Head of World Vision’s Africa Union Liaison Office Full Time

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian, development and advocacy organisation devoted to improving the lives of children, families and their communities around the world. Our 34,000+ staff members working in nearly 100 countries are united in helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life.

Through our work, every 60 seconds … a family gets water … a hungry child is fed … a family receives the tools to overcome poverty.

Here’s where you come in:

As the Head of World Vision’s Africa Union Liaison Office, you will provide overall technical support on advocacy, as well as management and coordination of World Vision Africa Union Liaison Office with the African Union Commission (AUC). You will be responsible for building relations with World Vision Ethiopia and will coordinate with AU Member States and World Vision Global Capitals, leveraging their policy expertise and influencing opportunities. You will provide technical support, leadership and coordination in World Vision’s advocacy and engagement with the AU Commission, member states, the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), Child Focused Agencies, donors and UN Economic Commission for Africa.

The three areas of advocacy and external engagement will include:

1. No child is left behind through the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs framework;
2. All children are protected from violence such as ending child marriage, FGM and access to education, (It Takes A World to End Violence Against Children Campaign);
3. The rights of children are prioritised in response to the humanitarian crisis including the COVID-19 pandemic.

You will provide technical support to World Vision Field Offices and Regional Offices across Africa, thought leadership and share experience in influencing AUC policies, systems and structures.

Requirements include:

• Masters’ Degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Politics, Public Administration, Law or its equivalent.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in policy influencing at the national or regional level with the AUC, government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, donors, UN, development partners or regional economic communities e.g. EAC, SADC or ECOWAS
• Minimum 7 years policy and advocacy experience on developmental and humanitarian policy issues
• Hand’s on advocacy and external engagement at the regional, national, and local level of a developing country.
• Experience leading on child rights or child-focused issues in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Excellent research, policy analysis and report writing skills
• Excellent understanding of the role of the AU in humanitarian emergencies, its departments and ways of working.
• Experience in external engagement/lobbying with high level stakeholders (Ministerial, Ambassadorial or Heads of States or Government)
• Experiences in networking and building coalitions
• Experience in developing systems to capture and measure impact of advocacy activities
• Experience working with the AU and RECs (and other multi-lateral or inter-governmental organisations) is an advantage
• The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and regionally up to 30% of the time.