Regional Policy and Advocacy Advisor – PlayMatters US Non-profit Jobs – International Rescue Committee

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Communications Jobs in Uganda, Management Jobs in Uganda, NGO – Non-Government Organisations Jobs in Uganda, Social Sciences Jobs in Uganda

Job Title: Regional Policy and Advocacy Advisor – PlayMatters

Organisation: International Rescue Committee

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About Organisation:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 25 U.S. cities, we improve outcomes in the areas of health, safety, economic wellbeing, education, and power.

Job Summary: The Policy and Advocacy Advisor for the PlayMatters regional support team will lead creative efforts to bring attention to the developmental needs of children aged 3-12 in settings where PlayMatters operates, raise the profile of IRC and partners’ work in this area and influence change in the ways in which education integrating play is prioritized and funded in PlayMatters contexts and globally. Reporting to the Deputy Project Director, PlayMatters, the Regional Policy and Advocacy Advisor will be a critical member of the regional project team, based in the Kampala office.

During inception period (through July 2026) the Policy and Advocacy Advisor will participate in the preparation of key project inception deliverables including the advocacy and communications plan, implementation plan, the work plan, the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)plan for Policy and systems workstream, and contribute to the research agenda. This will involve participating in regular communication and meeting routines within IRC as well as with partners.

Following the inception period, the Policy and Advocacy Advisor will be responsible for designing and implementing a policy and advocacy strategy across the project’s country programs as well as connecting the policy and advocacy work to the other technical aspects of project implementation and to IRC’s global education strategy. This will involve close communication with the research and MEAL teams and the implementation teams to understand the interventions being used and the lessons stemming from them. Ensuring regular timely and relevant communications with ministries, partners, and relevant coordination working groups (such as the Education Cluster) will be essential. Both the inception period and long-term scope of major responsibilities for the Policy and Advocacy Advisor are presented below.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Design and Implement Learning through Play Policy and Advocacy strategy
Support IRC’s global education advocacy strategy by identifying and participating in key moments to promote PlayMatters.
Liaise with key advocacy focal points across IRC’s Crisis Response, Recovery & Development (CRRD) Unit at the global, regional, and country level, as well as IRC’s Policy and Advocacy and Communication units, to keep abreast of strategic initiatives and opportunities that may inform the PlayMatters advocacy strategy.
Conduct and maintain stakeholder analyses and power mapping to identify and recommend strategic decision makers to target with advocacy and communications opportunities.
Develop and oversee advocacy and communications tactics for influencing and supporting donors, ministries, and the cluster and working groups – as well as ways to influence and engage the humanitarian coordination decision makers and partners external to the PlayMatters consortium – to reach the 800,000 children, including:
Collaborate with Communications (project-based and Education TU) to develop and continually update compelling print and digital products on relevant activities and accomplishments.
Initiating presentations at key points in the project cycle for updates and when research findings are complete.
Maintaining relationships through providing regular updates and convening meetings
Tracking and continually updating requests for IRC participation or representation related to PlayMatters in advocacy-related meetings and events, providing recommendations for engagement and participation.
Support the translation of outcome led interventions into innovative multi-media solutions for mass media dissemination.
Using policy advocacy channels, facilitate the adaptation and uptake of PlayMatters digitalized multi-media content within appropriate government systems and mechanisms.
Oversee the identification of opportunities to develop and adopt multi-media content for use in various education platforms.
Develop a Learning through Play Advocacy workplan aligned with the strategy and track the progress of objectives and activities.

Internal Capacity Building and Communications:

Develop, support and/or lead advocacy capacity building workshops and meetings for IRC staff and/or relevant partner staff at the global, regional, and country level.
Assist in the development and finalization of PlayMatters talking points and presentations for events and meetings.

External Representation and Relationship Management

In coordination with Deputy Project Director, Technical – PlayMatters and the SPA Education, liaise with advocacy focal points at key partner organizations as well as with advocacy focal points at peer organizations and UN agencies.
Represent PlayMatters within appropriate interagency groups, as appropriate/feasible.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Master’s degree required; post-graduate degree preferred in a discipline relevant to Global Education in humanitarian settings (such as education, psychology, etc.)
5+ years of experience working in policy and/or advocacy related to children, education, health, or other relevant fields
Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced environment, within and across departments/functions and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff.
Strong facilitation skills and ability to lead meetings and workshops with diverse stakeholders.
Self-directed, able to independently set priorities and solve problems with minimal guidance; comfortable working for a supervisor who is remotely located
Excellent writing and editing skills: the ability to draft and edit memos, letters, reports and proposals.
Good critical thinking; ability to synthesis a wide scope of information.
Solid organizational skills, with a proven ability to prioritize projects with attention to detail.
Flexible work attitude: the ability to work productively in a team environment, problem solve with minimal guidance and support any range of projects at a moment’s notice.
Knowledge of early childhood development, education, social and emotional well-being and psycho-social support, humanitarian programming and relevant international policies and stakeholders

Working Environment: