Program Officer – Advocacy Partnership Development - Job Reference: PCSPD 09/2017

Founded in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.

AGRA is rolling out a new 5-year strategy to catalyze and sustain an Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa to increase incomes and improve food security for 30 million farmers. Under this strategy, AGRA will deliver through an approach that simultaneously catalyzes change at farmer level, strengthens input and output market systems and puts government at the center to enable and champion private-sector-led agricultural growth at national level.

To support this transformation from a country perspective, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the position of Program Officer – Advocacy Partnership Development.

The Position:

Reporting to the Head of Policy and Advocacy, this position will support the continued development and execution of AGRA’s policy and country support strategy working closely with all internal stakeholders and key external partners. The positon will primarily seek to bolster the implementation of the organization’s strategy through building and strengthening international, regional and national partnerships across the spectrum of civil society, private sector, donor communities, as well as national governments to increase policy, political and financial commitments to agricultural transformation and deliver a shared set of policy and resource outcomes. The role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

· Provide overall lead support for AGRA’s Advocacy Agenda.

· Support the Head of Policy and Advocacy to lead AGRA’s international, regional and national advocacy engagements. This will include working with the evolving country office structures and provide overall guidance on advocacy-related interventions including: budgeting, strategic direction, activities and identifying resource-persons to provide technical and logistical support where required.

· Work with country teams to develop the key grants that would help to execute the Policy and Advocacy Unit strategy.

· Provide guidance, support and feedback to country teams on advocacy grants and/or engagements that will help countries to achieve their agricultural transformation outcomes.

· Participate in the direct advocacy of key donors, private sector organizations, relevant regional governing bodies, national governments and strategic institutions at country level [in AGRA priority countries] to galvanize their buy-in and support.

· Co-create and co-lead the development and implementation of engagement strategies for AGRA’s regional and/or national campaigns.

· Work with country teams to coordinate a range of national/regional events that crowd in key national, regional and international stakeholders. These events should seek to outline key advocacy messages that would influence key policymakers while also supporting countries showcase progress made.

· Leverage the best of AGRA’s assets and create and manage partnerships that build regional and national alliances (that crowd in key national, regional and international stakeholders) to advance and refine advocacy strategies. This will entail bringing groups together to identify opportunities and dates to create “moments” to work together. In addition, the position will identify and use opportunities as they arise to deliver advocacy messages that will help keep issues of agricultural transformation on the region’s policy and political agenda.

· Represent AGRA at key program-related external constituencies. This includes both formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences and other meetings as necessary.

· This role is responsible for high quality interactions and a clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

· Advanced degree with 10+ years of experience working in government, public affairs, civil society carrying out roles aimed at influencing policy change. In the absence of an advanced degree an additional four (4) years of professional experience is required.

· Demonstrable experience in relationship management especially the ability to effectively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders at the highest level.

· Strong communication skills (both written and oral), able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus. Ability to communicate in French will be considered an asset.

· Proven ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships.

· Recognized internally and externally among the global and/or regional community as an expert within a particular specialized field.

An attractive remuneration package commensurate with this position’s responsibility will be negotiated with the successful candidate.