Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for better and more sustainable use of livestock. ILRI is a CGIAR research centre - part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

Responsibilities or duties

Relationship building and strategic partnerships

• Rapidly map stakeholder landscapes in focal countries and identify strategic entry points through ILRI colleagues, partners and existing networks.
• Build and sustain high-trust relationships with government officials, private sector actors, cooperatives and civil society across diverse country contexts.
• Identify, cultivate and manage relationships with private sector delivery partners.
• Leverage partner relationships as bridges to new stakeholders, using collaborative approaches to expand engagement.
• Coordinate with cooperative leadership and/or county/local governments to design and roll out scalable delivery models.

Project management and reporting

• Manage activity scheduling, budgeting, and financial tracking
• Manage project consultants working with the local level actors
• Prepare periodic activity reports, progress updates, and risk assessments.
• Manage contracts and deliverables for national partners and consultants.
• Ensure timely organization of workshops, consultations, high-level meetings and missions.
• Work closely with the MEL specialist to ensure that influence–engage–inform indicators are tracked.

Stakeholder Engagement, Facilitation & Political Economy Work

• Support the establishment and operationalization of the different types of stakeholder platforms and facilitate stakeholder consultations to diagnose regulatory, institutional and delivery bottlenecks.
• Support design and delivery of targeted communications and advocacy materials, communications campaigns and community-level engagement around the different components
• Monitor political economy dynamics and provide real-time strategic intelligence for adaptive implementation.
• Ensure the process is inclusive and attentive to gender, youth and marginalized groups.
• Monitor dynamics to address misinformation and disinformation and more broadly

Support linkages to regional and global agendas

• Support the management of the ILRI Advocacy and Investment Hub
• Identify ways to frame and position project outcomes for global and regional processes
• Track risks, misinformation trends, emerging policy issues in for global partners to pre-emptively address.
• Provide technical advice and support to ILRI projects and programs around advocacy and engagement
• Document project learning, outcomes and impacts to regional and global processes

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Experience needed

Master’s degree in public policy, development studies, agricultural economics, political science, communications or related field.

Proven experience (10+ years) in leading international, regional and national advocacy and external engagement initiatives.

Proven experience (10+ years) leading advocacy and engagement at all levels and with different stakeholders including government, civil society and private sector

Experiences working with African regional institutions such as AU-IBAR, PANVAC, AU, etc

Demonstrated ability to influence policy and investment decisions within the livestock, agriculture, or food systems sectors.

Strong track record building and managing strategic partnerships and alliances with diverse stakeholders, including governments, donors, NGOs, research institutions and private sector actors.

Project management skills, delegating responsibilities effectively, ensuring clear roles and accountability and aligning communication initiatives with institutional priorities.

Ability to build social capital with partners and within ILRI and work with multiple teams.

Experience in project monitoring, evaluation and learning

Well-versed in using different communication, multi-media approaches and techniques, with a clear focus on targeting stakeholders effectively and achieving measurable impact.

Commitment to excellence, ensuring high quality outputs under tight deadlines.

• Rapidly map stakeholder landscapes in focal countries and identify strategic entry points through ILRI colleagues, partners and existing networks.
• Build and sustain high-trust relationships with government officials, private sector actors, cooperatives and civil society across diverse country contexts.
• Identify, cultivate and manage relationships with private sector delivery partners.
• Leverage partner relationships as bridges to new stakeholders, using collaborative approaches to expand engagement.
• Coordinate with cooperative leadership and/or county/local governments to design and roll out scalable delivery models.
• Manage activity scheduling, budgeting, and financial tracking
• Manage project consultants working with the local level actors
• Prepare periodic activity reports, progress updates, and risk assessments.
• Manage contracts and deliverables for national partners and consultants.
• Ensure timely organization of workshops, consultations, high-level meetings and missions.
• Work closely with the MEL specialist to ensure that influence–engage–inform indicators are tracked.
• Support the establishment and operationalization of the different types of stakeholder platforms and facilitate stakeholder consultations to diagnose regulatory, institutional and delivery bottlenecks.
• Support design and delivery of targeted communications and advocacy materials, communications campaigns and community-level engagement around the different components
• Monitor political economy dynamics and provide real-time strategic intelligence for adaptive implementation.
• Ensure the process is inclusive and attentive to gender, youth and marginalized groups.
• Monitor dynamics to address misinformation and disinformation and more broadly
• Support the management of the ILRI Advocacy and Investment Hub
• Identify ways to frame and position project outcomes for global and regional processes
• Track risks, misinformation trends, emerging policy issues in for global partners to pre-emptively address.
• Provide technical advice and support to ILRI projects and programs around advocacy and engagement
• Document project learning, outcomes and impacts to regional and global processes

• Project management skills
• Ability to build social capital
• Experience in project monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Well-versed in using different communication, multi-media approaches and techniques

• Master’s degree in public policy, development studies, agricultural economics, political science, communications or related field.
• Proven experience (10+ years) in leading international, regional and national advocacy and external engagement initiatives.
• Proven experience (10+ years) leading advocacy and engagement at all levels and with different stakeholders including government, civil society and private sector
• Experiences working with African regional institutions such as AU-IBAR, PANVAC, AU, etc
• Demonstrated ability to influence policy and investment decisions within the livestock, agriculture, or food systems sectors.
• Strong track record building and managing strategic partnerships and alliances with diverse stakeholders, including governments, donors, NGOs, research institutions and private sector actors.
• Project management skills, delegating responsibilities effectively, ensuring clear roles and accountability and aligning communication initiatives with institutional priorities.
• Ability to build social capital with partners and within ILRI and work with multiple teams.
• Experience in project monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Well-versed in using different communication, multi-media approaches and techniques, with a clear focus on targeting stakeholders effectively and achieving measurable impact.
• Commitment to excellence, ensuring high quality outputs under tight deadlines.