Country Focal Point/Advocacy Manager, PITCH at Education as a Vaccine

Education as a Vaccine is a non-governmental youth focused organization that works in partnership with children and young people to advance their rights to health and protection from all forms of violence by strengthening their capacities providing direct services and influencing policies for improved quality of life.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Country Focal Point/Advocacy Manager, PITCH

Location: Abuja
Organizational Unit: Advocacy and Policy Influencing
Reports to: Executive Director
Based at: Headquarters

Job Purpose

• Create a strategic vision for the country programme; analyse, identify and support joint work across all the partners.
• Facilitate unique contribution of each individual partner to the country overarching programme.
• Responsible for the PITCH alignment at country level based on country TOC and gives support, when requested with annual work plans, reporting, and joint activities.
• Responsible for country PITCH communication and external relations.Together with communities of KPs, girls, women and youth, being the face of the PITCH programme and increasing the visibility of the PITCH programme.
• Facilitate open dialogue and discussion among partners about sensitive issues, intelligence and latest developments in the country.
• Assure quality of programme’s M&E and donor reporting.

Roles and Responsibilities
Support country project partners:

• Monitors the progress of annual work plans/budgets implementation and ensures planned activities enable achievement of the country objectives.
• Gives support to the partners at country level with identifying advocacy opportunities and delivering on work plans, budgets and M&E.
• Facilitates shared learning and joint initiatives with regard to programme implementation of activities including PME at country level;
• Coordinates the development and realisation of (Operational) Research;
• Inspires country PITCH partners to collaborate and look for synergy at country level, both within PITCH and, when possible, with other programmes/initiatives in the country;
• Signals and communicates other challenges and problems related to the programme and its programme partners to the lead agency.
• Support communications of PITCH project in Nigeria, including developing country specific communication strategy, etc.

Advocacy leadership and policy analysis together with project partners:

• Shares intelligence and conducts analysis of the national discourse and developments related to KPs, women, girls and youth in regional to HIV/AIDS and human rights.
• With communities of KPs, girls, women and youth in the lead, advises, supports, and when relevant, undertakes advocacy, policy analysis and political outreach; develops research agenda to achieve results outlined in the theory of change and results framework.
• Coordinates partnership with the Embassy and other Strategic Partnerships and SRHR Partnerships;
• Represents PITCH in events and meetings;
• Profiles and increases the visibility PITCH at country level;
• Identifies and builds relations with new and unusual stakeholders.

Programme coordination in the country:

• Organises incountry crosspartner meetings;
• Compiles financial and progress reports, the annual overall budget and PME information at country level;
• Identifies the need for Technical Assistance at country level (centrally and for individual or selection of partners) in addition to the needs that country alliance partners identify themselves;
• Organises joint programme evaluations and workshops to share experiences with implementing partners;
• Identifies opportunities for partners to learn from each other and share experience.
• Represent and profile the PITCH partnership in meetings and events in the country.

Other relevant tasks:

• To the reasonable extent, coordinate organisation of events & incountry travel, translation/interpretation requests.
• Supports PITCH in regional and global activities
• Working Relationships:
• The CFP/Advocacy Manager will report to the Executive Director and work closely with the Team Lead, Advocacy and Policy Influencing and the PITCH (Alliance and Aidfonds) team members.

Education and Experience

• A Degree in Public Health, International Relations, Gender Studies, International Development, or related field. Advanced degree is desirable but not required for this position.
• Minimum 5 - 7 years advocacy experience required.
• Experience in the influencing the policy and practice of governments and institutions through campaigning, advocacy and/or policy development.
• Experienced in developing advocacy strategies and plans
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, policy development and fluent written/spoken English
• Experience in evidence based policy analysis and development
• Knowledge of national, regional and international HIV/AIDs policies and frameworks as well as current policy priorities is a plus
• Experience working, and building collaborative relations with, members of civil society, government, academia, and the private sector.
• Experience working with and supporting advocates, activists and policymakers at a country and regional level.
• Experience organizing workshops or trainings
• Experience in network coordination

Application Closing Date
13th October, 2017.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV's and Cover Letters to: [email protected]