ILRI vacancy: Engagement, Policy & Advocacy Expert (Internal Advert) (Closing date: 10 July 2022)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit an Engagement, Policy & Advocacy Expert for the CGIAR GENDER Platform to lead engagement with partners, policy makers, and global to leverage these opportunities to drive conversations that put gender equality at the heart of food systems. The position will work closely and report to the CGIAR GENDER Platform director, collaborate with Platform’s Alliances module, and work directly with the strategic communication specialist.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org

Key Responsibilities

Partnerships cooperation and engagement

• Develop and execute stakeholder engagement/ collaboration strategies – particularly with gender researchers, development actors, civil society and governments and other partners – to ensure that the Platform has an impact by leading and contributing to conversations (regional and global) on gender in agriculture, opportunities for youth and social inclusion

Policy and funder engagement

• Develop and execute a policy and funder engagement strategy which
  • Identifies and successfully leverages opportunities to use gender research to influence national, regional and global policy processes and decisions,
  • Support researchers and champions to engage in different policy processes
  • Ensures the Platform’s regular and productive engagement with past, current and potential funders, e.g., in bi-annual events and through regular outreach
• Create, maintain, and leverage a network of gender research champions, from within and outside CGIAR, to establish a community for sharing messages, strategies and opportunities for promoting gender equality in agriculture and food systems

Advocacy and outreach

• Lead the design and successful delivery of innovative advocacy and outreach strategies and campaigns targeting diverse audiences (gender researchers, policy makers, donors, development partners) to support change within CGIAR and the Platform’s strategic partners, such as through

• delivering bespoke policy events with national or regional policy makers
• engaging in established policy process, such as CSW and SBSTA
• participating in partner events, such as AGRF, or major international events, such as UNFCCC COP, to steer conversations and ensure that gender research is well positioned at the center of food systems transformation
• levering and leading CGIAR internal events, e.g., Platform workshops

• Develop and use a network of national, regional, and international journalists and media platforms to share messages and content on gender research, e.g., through trainings, awards and small grants.
• Develop and successfully execute advocacy campaigns, carried out across media platforms, to amplify the Platform’s voice as a champion of world-class gender research and to change discourse, policy and practice on gender equality in agriculture and food systems

• Support appropriate messaging and communication strategies, together with the Platform’s strategic communications lead, to share emerging evidence, methods and tools necessary to drive gender equality in food systems with partners such as donors, governments, non-governmental organizations, researchers among others.
• Lead the Platform’s internal and external webinar series with CGIAR gender researchers and partners such as AWARD, GREAT, FAO among others, ensuring a regular schedule and building a recurring audience

• Lead, coordinate and deliver Platform events, including
  • leading communications for the Platform’s annual gender conference in close coordination with the Alliances module lead, and developing, implementing a robust communications plan for outreach before, during and after the conference
  • moderating other virtual and in-person events and workshops
• Coordinate and supervise staff and consultants working on engagement and advocacy-related activities such as social media, media and events
• Represent GENDER in CGIAR Advocacy and Engagement group to ensure synergies and coordination on campaigns, major events and partner engagement

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Communications, Information Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Journalism, or similar field.
• Extensive experience (over 8 years) in stakeholder engagement, and advocacy & communications.
• Ability to capitalize on established regional and global processes (including policy) and platforms to drive conversations and collaboration on agriculture and food systems linking to broader goals.
• A track record in capitalising on emerging opportunities to drive conversations around major themes such as gender equality and food systems transformation linking to broader goals
• Ability to communicate complex issues in compelling ways to multiple audiences majorly policy makers, donors, researchers and other stakeholders
• Excellent moderation of internal and external events, workshops and partner meetings.
• Demonstrated experience of leading design and successful implementation of advocacy and outreach strategies and campaigns targeting diverse audiences (researchers, policy makers, donors, development partners)
• Proven experience in collaborating with numerous local and international
• Experience hosting big events with multiple stakeholders attending across time zones.
• Excellent people management skills in a multicultural setting
• Understanding of modern diplomacy (including science diplomacy aspects) as an approach to advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and reporting skills in English (written and oral)

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Appointment

This is position is at job level HG 18 and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a three (3) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical and other insurances.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development through the recruitment portal http://ilri.simplicant.com/ before 10 July 2022. The position title and reference number: IS/469/2022 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts