Background/IRC Summary:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.
In 2007, the IRC began providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable and crisis-affected people in Jordan in response to an influx of Iraqi refugees and the strain on host communities. Following the eruption of the Syrian war in 2011, hundreds of thousands of refugees crossed into Jordan. The ongoing insecurity in Syria and the growing needs of refugees have strained Jordan’s resources and infrastructure and exacerbated pre-existing issues like water scarcity and high unemployment.
As resources become more limited, refugees and host communities have fewer economic opportunities and become more vulnerable. The IRC’s new strategy for Jordan shows our commitment to improving the safety, health, education, and economic well-being of people affected by conflict, in camp-based refugees and urban-based refugees, and in coordination with the humanitarian community and the Government of Jordan. Simultaneously, IRC in Jordan is pivoting to a more long-term resilience/development programming responding to the context in Jordan and the worsening vulnerabilities faced by refugees and vulnerable Jordanians.
Job Overview/Summary:
Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Policy, Advocacy and Communication (PAC) Coordinator will be responsible for leading IRC Jordan’s policy communication and advocacy work, including the design and implementation of the IRC Jordan advocacy strategy and for developing briefings, key messages, talking points and other advocacy materials.
This role will also supervise and support IRC Jordan’s communications work, ensuring that communications is integrated and aligned with advocacy and policy objectives. The PAC Coordinator will regularly liaise with the IRC’s regional PAC team, Syria PAC colleagues, as well as policy and advocacy colleagues in the U.S and Europe, to ensure that advocacy opportunities are leveraged across the national, regional and global levels.
Responsibilities:
- Under the guidance of the Country Director and Regional Director of Policy, Advocacy & Communications, define the advocacy strategy and policy priorities for Jordan in line with IRC’s country strategy for Jordan; lead strategy implementation in the field and advise and support colleagues in global capitals in implementing the strategy with targets in London, Brussels, DC/NY, and the region.
- Produce high quality gender sensitive public and private policy and advocacy materials including talking points, letters, briefing notes, position papers, and advocacy reports.
- Regularly liaise with relevant in-country partners on issues of concern, including UN, donor representatives, diplomatic missions, and peer agencies, and grow the IRC’s bilateral relationships with key counterparts.
- Promote a principled approach to advocacy and communications among relevant internal colleagues and ensure that external messaging is evidence-based and driven by field realities.
- Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team to ensure a strategic approach to advocacy engagement.
- In conjunction with country program staff and the regional advocacy and communications teams, closely monitor humanitarian and development policy debates and media pertaining to Jordan, ensuring that relevant information is analyzed and disseminated in a timely and effective manner.
- Supervise and support IRC Jordan’s communications work to ensure regular, timely, and high-quality communications content that highlights the needs of our clients and IRC’s successes.
- Provide analysis for Country Director and coordinate inputs from the country program for meetings, events as well as key cluster meetings.
- Represent the IRC in humanitarian coordination fora, conferences, lobby meetings, and other events as requested; or provide talking points for other senior representatives, including the Country Director and Regional Vice President.
- Respond to external inquiries on policy issues, including briefing policymakers and media.
- Provide training on advocacy to field staff and develop the capacity of national staff to implement impactful advocacy interventions. Qualifications Required.