Policy And Advocacy Manager

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Position title	Policy and Advocacy Manager
Location	Dili, Timor-Leste
Reports to	HATUTAN Project Chief of Party
Grade	8/1
Start date/timeframe	9 months with possible extension
Application deadline	3 October, 2022
Application process	Send CV and application letter via email to [email protected] OR HR unit at CARE office at Bairo Pite, Dili.

1. Background
   1. The Programme

CARE is an international development and humanitarian organisation working in Timor-Leste since 1994. With programmes that extend across all municipalities in the country, CARE’s mission is to save lives, strive for equality and achieve social justice.

CARE does this by creating lasting change by working directly with target communities, providing innovative solutions and assistance in emergencies.

Ensuring well-being and a voice for women and girls in rural disadvantaged areas is at the heart of CARE’s work. This happens through four priority areas; Education, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health and Women’s Voice.

To overcome poverty and bring about lasting, sustainable development, there needs to be equal rights and opportunities. That’s why making women and girls a priority impact group is key, as this is a proven way to create sustainable, long-term change.

• The role

The Policy and Advocacy Manager will work with the HATUTAN project. Over a five-year period (Oct 2018- Sep 2023), HATUTAN will work in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste and key development stakeholders to strengthen literacy, overall education outcomes, nutrition, health, hygiene, sanitation and gender equality in four target municipalities, Ainaro, Ermera, Liquiça and Manatuto.

HATUTAN works with pre-primary and basic education schools, reaching 90,000 school-aged children to enhance education, health, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation and gender equality. The package of interventions in 220 schools includes the (re) activation of parent and teachers associations; training school administrators to improve education service delivery; coaching teachers on improved literacy instruction; and supporting Community Development Agents, village savings and loans groups, and pregnant and lactating women and parents with children under five years of age through community-level health and nutrition interventions.

HATUTAN’s school administration training component provides a coaching package aimed to strengthen school administrator capacity in school management, including: overseeing the school feeding program; human resource management; community mobilisation and participatory governance; supportive supervision to teachers to improve attendance and instructional practices; gender sensitivity and prevention of gender-based violence; and adherence to inclusive education and other government policies.  

The Policy and Advocacy Manager provides technical leadership and communication channels with the relevant government officials at the national level. The Policy and Advocacy Manager identifies areas where the program can support the Ministry of State Administration and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to strengthen institutional capacity at the national, municipal and school-cluster level to improve the delivery of the School Feeding Program. Using evidence from research and monitoring data, the Policy and Advocacy Manager may recommend options to refine the policy and regulatory framework and improve accountability, service delivery and collaboration across ministries.

This position oversees the Capacity Strengthening Trainer for budget planning, financial management and reporting. Together with the Gender Program Manager, this position will supervise the Community Score Card Lead who is responsible for working with communities using a social audit mechanism to enable communities and school personnel to work together to improve the quality of education at their local school.

The role requires a high level of professionalism, good leadership and vision, excellent interpersonal and consensus building skills, with an ability to work in a cross sectoral approach with a wide range of government officials and other stakeholders. This position is based in Dili with travel required to municipal administration offices, schools and the HATUTAN field offices.

• The requirements

Experience and qualification

• Master’s Degree in Education, Administration, Management, Public Policy or equivalent and minimum 8-years relevant work experience, preferably in public administration, policy development and planning, advocacy work, and/or work in education an asset. Alternatively a minimum of Bachelor’s degree with 10 years of relevant work experience;

• Excellent communication skills in both Tetum and English, Portuguese skills an advantage;

• Strong interpersonal skills, patience and an ability to build consensus;

• Demonstrated good leadership, decision making, problem solving, strategic planning, analytical and influencing skills;

• Demonstrated high level time management skills, including the ability to plan and manage workflows and balance competing priorities to ensure timely processing to meet deadlines in a complex environment;

• Demonstrated research skills and ability to use monitoring data to advocate for policy change and adapt program approach;

• Ability to write and present regular reports to management and partners within short timeframes;

• Ability to understand, comply and uphold all relevant CARE Timor-Leste policies, code of conduct and standard procedures;

• Representational skills including developing networks and relationships with key stakeholders;

• Proven understanding of working with an International Non-Government Organisation and a willingness to learn about CARE, gender equality and women’s empowerment activities; and

• Ability to work with Google suite, Microsoft Office with knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

• How to apply

Interested applicants should send a CV (no longer than four pages) and cover letter via email to [email protected]  OR to Human Resource unit at CARE Timor-Leste office at Bairo Pite, Dili.

* Applicants are required to mention where they discovered information about this position

* This application is required by 3 October, 2022