Director, Nigeria INGO Forum. Full Time

What we are looking for:

Norwegian Refugee Council proudly hosts the Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF) on behalf of the international NGO community in Nigeria.

NRC is seeking a dynamic INGO Forum Director to lead, strengthen, and ensure the continued relevance of the Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF). You will drive strategic engagement with government, donors, and UN agencies, elevate operational concerns in decision-making spaces, and represent NIF at national, regional, and global platforms.

Formed in 2014, NIF is now a trusted platform of 56 member INGOs and 9 observers, fostering collaboration, advocacy, and coordination across humanitarian, recovery, and development interventions in Nigeria. As Director, your first priority in 2026 will be to steer NIF through a major transformation – aligning its strategy with the changing humanitarian landscape and ensuring it meets the priorities of its membership.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of Nigeria’s INGO community, amplify collective advocacy, and ensure affected populations’ voices are heard at the highest levels of decision-making.

Learn more about NIF: ingoforum.ng

What you will do:

Here are some of your specific responsibilities

Strategic Coordination and Representation

• Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information sharing between INGOs and other stakeholders.
• Enable INGOs to coordinate at strategic and operational level in Nigeria by facilitating high quality, regular meetings of Country Directors, Senior Field Managers, thematic working groups, representatives of the INGO Forum and other mechanisms that maximizes the impact of INGO action in Nigeria. Ensuring information flows, feedback, drafting of relevant agenda and timely follow up on action points.
• Encourage active and open dialogue between the NGO Steering Committee and INGO forum Plenary (General assembly) members.
• Participate in important policy and planning processes underway at the UN and government level that requires field level operational inputs from INGOs e.g. Humanitarian Program Cycle and related planning, Solutions Steering Committee, HDP Framework Action Plan, UN longer-term recovery and development planning.
• Provide a regular and reliable conduit for the UN, Government, donor representatives and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with NGOs
• Help maintain high quality countrywide coordination within humanitarian actors and between humanitarian and conflict mitigation/peace-building, recovery and development/governance actors.
• Coordinate visits of high-level evaluation missions, UN and NGO missions, researchers, donors, diplomats as required
• Increase and enhance INGO engagement with national NGOs and civil society groups to create potential coalitions around key thematic areas and to promote INGOs localization agenda
• Identify opportunities and strategies for coordination with peace-building and development actors and humanitarians in Nigeria in line with the Nexus approach
• Co-chairs the North-West Coordination Forum with UNICEF and the Peacebuilding Coordination Forum with the RCO Peace and Development Advisor, and ensures coordination with INGOs on setting respective agendas

Senior Level Representation

• Actively represent INGO Forum members in senior humanitarian and/or development platforms e.g. HCT, Humanitarian-Donor Group, CMCOORD, relevant technical groups and ensure engagement with and high-profile external discussions and ensure the dissemination of high quality written feedback.
• Regularly network and represent the INGO community at high-level fora and bilateral meetings including with UN, Donors, Member States, military and government, and other representative bodies, based on messages agreed on with NIF members
• Work effectively with delegated representatives of the INGO Forum and ensure accountability to members.
• Represent INGO Forum members at global meetings and conferences and raise members’ advocacy messages and key priorities by participating in high level panel discussions, round tables and closed-door meetings.

Advocacy and Policy Leadership

• Oversees the development, review and implementation of NIF Advocacy Strategy in close collaboration with NIF Policy Advisor, while mobilizing and leveraging support from member organizations.
• Work with NIF Policy Advisor to coordinate NIF members advocacy teams at country/regiona/HQ level on Nigeria, to regularly draft policy and positioning papers and briefs in line with collective views of INGO Forum members on topics of concern.
• Actively engage high profile targets and allies within UN, Government, donor and diplomatic communities in Nigeria and externally to further advocacy objectives.
• Stay informed on global, regional and national opportunities to further advocacy objectives by anticipating key dates and ensuring adequate time to contribute productively.
• Collect, analyse and share information relevant to members and external stakeholders, often with the goal of influencing policies and improving operational or protection space.

