Senior Conflict and Governance Advisor

Job Description

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department

Program Advancement (PADV) - Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The (Integrated) Program Advancement team contributes to this by: Delivering on our promise to global quality and impact via integrated programs; Growing & diversifying our global portfolio integrating the private, public and social sectors; Promoting our work globally to influence the private, public and social sectors.

Position Overview

The Conflict and Governance Advisor/Senior Advisor (CGA) provides technical leadership for Pact’s governance, peacebuilding, and integrated, multi-sector programs. The CGA will help drive learning across our conflict-/post-conflict-related programming, while providing demand-driven technical assistance to our broader portfolio of governance programs. A key role of the CGA will be to work with our peacebuilding and conflict-oriented programs to better define Pact’s approach to applying Governance solutions in conflict and post-conflict settings. Furthermore, the CGA will play a key role in helping to refine and develop new conflict and governance-related tools and methodologies, as well as leading program development (i.e. new business development) activities. The CGA must have exceptional listening skills and be able to learn from and co-create with our field-based program teams.

Key Responsibilities

Ensuring quality programming

• Provide technical leadership and support to global and country peacebuilding and governance projects to ensure program quality
• Lead and contribute to conflict, post-conflict, and governance-related assessments and studies, including conflict analyses and Political Economy Analysis (PEA) studies
• Provide training in conflict and governance-related methodologies and approaches to country office and HQ-based teams
• Support the identification and recruitment of program staff and consultants, including developing and reviewing scopes of work and participating in interviews
• Work with country programs to define (or refine) Pact’s approach to applying governance interventions in conflict and post-conflict settings

Learning, leveraging and thought leadership

• Build upon and deepen Pact’s core strength in leading practical political analysis, building out our ability to integrate PEA with conflict analysis
• Support technical learning across Pact, networking with global technical stakeholders, and sharing that learning in relevant and actionable ways across the organization
• Lead and contribute to formal learning reviews and evaluations of current peacebuilding and governance programs
• Promote Pact’s technical capabilities and programming at donor meetings and public forums
• Support and lead the development of governance and particularly conflict-focused tools and methodologies
• Maintain and nurture relations with practitioner networks to stay ahead of trends, evidence, and advances within the conflict and governance space

Innovative program design, monitoring and evaluation

• Participate in and, as required, lead scoping trips, proposal design meetings, recruitment of partners, responses to donor questions, and presentations to donors
• Serve as a technical writer for peacebuilding and governance-focused proposals
• Forge strategic partnerships for new project opportunities

Basic Requirements

• MA plus 6 years of relevant professional experience or BA plus 9 years of relevant professional experience
• Demonstrated experience applying governance approaches within conflict and post-conflict settings
• Strong analytical skills, with experience leading conflict and government assessments
• Strong English language writing skills, including willingness and demonstrated ability to write high-quality technical proposals
• Strong understanding of trends and key approaches within the conflict and governance sectors, including an understanding of how conflict and governance approaches can be integrated into programming across Pact’s sectors of focus (i.e. Health, Livelihoods & Economic Growth, Natural Resource Management)
• Experience coordinating multi-program learning efforts and developing guidance around peacebuilding and governance programming
• Ability to work as part of a team, building strong relationships with HQ and field-based colleagues; the right candidate should be able to provide demand-driven support to field teams and local partners, supporting them to develop and define optimal technical solutions
• Ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks
• Ability to travel frequently (up to 40%), sometimes on short notice

Preferred Qualifications

• Two or more years of relevant field experience
• Proficiency in at least one language other than English
• Experience with integrating DRG approaches into other sector areas
• Experience implementing or advising projects in the Horn of Africa region
• Experience with training and curriculum development
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with gender mainstreaming and approaches to addressing “inclusion” issues, including issues affecting LGBTI, People with Disabilities, ethnic minorities, youth, and other underrepresented groups

Pact provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, political ideology, military or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

About the Organization

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. The promise of a healthy life. Of a decent livelihood. Of sustainable natural resources that benefit communities. Now more than ever in its 42-year history, Pact is helping millions of people who are poor and marginalized discover and build their own solutions and take ownership over their future.
Pact enables systemic solutions that allow those who are poor and marginalized to earn a dignified living, be healthy, and take part in the benefits that nature provides. Pact accomplishes this by strengthening local capacity, forging effective governance systems, and transforming markets into a force for development.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.