Job Description

I.              JOB SUMMARY:

The Specialist - Policy and advocacy reports directly to the project manager. S/he will be responsible to strengthen the policy and advocacy work of CASCADE project at operational areas to engage with and influence the national polices and strategies around food and nutrition security. S/he will be responsible to capacitate the government structure and create enabling environment for the national food and nutrition policies implementation. The position holder will be a primary responsible person in advocating food and nutrition policies and promoting multi-sectoral coordination platform among the government sector offices.  She/he work closely with Gain Ethiopia, CACADE program partners, and responsible for the introduction and follow-up of various capacity building tools and techniques on policy implementation and advocacy. S/he will conduct comprehensive supervision and monitor the implementation of the CASCADE program policy and advocacy works

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS: 

Job Responsibility #1:  Policy implementation and advocacy (40% of Time)

• Facilitate dialogues and workshops engaging key stakeholders to inform policy decisions and ensure it implantation.

• Engage/ align with CASCADE programs in the Policy engagement and advocacy support

• Provide technical assistant for the government partner to maintain multi-sectoral coordination platform to food and nutrition interventions.

• Ensure and advocate regular meeting and review of approaches held aligning with the food and nutrition implementation strategies and guidelines.

• Monitor, engage, and represent CASCADE where appropriate, with key zonal and woreda level policy forum 

• Identify key data and learnings to be used for the partners and CARE Knowledge Leadership system 

• Contribute to drafting reports, policy papers and briefs, factsheets and other documents which synthesize CARE learnings, values, and priorities 

• Ensure different policies across the project implementing are well understood by local governors and implemented in harmony to impact the targeted beneficiaries

• Technically lead the use of project gender equality approach integrated with the national food and nutrition policies.

• Identifies, establishes, and maintains productive relationships with like-minded non-government organizations in policy implementation and advocacy.

Job Responsibility #2:  Ensure quality at the design, analysis, implementation, and reporting; (30% of time)

• Develops overall technical approach, implementation strategies, methods and guidelines for policy implementation and advocacy

• Lead the projects detailed implementation plans (DIP) development related to the policy implementation and advocacy.

• Technical support the implementation of the government policies around food and nutrition in harmony.

• Develops and designs concepts, and inputs into problem identification, causal and problem analysis to support operationalization of food and nutrition policies and strategies

• Conducts continuous assessment and analysis of the implementation of food and nutrition policies in operational areas aligning with the project objectives.

• Provide technical inputs for the project to undertakes/facilitates project baseline studies, annual reviews, and final evaluations.

• Reviews project evaluation reports, compile and share lessons for future project design considerations.

Job Responsibility #3 Capacity Building and Technical Assistance: (25% of Time)

• Facilitate trainings, workshops, on-site mentoring, and coaching activities to ensure internalization and quality implementation of CASCADE program strategy, guidelines, and methodologies.

• Build the capacity of field teams, community, and government partners for the quality national food and nutrition policies.

• Works with the relevant government structures to facilitate policy and advocacy-related activities and monitoring in the operational areas.

• Provide technical assistant for the regular multi-sectoral coordination meeting happened in the operational areas.

• Provide technical support for the government partners to track, monitor, analyze and report changes on the policies implementation and advocacy work.

Job Responsibility #5: Other duties- 5%

• Perform other duties, as assigned.

• The duties and responsibilities described above are subject to change, depending on CARE Ethiopian funding or programming.

I.         PROBLEM SOLVING (Thinking Environment)

• Levels one and two of problem solving apply to the incumbent. The incumbent involves with daily routine activities, she/he also uses interpolative skills to pick and choose the right solution to address given problems.  

Job Requirements

I.         QUALIFICATIONS (KNOW HOW)

A. EDUCATION/TRAINING

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, nutrition, health and relevant food system fields

• Knowledge of statistical software.

Desired:

• Master’s degree on the above discipline

• Research and policy implementation background

B.    EXPERIENCE

Required:

• 3 – 5 years job related experience.

Desired:

• NGO experience.

C.    TECHNICAL SKILLS

Required:

• Demonstrated experience in policy research and communication within an advocacy/action-oriented context, either within an NGO, or policy context 

• Highly organized, attention to detail and analytical skills.

• Computer skill particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point.

• Good oral and written communication and interpersonal skill.

• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, participatory approach and sustainability.

• Proficiency in English, both verbal and written.     

Desired:

• Utilizing programming and statistical software (such as SPSS) to compile data and information for various systems, and knowledge of basic PME and research tools.

D. COMPETENCIES

• Respect, accountability, courage, excellence, analytical ability, initiating action, interpersonal skills, developing teams, decision making, information monitoring, facilitating change, proactive problem solving, planning, organizing, and communicating with impact.

II.       CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• The job holder is expected to collaborate with SRHN technical team, Gain team and CASCADE project management.

III.      WORKING CONDITIONS AND LEVEL OF TRAVEL REQUIRED. 

• The post is located at Debre tabor, with frequent travel to project sites.

How to Apply

If you are interested to be part of our dynamic team, exciting work environment and contribute to CARE Ethiopia’s mission and vision, please send your CV (not more than 3 pages) and cover letter (not more than one page) through THIS LINK

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Passionate and dedicated candidates who meet the requirement are strongly encouraged to apply, especially women!

CARE seeks to improve the lives of the most marginalized, particularly women and girls. Our diversity is our strength. We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

CARE Ethiopia is committed to preventing all unwanted behavior at work. This includes sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse. We expect everyone who works for us to share this commitment by understanding and working within the CARE Safeguarding Policy and related framework. CARE Ethiopia has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives, or partners.

CARE Ethiopia reserves the right to seek information from job applicants’ current and/or previous employers about incidents of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment the applicant may have been found guilty to have committed or about which an investigation was in the process of being carried out at the time of the termination of the applicant’s employment with that employer.

By submitting the application, the job applicant confirms that s/he has no objection to CARE Ethiopia requesting the information specified above. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.