By | January 29, 2020

Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES-Ghana) 2020 Current Vacant Position For Head of Advocacy & Engagement

About us:

Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES-Ghana) is an ECOSOC-accredited NGO at the forefront of youth development policy, practice and research in Ghana. For more than 15 years, we have provided tailored skills training for youth, leading to improvements in their leadership, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and life planning skills. Through our service delivery, we have provided education, skills training, and technical support to thousands of youth and helped them transition to self and wage employment. Our research has contributed to filling the gap in youth data and the evidence base for public policy. And, we continue to use our national appeal and grassroots constituency, through our Voices of Youth Coalition, to advocate and campaign for youth-inclusive policies at all levels. We are entering an exciting phase of growth at YES-Ghana and are looking for new people to help take us forward.

Purpose of the role:

• As Head of Advocacy & Engagement, you will be responsible for leading and coordinating YES-Ghana’s work in advocacy, communications and stakeholder engagement. You will oversee the organisation’s strategic and policy engagement in advocacy, while ensuring that advocacy activities remain focused on established priorities and contribute to concrete deliverables.
• You will further position, build the profile and manage the reputation of YES-Ghana via government, development partners, and the media, with a particular focus on expanding our digital and social media footprint. • You will also oversee key national and international public engagements as they pertain to advocacy and engagement, and ensure that the views and perspectives of young people are fully represented.
• You will take lead on enhancing YES-Ghana’s influence and position as a leading youth focused organisation in Ghana and Africa.
• If you believe that young people have a critical role to play both as targets and agents in national and global development, and if you enjoy working in a fast-paced and creative organisation, then we would love to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

i. Advocacy

• Develop advocacy and campaign strategy, and policy agenda, ensuring that strategic priorities are aligned to global, regional and national youth agendas
• Lead advocacy activities based on strategic priorities and campaigns, with a particular focus on the Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2063, and National Youth Policy
• Coordinate documentation of best practices and evidence related to YES-Ghana’s advocacy and campaign activities
• Ensure that young people’s voices are represented through local level advocacy efforts and through local-national-global linkages
• Lead the process of assessment and research activities to gather information and analysis that would inform policy and advocacy briefing documents, assessment reports, and research papers

ii. External engagement

• Build strategic partnerships with donors, governments, private sector, UN entities and other organisations to enhance collective response to young people’s issues
• Strengthen partnership and collaboration with other civil society organisations at national level in order to influence and monitor policy implementation to enhance young people’s wellbeing
• Provide strategic direction for business development to pursue advocacy funding, through support in the development and implementation of the external engagement plan as well as via identification of resources, key stakeholders and relationship building and management
• Work with business development team to develop advocacy related capacity statements and funding proposals, with particular focus on amplifying youth voices in policy spaces
• Act as the focal point person for external and media engagement on pertinent youth issues which may require profiling and advocacy interventions

iii. Communications

• Ensure the preparation and implementation of yearly communication and digital engagement strategy and action plan with deliverables in place
• Ensure that more staff receive training and support so they can more effectively capture information and visuals that can be used across various communications platforms to tell the story from the field and ensure the voices of young people are heard; ensure there is an effective and coordinated use of relevant social media platforms
• Ensure increased communications focused on stories and publications that effectively communicate “evidence of impact”, in alignment with the organisation’s strategic priorities
• Engage local and international media around stories and issues that pertain to YES-Ghana’s core focus on youth development
• Review and enhance internal communications using relevant internal platforms; build an executive communications plan for the Executive Director (ED) to ensure the ED is known, heard and engaged in two-way dialogue with staff; support the Executive Director and other senior staff to serve as key spokespersons and to be positioned as thought leaders on relevant topics and issues
• Coordinate, monitor and manage reputational risk narrative and brand issues associated with the organisation
• Facilitate a process of continuous learning on appropriate communication systems, processes and tools as appropriate for YES-Ghana

iv. Project leadership

• Supervise planning and roll-out of our SDG Youth Action Campaign, the Voices of Youth Coalition, and Reposition Youth projects and other initiatives under the advocacy and engagement portfolio in accordance with the projects’ objectives
• Oversee implementation of project activities, including tracking progress towards core indicators and learning objectives, and identifying the need for support
• Approve financial allocations and expenditures and ensure timely payments in accordance with YES-Ghana’s financial management policy
• Ensure that all project initiatives benefit from YES-Ghana’s operational MEL system, or other MEL systems jointly deployed with partners, and supervise data collection and analysis as needed
• Ensure timely reporting according to donor requirements and formats
• Facilitate continuous learning over the different project activities and ensure that outcomes of learning loops are operationalised into the project

v. Team leadership

• Provide guidance, coaching and mentorship to the Advocacy & Engagement team in the setting and achievement of team goals and individual professional development activities
• Manage team performance planning and appraisals
• Ensure space and opportunities to promote team wellness and safety; report critical incidents to Management Team
• Identify and recruit appropriate resource persons and service providers to support the team in the accomplishment of team objectives
• Promote and practice compliance with YES-Ghana’s core values, code of ethics and other standards
• Ensure and practice team compliance with YES-Ghana’s policies and procedures including those relating to finance, travel, procurement, IT, programmes and specific donor requirements

vi. Strategy and direction as part of the Management Team

• Contribute to strategic planning and organisational management as a member of the Management Team
• Support the Executive Director and Management Team in the governance, oversight and direction of programmatic and non-programmatic units
• Support the Executive Director to develop and engage the Management Team in the strategic growth and business expansion of YES-Ghana
• Support financial planning, risk management and value for money processes within the organisation
• Act as a role model to staff and for young people in Ghana by upholding organisational values and policies at all times
• Support the creation and maintenance of a values-based ethic across the organisation to ensure that YES-Ghana’s values, codes of conduct, policies and standards are understood clearly by all and adhered to in practice

vii. Other duties

• Other duties may be required from time to time, including responsibilities which require work on weekends and holidays for which time off in lieu (TOIL) may be taken

Qualification Required & Experience

Person specification:

• Master’s degree in development studies, international development, communications, social sciences or related fields required
• Minimum 6 years’ experience in advocacy, campaigns, communications, and government and stakeholder engagement required
• Experience of working in similar role at an NGO or other development organisation essential
• Must have ability to manage a multi-disciplinary portfolio
• Advanced understanding of social accountability methodologies
• Ability to engage at a strategic level and build collaborative relationships with government, donors, media and civil society organisations
• Experience in developing an array of communication materials such as publications, video segments, web and other new media
• Strong track record of designing workshops and other training essential
• Experience in contract and budget management essential
• Experience in event organisation essential
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills essential
• Excellent planning and organisational skills essential
• Demonstrated team management and leadership experience
• Ability to support cross-organisational projects as essential
• Fluency in English required. Working knowledge of Twi, Ga and/or Ewe desirable

Salary & benefits:

• Competitive salary structure
• Accra Cost of Living allowance
• 13th month salary
• SSNIT contributions
• Medical and dental cover
• Group Personal Accident cover
• Time off in lieu (TOIL)
• Annual leave
• Sick leave
• Parental leave (maternal and paternal)
• 2 weeks Christmas and New Year break
• Professional development initiatives

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please submit a one-page motivation letter and an updated CV to:

jobs@yesghana.org Please use Head of Advocacy & Engagement as the subject line of your email.

Be sure to highlight in the motivation letter how specifically you meet the qualifications, skills and experience requirements for this role. Due to capacity constraints, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing Date: 09 February, 2020