Advocacy Advisor Multi Country.
Job Description
Background:
The humanitarian situation in Somalia and Kenya in 2026 remains among the most severe and protracted, driven by conflict, economic pressures, climate shocks, disease outbreaks, mass displacement, and shrinking humanitarian funding.
Conflict and climate shocks in Somalia fuel internal displacement, placing additional pressure on already overstretched services and humanitarian systems.
NRC works in Somalia to protect the rights of displaced and vulnerable people during crisis and meet immediate humanitarian needs, prevent further displacement, and contribute to durable solutions. Access remains a significant operational challenge due to active conflict, insecurity and bureaucratic impediments, making it difficult for aid organisations to reach those in need. Our programmes primarily include rapid response to emergencies, multipurpose cash assistance, legal protection, education, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene. Beyond this, NRC co-leads or supports coordination structures in both countries, including Shelter, CCCM and Protection clusters and the HLP and Durable Solutions Working Groups.
What you will do:
The Advocacy Advisor plays a pivotal role in shaping NRC’s policy influence and public positioning in Somalia and Kenya, two of the most complex humanitarian contexts globally. Operating at a senior level, the role leads the design and implementation of advocacy and communications strategies, ensuring coherence with country programme priorities and global standards. It provides expert analysis, develops evidence based advocacy products, and represents NRC in key fora, while also building the capacity of staff and partners to amplify the voices of displaced communities. By bridging operational realities with policy engagement, the Advocacy Advisor ensures NRC’s responses are not only impactful on the ground but also contribute to systemic change at national, regional, and international levels.
General Responsibilities:
- Identify and coordinate NRC’s advocacy response to prioritised issues both within the country and internationally
- Develop and implement an impactful advocacy and communications strategy, aligned with the overall country strategy.
- Develop CO media plan and lines, ensuring risk analyses are made regarding public positions or statements and sign-off procedures are adhered to
- Line management of communications teams, including development of staff if applicable, budget planning and execution, and other administration
- Ensure systematic training on advocacy and communication to develop capacity of all relevant staff (within and beyond the advocacy and media department) and ensure compliance with NRC policies, e.g. informed consent, data protection, social media standards
Specific responsibilities:
- Strategically and ethically raise issues and voices of displaced people in Somalia and Kenya to the attention of decision-makers, duty-bearers, and the public, through both traditional and innovative means
- Increase accountability of NRC Somalia and Kenya through providing regular and consistent information publicly, about the situations we are responding to and the state of our response (or contributions to coordinated responses)
- Contribute to Country Office and Area Office problem, protection, and programme analyses and ‘systems thinking’ with a policy lens and a public interest lens, and subsequently promote that relevant policy, advocacy, and communications elements are integrated when designing responses and strategies
- Coordinate and monitor implementation and impact of NRC Somalia, Kenya, etc. advocacy and media plans and strategies
- Prepare high quality briefings, reports, press statements, letters, and other communications materials (including visual, digital, and social media) for internal coordination and external use
Please read the full Job Description as the above-mentioned responsibilities are just a snapshot.
What you will bring:
Generic professional competencies:
- Post-graduate with minimum five years of relevant experience within the humanitarian field or international media/organisations
- Must have humanitarian advocacy experience and policy management from different contexts.
- Relevant experience in advocacy, communications, media, or humanitarian policy
- Experience working in complex and insecure contexts, preferably in the Horn of Africa
- Strong understanding of humanitarian coordination architecture and donor environments
- Proven experience engaging media and managing sensitive external communications
- Experience producing high-level advocacy products and policy analysis.
- Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
- High levels of flexibility and creativity
- Documented professional experience of working in or with international media
- Strong managerial and interpersonal skills
- Fluency in English with strong verbal and written communications skills
Context/ Specific skills, knowledge and experience:
- Knowledge of international legal and policy processes and instruments relating to displacement, protection, peace/conflict, and humanitarian action
- Cogent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Aptitude to think creatively and boldly, to engage (potentially hostile) protection and access advocacy targets
How To Apply
Application Deadline:15/November/2026
