Communications and Institutional Relations Coordinator

Action Against Hunger is an international non-governmental, private, apolitical, non-religious and non-profit organization created in 1979. Its goal is to combat hunger and dangerous situations that threaten men, women and children. Currently 500 expats and more than 5,000 employees are working for Action Against Hunger in more than forty-six countries working in projects concerning four areas of focus: Nutrition, health, food security and water and sanitation.

Action Against Hunger is recruiting a Communications and Institutional Relations Coordinator

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

• Update and manage the implementation of the Action Against Hunger oPt advocacy strategy. Work in close coordination internally with the programme and MEAL teams, and with HQ and broader ACF network, while reinforcing external partnerships and ACF positioning in different fora.
• Update and manage the implementation of the communications strategy and oversee the development of communications content, both internally and externally and in coordination with HQ communications teams, as well as ACF network.
• Manage the communications and advocacy initiatives within grant agreements and ensure donor requirements are met in a timely and quality manner.
• Represent ACF in external coordination groups and with key diplomatic stakeholders.
• Manage the advocacy and communications unit in oPt, overseeing workplan development, priority-setting, and quality oversight to deliverables to ensure coherence and standards across programming, advocacy, and communications.

Key activities:

Objective 1: Operationalise the advocacy strategy for oPt, including by establishing relevant collaborations for its implementation and ensuring the alignment with ACF global initiatives.

Represent Action Against Hunger in high-level fora in oPt, including: HCT Advocacy Working Group (AWG), AIDA AWG, West Bank Protection Consortium AWG, WASH Cluster, FSS Cluster, and Nutrition Cluster. ACF leads and supports WASH Cluster communications and advocacy across oPt.

Guide advocacy strategy development and priority setting for the aforementioned working groups, ensuring views of Action Against Hunger are represented and included.

• Adapt the advocacy strategy to the evolving context and, if capacity allows, develop a yearly advocacy action plan grounded in the multi-year ACF advocacy strategy.
• Ensure alignment within inter-agency fora, prioritizing participation on topics associated with ACF advocacy strategy.
• Responsible for advocacy initiatives when appropriate, in multiple programmes, as well as co-coordinating advocacy work for Action Against Hunger for both the West Bank and Gaza.
• Guide strategic direction of advocacy initiatives for Action Against Hunger including actively seeking funding for these through proposal development.
• Provide strong support to the field teams and consolidate the linkage between advocacy and operations.
• Ensure the coherent contribution of the mission advocacy strategy to the global advocacy initiatives of the Action Against Hunger network (Hunger and Conflict, Humanitarian Access)
- Regularly collaborate with the HQ communication department on the release of press releases and relevant communication products (web stories, social media, network-wide talking lines) - Manage the Advocacy Officer (JR) , including the setting of objectives, approval and oversight of workplan development and implementation, in coordination with the Communications Officer (HB) and Photographer (GZ).

Objective 2: Conduct research on root causes of vulnerabilities faced by our beneficiaries/right holders and by the mission in the discharge of its humanitarian mandate, and follow up with key recommendations to targeted stakeholders.

• Work closely with Action Against Hunger Bases, Deputy Country Director, and Technical Coordinators, as well as advocacy/comms team and field teams to generate evidence on practices, humanitarian needs, responses implemented, and remaining gaps to feed evidence-based advocacy.
• Monitor closely relevant humanitarian and policy issues, including media reports, surveys, statistical reports, databases, and relevant literature, as needed for the production of reports and background/position papers.
• Generate and promote recommendations related to policies and practices based on Action Against Hunger generated findings and experiences by engaging with relevant stakeholders. Identify the key linkages among Action Against Hunger programming, root causes of vulnerabilities and potential consequences of further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in oPt, including issues of humanitarian access, food insecurity, forcible transfer, immediate emergency response needs, and early recovery and reconstruction.
• Support the Bases in implementing, at the local level, advocacy initiatives and operationalization of the advocacy strategy and action plan.
• Analyse political and normative frameworks affecting humanitarian situation in oPt.

Objective 3: Liaise with external stakeholders and ensure collaboration in the development and implementation of advocacy work for the OPT mission.

