1. Context

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and well-being.

Currently, RI is active in 15 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France and Relief International-Europe Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

 About our Country Program/ Regional Programs

Relief International was operational in OPT starting in 2007, and after entering hibernation period in 2017, has recently reactivated its operations at the end of 2023. Relief International is currently building its response to the current and evolving situation in both Gaza and the West Bank through both a direct implementation and partnership approach. Relief International’s programming in OPT follows Relief International’s global strategy with Health as a central focus with components linked to our work in Health through the sectors of WASH, Protection, Education and Livelihoods. The context in OPT is extremely dynamic and requires focus on nexus programming that brings together both humanitarian service delivery combined with systems strengthening and longer-term programming.

 Middle East Region

RI operates in seven countries in the Middle East region:  Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Turkey and Yemen, with a focus on the four RI sector pillars: Health, WASH, Education and Livelihood.  We employ more than 4,000 staff (direct and indirect) in the Middle East region and implement a range of humanitarian and development programs valued at approximately $70 million USD on an annual basis.

  Job Profile

The Strategic Partnership and Advocacy Manager shares the overall responsibility for the strategic direction of the Country Office operations. The Strategic Partnership and Advocacy Manager, as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) for OPT, is responsible to support the Country Director and members of Country Team in identifying, establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships at the country level.

The Strategic Partnership and Advocacy Manager will be responsible for ensuring identifying strategic partnership opportunities with key national and international stakeholders (government, national and international organizations) and institutional and private donors; and supporting Relief International’s positioning in key national and international fora. As part of the role, the Strategic Partnership and Advocacy Manager will be leading the development and implementation of the advocacy and communication strategy, to ensure informing and contributing to the overall strategic partnership engagement of the organization.

3. Key responsibilities

Accountability and Complexity

•  Accountable for the development and effective implementation of the country advocacy and communication strategy.
•  Responsible to identify new strategic partnership opportunities to strengthen the footprint of the organization at the country level.
• Interacts with multitude of internal and external stakeholders.

 Strategic oversight and representation

• Support the development and overall implementation of the Country Strategy, ensuring that strategic partnership and advocacy objectives are in alignment with it and overall organizational strategy.
• Represent the organization in key national and international advocacy fora as delegated by the Country Director ensuring Relief International’s positioning as a key actor in oPT
• Collaborate with key internal stakeholders to ensure cohesive organizational representation and messaging vis-à-vis external parties at country, regional and global level.
•  As delegated by the Country Director, represent the organization vis-à-vis existing donors and/or existing partners
• Actively contribute to any internal and donor reporting. Ensuring high quality and timeliness of submissions
• Provide the SMT with strategic analysis on humanitarian and protection trends, understanding conflict dynamics and geopolitical factors that impact the delivering of humanitarian assistance.
• Together with the security and access manager: ensuring monitoring and understanding of the conflict dynamics and geopolitical factors that impact the delivering of humanitarian assistance.
  

Strategic Partnership Development

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the country fundraising strategy, including conducting donor mapping, researching donor priorities and interests, and identifying new funding opportunities.
• Work closely with the Country Director to scope new partnerships opportunities at country level with key local and international actors, through regular stakeholder analysis process and networking with actors active in oPT/on the Gaza crisis.
• In collaboration with the Country Director, Regional and Global teams contribute to scoping new partnerships internationally contributing to extend the country and organizational profile.
• Support the Country Director with the proposal development processes in country, including reviewing and improving draft proposals and concept notes, acting as the lead writer for opportunities, and addressing feedback from the country management and regional team.

Advocacy and Communication

• Design and lead on the implementation of the RI’s Advocacy and Communication strategy in alignment country program and organizational priorities.
• In coordination with Country Director, identify Advocacy and Communications opportunities and develop evidence-based position papers,
• briefing notes and program fact sheets, reflecting needs of the population.
• Ensure that Advocacy and Communication initiatives are aligned and developed in close coordination with the Program and Technical Department.
• Regularly update and identify potential risks associated with RI’s Communication Strategy and advocacy positioning on different areas of work.
• Support area directors in proposing acceptance and perception strategies on field level with local partners and population.
•  Maintain community and social perception analysis up to date
• Draw a communication strategy adapted with local area of intervention and to community/local authorities
• Identify and anticipate potential issues and propose mitigations
• Boost the integration of advocacy as part of program development process and ensure that advocacy and communication focal points understand the implementation challenges and work closely with program managers/staff too.
• Develop and implement external communication guidelines for oPT and work with A&C focal points and program staff to develop visibility materials, case studies and stories for: external campaigns, RI’s website, fundraising events and networking.
• Develop and supervise the dissemination of communication products and media outreach when appropriate  and/or needed and identify niche opportunities for specific target audiences.
• Responsible, in coordination with the Program Team, for the implementation of any advocacy, communication and visibility material as per donor contracts and donor rules and regulations.

Behavior and conduct

• Ensures that behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Acts with integrity and holds themselves accountable for being respectful, inclusive and professional.
• Reports any concerns.

Management and leadership

• Ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members.
• Embrace diversity, and model inclusive and equitable behaviour.
• Ensure own actions and the actions of the teams’ members they manage do not adversely impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Ensure donors, partners and communities are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanisms.
• Ensure safeguarding is embedded in all the work we do.
• Be responsible for ensuring a culture and systems in place for reporting.
• Report any concerns.

4. Person Specification

 Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role.

Essential criteria

• Degree in Development Studies, Political Sciences, Journalism, Law and/or any other related field.
• Experience working in conflict affected areas and/or in complex and fragile settings.
• Knowledge of oPT humanitarian context and Middle East geopolitical dynamics.
• Sound understanding and knowledge of IHL and IHRL, humanitarian principle and protection principles.
• 5 years of experience working on Advocacy/Communications position, or similar role, in a humanitarian/development context.
• Demonstrated experience undertaking research, developing reports, advocacy and communications products.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication skills;
• Knowledge on humanitarian programs and capacity to develop entry points for advocacy.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Desirable criteria

Arabic language

5.  RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability