Africa Advocacy Programme Director

In NCA, we seek leaders who are motivated by our vision, our work and our values, and who wish to take part in developing our organizational- and leadership culture. In order to reach our goals, we need leaders who are able to set direction, lead change, develop organizational culture and use our human and financial resources in the best possible way. 

Position Overview

Are you ready to take the lead in launching and running NCA’s advocacy programme Africa? NCA is enhancing its Africa advocacy portfolio with strengthening the existing office in Kenya, focused on leading and coordinating advocacy efforts in Africa. If you are passionate about leading initiatives that champion critical issues like peacebuilding, fighting economic and gender inequalities and excited to build a strong in-house team as well as strong partners, we want to hear from you!

NCA is establishing the Norwegian Church Aid Advocacy Program Africa (NCA APA) from 2025, to respond to regional conflicts, resource governance and gender inequalities, and climate change challenges. The Programme Office, situated in Nairobi, will be close to relevant regional partners (mainly faith-based partners) to collaboratively address these challenges effectively.

As our new Programme Director, you will represent programme priorities to donors and regional partners and provide effective leadership to the highly qualified NCA national staff members. The role is a hands-on position, and your success will be determined by the level of direct engagement in programme development, oversight of projects, fundraising for new projects and representing NCA to stakeholders. As Programme Director, you will make use of your excellent communications skills in retaining and developing relations, internally and externally in conjunction with the head office in Oslo, and have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, and thrive in evolving and challenging environments.

The Programme Director will also lead the NCA’s technical resource hub under establishment in the Nairobi office. The presence of NCA in the Nairobi has strategic value to the larger NCA network as a service hub to support respective NCA Country Offices and partners, as a platform to facilitate linkages and as a resource and learning focal point.

The position is a three-year position, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Please note that Kenya is classified as a low-risk, family duty station. The position is an expat role.

Start date: January 2025

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and launch a vibrant advocacy programme and build the team in the Programme Office.
• Provide strategic leadership to NCA APA, aligning with NCA’s Global Strategy and NCA APA’s Programme strategy, comprising Peacebuilding, Fighting Inequality, Gender-Based Violence, and Faith-based Climate and Environment Advocacy.
• Ensure collaboration and coordinate advocacy work at both country and regional levels, in cooperation with NCA’s partners, respective NCA country offices and the Oslo head office.
• Lead the NCA Hub, comprising of various technical advisors providing support to the respective country office and partners, in close collaboration with the Programme Quality Unit in Oslo.
• Secure a sound organizational set-up and overall effective performance of the NCA APA Office.
• Proactively engage and network with donor, INGOs, and the private sector in order to achieve NCA APA’s funding priorities and strategies.
• Develop consistent, viable, and result-oriented advocacy strategies.
• Advise national and regional partners on strategic advocacy actions and organisational development.
• Participate in regional meetings, facilitate gatherings, and mobilize partners.
• Recruit, develop, motivate and manage competent staff for NCAAPA, as well as strengthening and collaborate with faith-based and civil society partners, including capacity building and professional development.
• Security, safety and crisis management.
• Oversee compliance to donors and government requirements.

To succeed in this role, you must have: 

• Master’s degree in development studies, Human Rights, Political Sciences, Public Management, or similar.
• Solid leadership experience in senior-level policy advocacy position with at least 5 years of management experience in an international NGO or similar.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience working in Africa; excellent cross-cultural communication skills and confidence in making management decisions.
• Demonstrable experience in designing and executing high-impact policy and advocacy campaigns targeting relevant sectors, including aspects of religion and development, interfaith approaches, and faith actors.
• Experience in organizational representation in high-level/diplomatic settings.
• In-depth knowledge of Africa’s complex challenges, including political crises, conflicts, economic inequalities, gender-based violence, climate shocks, and demographic diversity.
• Experience with change management and leading high-performance teams in complex and sensitive working conditions.
• Excellent English communication skills, both verbal and written. Proficiency in French is an advantage.
• Experience from working with church-based organizations/societies, and proven representation, negotiation, communication with religious leaders.
• Good knowledge of policies, legal frameworks, standards and expectations.
• Conflict management and conflict resolutions skills.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and other digital systems for project management.

Personal Traits

• Inclusive, empowering, and supportive leadership approach, and motivated by managing and developing personnel towards achieving common goals.
• Flexible, solution-oriented and a clear communicator, with ability to inspire and build capacities among staff and partners.
• Loyalty to NCA values and NAPA organizational priorities.
• Results-oriented and quality-conscious and must be able to handle stress and a high workload as well as understanding that at times you must work directly with quality control and quality improvements on reports and applications.
• Ability to advance multiple simultaneous processes and to lead processes, networks and collaborations.
• Culturally sensitive with excellent communication and decision-making skills.

We Offer

• Exciting and meaningful programmes with one of Norway's largest Development and humanitarian organizations.
• The opportunity to lead and establish NCA’s new innovative advocacy programme.
• A good environment and a team with positive attitude, supportive, and committed staff.
• A prominent role in advocacy programme for significant change that deliver tangible and measurable impact and change people’s lives.
• An interfaith collaboration for development outcomes both through programming and through advocacy and policy work.
• A friendly and supportive global work community.
• Competitive terms and conditions and a comprehensive insurance and pension plan.

We encourage all qualified individuals to apply, regardless of gender, age, disability, or cultural background. Through our recruitment portal, you can register, submit your CV, write an application/cover letter, and attach relevant certificates. Only applicants using this electronic portal will be considered for the position.

Before you apply:

We kindly ask you to carefully read the  ACT Code of Conduct for the prevention of misconduct, including corruption, fraud, exploitation and abuse, including sexual; and to ensure child safeguarding and the  Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding policy before you submit your application. If you are the selected candidate for this position you will be asked to complete and sign our Code of Conduct and Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse, and Child Safeguarding Policy.

In accordance with core humanitarian principles, NCA implements a range of safeguards to prevent or reduce the possibility of humanitarian aid falling into the wrong hands. This includes those individuals and groups who are subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. As part of this process, NCA will screen the details of the successful candidates for this post against the sanctions lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCAs governmental donors.