Appel à candidature : Mercy Corps recrute un Conseiller principal en matière de politique et de plaidoyer, paix et gouvernance au Royaume-Uni, aux Pays-Bas et en Belgique.
The Department
The Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) Team seeks change in the policies and practices of key global institutions and policy makers in support of Mercy Corps’ mission to build secure, productive and just communities.
The Position
The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor is part of the Mercy Corps Europe Headquarters, located in the United Kingdom. They will work as part of the Policy and Advocacy Team, based in London but connecting extensively with colleagues in Washington DC, Edinburgh, Brussels, other European capitals and multiple country offices.
The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will take responsibility for delivering elements of Mercy Corps’ influence priorities on peace and governance with European policymakers, including UK and European governments and institutions. In addition, the Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will support a small number of programme teams to both influence at country level and effect policy and practice changes related to peace and conflict with UK and European policymakers.
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND DELIVERY
The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will work with the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy in Europe, and the global lead on Peace and Governance Influence (based in Washington) to develop long-term strategies for influencing key policy areas. This will include:
- Identifying and developing opportunities for Mercy Corps to effect long-term influence and thought leadership.
- Leading the development and delivery of policy events, debates and report launches to deliver long-term influence and position Mercy Corps as expert and thought-leaders on priority issues.
- Working with media, fundraising, TSU and programmes colleagues to maximise the impact of policy and advocacy work.
- Writing or contributing to policy papers, briefing papers and opinion pieces based on new research or pre-existing material.
- Possible travel to Mercy Corps country offices to participate in internal meetings or to support with trainings and in-country influence efforts.
INFLUENCING, ADVOCACY AND EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION
A fundamental part of the role is to represent Mercy Corps with policymakers and influence key policies, including:
- Analysing key policy processes and identifying and building relationships with decision-makers and those with influence over them – with a particular focus on UK government and EU Institutions, but some ongoing engagement in France, Sweden and the Netherlands.
- Meeting bilaterally with key policymakers, parliamentarians and influencers to provide expert briefings on our key issues and deliver advocacy messages
- Identifying and attending priority contact groups and forums to deliver policy change (e.g. BOND Conflict and Humanitarian Policy Groups, VOICE, EPLO etc)
- To otherwise represent Mercy Corps as an official spokesperson when appropriate and support other colleagues in representing the organisation.
- Working closely with country offices and colleagues in other departments to influence European policymakers on issues affecting priority contexts and our country programmes.
EXPERTISE
The Senior Advisor will be an expert in understanding and shaping policy processes and decisions in the European context, particularly as they relate to Peace and Governance.
More broadly they will play a role as an internal and external expert on peace and governance – in order to shape policy messages and strategies and produce briefs, articles and other materials for both private advocacy and media work. This will include working closely with key Mercy Corps programmes and technical experts, and continuing to monitor external research, think pieces etc. They will also support the acting global lead on peace and governance influence based in Washington DC.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Minimum five years of policy or advocacy experience, including high level influencing and representation on technical issues, and experience of developing and delivering advocacy strategy is essential; Experience in the European context – particularly in the UK and Brussels – highly desirable.
- Understanding of technical and policy issues around responding to crisis, conflict or displacement is essential;
- Knowledge of, or experience living in, the Middle East or Africa is highly desirable;
- Knowledge related to any of the following is highly desirable: the climate-conflict nexus, digital peacebuilding, preventing violent extremism, social cohesion, mediation, the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, gender peace and security, or fostering a culture of good governance and civic engagement.
- Educated to degree level, or equivalent experience.