ADVOCACY OFFICER

Job Description

The Advocacy Officer will work under the supervision of Speak Up Africa’s Advocacy Manager. The Advocacy Officer’s main tasks are to support Speak Up Africa in the management of the Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative. The work of the Advocacy Officer will center on advocating for increased private sector involvement in malaria control and elimination, that will result in sustainable financing and sound public policies in target countries. The selected Advocacy Officers will be based respectively in Benin, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

S/he is expected to work closely with the project management team and partners to support the implementation of the project and the production of deliverables according to the planned timelines. S/he is accountable for supporting specific research and content development analysis, tracking policy developments relevant to the project, participating in strategy development and execution, and providing general administrative support.

More precisely, the Advocacy Officer will:

§ Support the design of advocacy strategies and country engagement plans in collaboration with the project team.

§ Coordinate and support the creation of private sector coalitions in target country, including the development of strategic documents outlining the value proposition of the initiative.

§ Develop a communications plan and create a series of communications and advocacy tools showcasing malaria champions and coalitions supporting the National Malaria Control Program and strategic policy objectives.

§ Establish a monitoring framework to determine the use and impact of actions initiated with private sector coalition and champion network.

§ Oversee the conduct of situational analyses and strategic reviews that will inform the private sector engagement opportunities.

§ Engage with local partners to build and cultivate strategic partnerships to leverage advocacy opportunities with government leadership, Ministries, other implementing partners.

§ Coordinate with key malaria partners to generate intelligence on the country policy landscape, and facilitate the production of recommendations on potential pathways for private sector engagement.

Required Profile

§ Masters level degree in social science is required.

§ Have proven experience in project management in the field of public health and development.

§ Ability to work in multidisciplinary and multilingual teams.

• Demonstrated commitment to working with and in support of the needs of neglected populations; preferably with familiarity with key issues in global health policy.
• Strong communication skills, including writing for expert and general audiences and public speaking.
• Creative and out of the box thinker, with demonstrated track record of analytic problem‐solving/seeking solutions to challenges.
• Ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgment and problem-solving competencies.

§ Have a great capacity for organization, synthesis and report writing.

§ Have an excellent level of spoken and written language in French and a good practice of English.

• Experience of working in public and private sector is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in undertaking desk-based research, summarizing complex information and producing advocacy materials.
• Some experience supporting successful relationship-building/awareness‐raising initiatives with internal and external stakeholders.
• Some experience engaging with members of governments, private sector companies, NGOs, and/or multilateral organizations.

About the Organization

Speak Up Africa is a Policy and Advocacy Action Tank dedicated to catalyzing leadership, enabling policy change, and increasing awareness for sustainable development in Africa. Through our platforms and relationships and with the help of our partners, we ensure that policy makers meet implementers; that solutions are showcased and that every sector– from individual citizens and civil society groups to global donors and business leaders -- contributes critically to the dialogue and strives to form the blueprints for concrete action for public health and sustainable development.