns of conflict-affected persons, including IDPs, such as access to services, pensions and social benefits, freedom of movement, housing, land and property rights, access to civil documentation, durable solutions.
• Facilitate identifying and coordinating NRC Advocacy response to prioritized issues;
• Conduct in-depth legal & policy research and analysis, including both national and international frameworks.
• Draft NRC Advocacy products such as briefing notes, position papers, talking points and reports.
• Facilitate planning and implementation of NRC Advocacy and Media activities and the production of relevant materials.
• Facilitate meetings with the authorities, international and local partners (including setting up the meetings, participation in the meetings, ensuring proper translation, taking minutes, etc.).
• Draft official letters and information requests to the authorities and other relevant stakeholders;
• Jointly with Advocacy team develop legal and policy recommendations to the authorities on prioritized issues, including drafting legislative provisions.
• Assist in strengthening NRC Advocacy strategic networks and alliances, with a particular focus on IDP protection, access, principled humanitarian action, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and durable solutions.
• Compile narrative and statistical reports in the respective formats.
• Translate documents and meetings (Ukrainian, English, Russian).
• Liaise with the national, regional and local authorities, local and international partners.
• Perform any other tasks as requested by Advocacy Manager towards implementation of NRC Ukraine’s Advocacy Strategy Framework and Media Strategy.

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• Advocacy Manager
• Advocacy Coordinator
• HLP Coordinator and Technical Officer
• Media and Communications Coordinator, Technical Officers, Assistants
• NRC ICLA, Shelter, WASH, Livelihoods/Food Security, UDOC, Cash and other programme staff
• NRC support unit staff (e.g., HR, M&E, finances, logistics)

2. Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organization to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional competencies

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies:

• At least 2 years of experience in a relevant field, including internships and documented results related to such experience (advocacy, law and policy, protection, research and analysis). Experience from working on similar positions in a human rights, humanitarian or recovery context is preferred.
• Fluency in Ukrainian. Advanced knowledge of English and Russian, both written and verbal.

Context/ Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

• High education in law, policy, sociology, international relations or any other relevant field. Academic background in international humanitarian law, human rights, forced migration law and policy would be an asset. International academic background would be an asset too.
• Strong knowledge of the context in Ukraine, political and international developments.
• Understanding of the policy and law-making processes in Ukraine.
• Good knowledge of the issues related to IDP protection, access to services, pensions and social benefits, freedom of movement, housing, land and property rights, access to civil documentation and durable solutions in the context of the war in Ukraine. In-depth expertise in one or several thematic areas would be an asset.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience in conducting advocacy interventions, public or private, and ability to demonstrate their results would be an asset.
• Excellent writing, research and analytical skills.
• Good knowledge of the software programs (MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint; digital design skills to develop layouts would be an asset).

2. Behavioural competencies

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, and the following are essential for this position:

• Managing resources to optimize results
• Handling insecure environments
• Working with people
• Coping with change
• Planning and delivering results
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Research
• Analysing

We offer:

• Type of contract: till December 2022 with the possibility of extension.
• Salary/benefits: According to NRC salary scale, terms and conditions.
• Duty station: Kyiv
• The deadline for the applications - 26.08.2022. 

** This position is subjected to national recruitment, Only Ukrainian nationals will be considered for this role. Applications will be reviewed on ongoing basis, therefore we encourage interested candidates to apply early**