Information Sharing, Analysis and Best Practice

• Acting as focal point for information/experience sharing with and among NGOs on relevant issues including managing NGO Forum and INGO membership, contact lists and mailing lists
• Offer regular analysis on key thematic and operational issues impacting country context, humanitarian responses and affected populations.
• Ensure timely response to requests for help and information from member organizations, non-member organizations and other stakeholders, such as donors, governments and UN agencies. Often this requires a high degree of coordination and the collection of sensitive information.
• Create feedback mechanisms, open learning channels, support pilot efforts for knowledge management, and ensure information flow between INGOs.
• Ensure NIF Secretariat conducts active and continued research into prevailing humanitarian, socio-economic, geo-political, security situation in NIF, providing the Forum with regular updates
• Ensure NIF Secretariat identifies gaps in research and analysis that could be used by large numbers of the membership and hire and manage NIF staff/consultants as needed to assist with and complement this task.
• Provide oversight on the development and/or maintenance of the Forum Web site.
• Ensure that NIF team keeps updated contact lists of members and external stakeholders, as well as dashboards of NIF members activities across the country.

Project Management and Human Resources

• Ensure high quality INGO Forum proposal development and donor reporting, as well as donor liaison on key areas of progress in collaboration with the Chair and Host Agency.
• Report to Steering Committee and Plenary on project activity progress, expenditure and plans.
• Build and maintain a productive relationship with the Host Agency and support host change.
• Manage consultants, researchers and other external support.
• Provide leadership and direction, promote professional working relationships, and encourage staff.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals identifying capacity building needs and further career objectives; follow-up, and maintain updated job descriptions
• Update the INGO Forum Strategy/work plans on an annual basis
• Ensure smooth running of the governance model of the INGO Forum and where required make recommendations for changes.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work.

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position.

What you will bring:

• 5+ years of experience in a conflict or post-conflict setting with an INGO in a coordination or senior management role (e.g. Country Director or similar levels). Experience of working in complex humanitarian situations is preferred.
• Undergraduate/postgraduate qualifications in international relations, political science, development or another relevant field
• Proven high profile management, coordination and advocacy experience in humanitarian context.
• Demonstrated communication, leadership skills, interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Documented skills in developing proposals, budgets and reports
• Strong advocacy experience in conflict-affected countries
• Demonstrated knowledge of humanitarian architecture, the UN system (HCT, ISCG, Clusters),
• Familiarity with HDP Nexus contexts, Durable Solutions, and Localization.
• Knowledge of international humanitarian law and humanitarian reform a plus
• Strong understanding of conflict sensitivity and protection
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Knowledge of the Nigeria context or previous experience working in Nigeria/West Africa/similar scale humanitarian response is required.
• Experience in administration and coordination of coalition or secretariat functions an asset.
• Understanding of internal NRC operational and administrative system is an asset.
• Strong communication, inter-personal, facilitation and diplomatic skills.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal, with strong writing and editing skills. Knowledge of Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo is an added value.

What we offer:

• Duty station: Abuja, Nigeria.
• Contract: 12 months with possibility of extension – Final candidate is ideally available to start in-person in Abuja by early January 2026, after the holiday period.
• Travel: 30% travel to both secure and insecure environments
• Salary/benefits: grade 11 on NRC’s salary Resident/Mobile scale, with accompanying terms and conditions.
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC

Important information about the application process

• For Internal candidates: To apply as an internal candidate, log in with your official email or click on Opportunity MarketPlace.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• We receive many applications for each vacant position and so only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you have any questions about this role, please email [email protected]with the job title as the subject line.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

About Us

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.

Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people.

At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Together, we save lives and rebuild futures.

Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to:

• treat everyone with respect and dignity

• contribute to building a safe environment for all

• never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)

• always report. NRC has a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH

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