Overview
The Policy and Advocacy Advisor is responsible for leading the development and implementation of a comprehensive external policy and advocacy strategy for the Ukraine Country Office, advancing humanitarian priorities and longer-term recovery objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the production of evidence-based policy analysis on humanitarian access, child rights, protection concerns, and operational constraints.
- Develop policy positions on early recovery, reconstruction planning, and EU accession processes.
- Monitor political developments, donor trends, and international processes affecting Ukraine.
- Develop and implement the Country Office’s advocacy strategy.
- Represent the organisation in high-level meetings with government officials, donors, UN agencies, EU institutions, and other key stakeholders.
- Oversee the planning, delivery, and monitoring of advocacy-related projects, initiatives, and campaigns.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with national and international NGOs, civil society organisations, networks, and research institutions.
- Coordinate closely with the member organisation, regional offices, and global advocacy teams.
Required Experience
- At least five years of professional experience in policy analysis, advocacy, external engagement, or influencing roles within humanitarian, development, government, or international policy environments.
- Proven track record of developing and delivering evidence-based advocacy strategies, including influencing governments, donors, EU institutions, and multilateral bodies.
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality policy briefs, reports, and analytical products on humanitarian access, protection, recovery, or political issues.
- Strong understanding of humanitarian systems, coordination structures (UN, clusters), and humanitarian operational space dynamics.
- Experience working in complex crisis, conflict, or post-conflict contexts, with sensitivity to political dynamics, risk, and safeguarding.
- Strong diplomacy, negotiation, and representation skills, with experience engaging high-level stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments and cultures, and to lead or support multi-agency coalitions or advocacy working groups.
- Strong organisational and project management skills, including managing advocacy or policy projects with multiple deliverables, deadlines, teams, and rapid-turnaround requests.
- Ability to exercise sound political judgement, manage advocacy risks, and uphold humanitarian principles in politically charged contexts.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in International Relations, Public Policy, Political Science, Humanitarian Studies, Development Studies, Law, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of humanitarian principles, international human rights frameworks, and child rights.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Ukraine’s political context, EU enlargement frameworks, and/or post-conflict recovery systems.
