The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is an African-led and Africa-based international research institute engaged in multidisciplinary, evidence-based policy research. Our researchers address important issues and challenges facing Africa in areas such as education, health, population, aging, urbanization and wellbeing. We engage with policymakers within the region to disseminate our research findings and influence policy decisions to improve the quality of life in Africa. Our commitment to policy engagement, advocacy, management and learning is a critical component of our evidence generation and knowledge translation model. This will be grounded in our existing Evidence Informed Decision Making (EIDM) approach.

In its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, APHRC will amplify its research-to-evidence and evidence-to-action initiatives. Critical to this aim are long-term and sustained engagements with various policy actors at community, national, regional and international levels, as well as sustained public engagement and advocacy.

APHRC seeks to recruit a Policy and Advocacy Officer to work in its Human Development Theme (HDT).

Duties/Responsibilities

The officer will report to the HDT Lead, while working closely with the Advocacy and Knowledge Translation team at APHRC. Externally, s/he will work closely with local community leaders, youth/education/early childhood development (ECD) networks, national parliaments, government officers, sub-national government officers, Civil Society Organizations, funders, UN agencies, and regional economic groups such as EAC, EALA, SADC PF and ECOWAS/WAHO, among others.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer will:

• Coordinate and work with the HDT team in management of EIDM activities;
• Coordinate policy engagement, communications and capacity strengthening activities for HDT policy audiences;
• Respond to rapid response requests from policy actors while managing the rapid response service;
• Work closely with the HDT research teams to develop knowledge translation products such as policy briefs, fact sheets, and blogs;
• Conduct policy analysis on relevant issues related to HDT’s areas of focus;
• Work closely with the research teams in ensuring compliance with donor requirements such as writing of annual progress reports and updates to the project funders; and
• Support the wider HDT mandate as requested including writing reports and fundraising efforts.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in ECD, education, public policy, public administration and social policy, anthropology, economics, politics and internal relations, sociology or any other relevant field.
• At least three years’ post-qualification experience in advocacy, policy engagement and a year in research and analysis in ECD and/or education (including quantitative and qualitative).
• Excellent communication (written and spoken) skills.
• Good interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Experience of policy development and advocacy in ECD and/or education and/or youth empowerment and/or economic policy areas at a national, regional or international level
• Production of high-quality written work to influence policy outcomes.
• Experience working with different stakeholders including communities, NGOs, CSOs, government ministries, and government bodies such as EAC, AU, SADC and ECOWAS/WAHO to inform and influence policy development would be an advantage
• Experience and evidence of fundraising work.
• Flexible and adaptable approach, in order to respond to shifting priorities and a rapidly evolving external environment.
• The ability and desire to acquire and maintain knowledge of a policy area or areas with a focus on ECD, education and youth empowerment.

This position is classified under Nationally Recruited Positions (NRP), Grade IV in our scales.