• Mapping of key stakeholders and conducting regular power analysis to identify direct and intermediate targets, collaborating and conducting joint advocacy to better influence identified stakeholders and the specific role of ACF in influencing particular topics.
• Liaison, networking and building relationships with donors, UN and diplomatic community in oPt as requested and under overall supervision of the Country Director.
• Work closely with Advocacy desk in headquarters, under overall supervision of the Country Director, to develop advocacy initiatives, messaging and materials in line with advocacy priorities in both headquarters and oPt mission.
- Coordinate across the advocacy network (seven capital offices) to disseminate messaging and materials in line with advocacy priorities for oPt Mission. - Regularly engage with other Middle East country offices, both through meetings and regular alerts/updates. - Production of advocacy materials for use by Action Against Hunger HQ and ensure oPt Advocacy priorities are fed back to headquarters in line with organisational mandate.

Objective 4: Contribute to the mission information management strategy and its implementation at the mission level.

• Contribute to the development of the mission Information management strategy in cooperation with MEAL unit, Operations team, technical/program units.
• Establish exchange of information between MEAL unit, advocacy team, technical/program units and Information management considering different levels: activities/project; project/mission.

Objective 5: Implementation of the oPt communications strategy

• Oversee the quality control of communications products (social media posts, press releases, web stories, talking points), including the management of the validation process.
- Prepare monthly updates to media talking points - Prepare quarterly updates to communications guidelines, including validation procedures and language adaptation
• Guide and update the communications plan in line with the oPt Mission Communications strategy.
• Coordinate with other advocacy/comms coordinators for broader strategic visions and talking lines alignments, as well as HQ comms on a near-daily basis.
• Provide technical support and oversight to the Communications Officer (HB) and Photographer (GZ), and Advocacy Officer (JR) including the setting of objectives, approval and oversight of workplan development and implementation.
• Ensure regular coordination with ACF HQ communications team, including validation procedures, responding to media requests and ad hoc talking lines, drafting of press releases and web stories, and guiding ACF communications to cover creative stories.

Objective 6: Other duties

• Provide regular updates to the Country Director to inform appropriate decision-making processes.
• Communicate priorities and schedule donor requirements for communication.
• Prepare quarterly advocacy reports on the implementation of the strategy.
• Those duties inherent to the position and requested according to mission needs and context.
• Coordinate activities with the technical and support teams of Action Against Hunger in the oPt.
• Contribute to good internal communication of the mission by sharing the monthly newsletter and organising other activities.

Candidate description:

• Master’s degree in law, international relations, or any other related field
• A demonstrated understanding of relevant areas of international law, in particular of international humanitarian law, excellent analytical skills, and the capability to work in a precise, structured and detailed manner.
• Proven experience translating complex legal and political issues into clear advocacy messages, recommendations, briefings, and communications for diverse audiences.
• Must have strong drafting and verbal communication skills; research and analytical skills; ability to manage competing deadlines and priorities; as well as coordinate across departments and oversee the production of high-quality deliverables.
• Minimum 4 to 5 years’ relevant professional experience in advocacy and communications.
• Strong knowledge of the oPt context. Previous working experience on oPt highly desirable.
• Proven experience of influencing skills to achieve policy change.
• Proven experience in working in consortium and partnerships, including engagement with diplomatic, donor, UN or other humanitarian stakeholders.
• Proven track record of achieving international media coverage, both traditional and new digital media
• Motivation and commitment to humanitarian work according to organizational mandate.
• Minimum 4 to 5 years of experience working in humanitarian and/or development aid.
• Experience of complex humanitarian and protection contexts.
• Knowledge of Emergency response, the Cluster system and demonstrated experience with humanitarian coordination mechanisms and political dynamics in conflict settings.
• Solid knowledge of global dynamics (Triple Nexus, Humanitarian Reset, conflict sensitivity, criminalization/politicization of aid, etc.) and of how legal, political, and funding dynamics shape humanitarian access, coordination, and advocacy in conflict settings.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and coordination skills, and an ability to work independently and as a part of a team to deliver under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills.
• Good capacity for creative thinking and creative production.
• Solid understanding of the political and humanitarian context of the oPt.
• Proven interpersonal and networking skills with international organizations and donors.
• Strong negotiation skills and capacity to promote consortiums and partnerships.
• Well organized, professional and rigorous.
• English compulsory Arabic/Hebrew an asset.
• Knowledge of design programmes is an asset (Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Suite).
• Possibility to travel to EU/US Capitals.
• Valuable prior experience in issues related to the promotion of gender equality or personal commitment to gender equality.
• Good skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• International mobility with the ability to travel to West bank and Gaza and stay overnight.