Conflict Adviser

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and dynamic person to join Alert’s Africa Programme. International Alert is part of a consortium with Oxfam and Care for the implementation of a four-year community resilience project funded by the European Union in the regions of Diffa and Agadez in Niger and Lac and Kanem in Chad.

We are looking for a conflict adviser with proven theoretical background in conflict analysis and ability in applying conflict sensitivity best practice to peacebuilding, development and humanitarian programmes. You will be adaptable, creative and innovative, tailoring your approach to the specific needs of our different programmes. You will have an excellent understanding of the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin contexts and knowledge of the specific challenges facing Chad and Niger.

You will possess excellent writing skills and attention to detail and have a flair for grasping key ideas and actions through a combination of desk research, primary data collection and consultation with colleagues and partners. You will have proven experience providing technical support to implementation teams with the ability to deliver high-quality training and accompaniment.

To be successful in this role you will be a collaborative team player who builds on colleagues’ knowledge and expertise to provide high quality technical assistance and to maximise learning.

Role duties and responsibilities:

1. Provide technical advice within the Project Coordination Unit and to implementation staff to ensure that programme delivery across all project components and in all target, regions is continually informed by conflict context analysis and review, conflict-sensitivity, and that the programme’s peacebuilding potential is maximised across its diverse settings;

2. Act as one of the focal points for technical support and training across the implementation team, among partners and with external stakeholders in conflict sensitivity, conflict analysis, peacebuilding and social cohesion processes;

3. Ensure effective and systematic communication and coordination with International Alert West Africa programme on context analysis, programme delivery and programme development opportunities.

Provide technical support and training across the delivery team, among partners and with external stakeholders in conflict sensitivity, conflict analysis, peacebuilding processes.

• Support the identification of training need in this area among: the delivery team, implementing partners, and external stakeholders such as Nigerien and Chadian government, peer I-NGOs, and lead in designing a capacity-enhancement plan, in close coordination with relevant colleagues;
• Design and roll-out relevant training modules with specific target groups, ensuring monitoring of impact and follow-up;
• Support the knowledge management function of the programme by acting as a ‘go-to’ resource on conflict analysis and peacebuilding within the programme.

Support programme delivery across all components and in all target regions is continually informed by conflict context analysis and review, conflict sensitivity, and that the programme’s peacebuilding potential is maximised across its diverse settings.

• Work closely with regional teams to ensure systematic monitoring of context in each target regions as well as in Niger and Chad more broadly;
• Ensure conflict analysis tools are continually improved and used within the programme;
• Support the review of the programme design through lens of conflict-sensitivity, ensuring each component is informed by conflict-sensitive analysis, and that this is continually updated;
• Support strategic evolution of specific programme strands ensuring these remain focused and rigorous from a peacebuilding perspective;
• Play an active role in programmatic strategic and planning processes, keeping the conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding lens to the fore;
• Ensure experience on peacebuilding process and conflict sensitivity gained through the programme is documented and the programme builds a profile as an exemplary intervention from the conflict sensitivity perspective.

Support the programme team through providing specific deliverables and accompanying specific processes as required.

• Play a hands-on role in providing specific deliverables as part of the overall programme workplan, in agreement with the Senior Conflict Adviser;
• Support implementation of specific activities where dedicated additional peacebuilding expertise is identified as needed in coordination with programme management (additional to training, e.g., facilitation of events);
• Work closely with the Conflict M&E Manager, in order to support the team in articulating programme impact on peace in the different target regions;
• Contribute to gather and support reflection in the team on lessons learnt in developing a complex programme from the peacebuilding perspective, and disseminate these externally;
• Contribute to internal and donor reports.

Represent and ensure coordination between the programme and the wider peacebuilding, humanitarian and development sectors in Niger and Chad

• In close coordination with the Senior Conflict Adviser, represent the programme among wider peacebuilding and humanitarian/development sector in Niger and Chad, e.g. among donors with conflict related programming, among NGOs, and government;
• Act as a spokesperson for the programme within Niger and Chad and internationally as required.

Contribute to Alert generally

• Contribute to Alert West Africa knowledge management and learning;
• Participate in organisation-wide events and discussions on related topics/projects.

Kindly note the above are just some of the requirements for the job. For the full job requirements, please click here to read the full job description.