Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is recruiting an Africa Programme Associate to work with our Africa team. Girls Not Brides brings together civil society organisations from around the world. The Partnership now counts over 500 members across more than 70 countries, based throughout Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Members are united by a commitment to end child marriage and enable girls to fulfil their potential.
Girls Not Brides works to empower those seeking to end child marriage; to raise awareness of the harmful impact of the practice and the solutions to end it; and to call for urgent action by relevant stakeholders. Girls Not Brides was initiated by The Elders, a group of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to promote peace and human rights worldwide.
The successful candidate could either be based in the Girls Not Brides office in London (UK) or Dakar (Senegal). S/he will monitor, research and analyse policy developments related to child marriage in Africa; support the design and implementation of Girls Not Brides’ advocacy, learning, partnership development and communications activities; and support the secretariat’s work to strategically engage with Girls Not Brides members
Main duties and responsibilities will include:
- Monitor, research and analyse policy developments related to child marriage in Africa.
- Monitor and analyse developments relevant to Girls Not Brides’ work within key regional and international organisations as well as in selected focus countries in Africa .
- Conduct desk research and synthesis of thematic issues and prepare briefing documents and other materials to support the partnership’s work in Africa.
- Prepare briefings for the secretariat on specific issues related to child marriage in advance of upcoming events, meetings and interviews.
Support the design and implementation of Girls Not Brides’ advocacy, learning, partnership development and communications activities in Africa
- Draft and/or provide input on various Girls Not Brides learning, communications and advocacy materials and initiatives .
- Provide contents and logistics-related assistance to the planning and implementation of specific events organised by the Girls Not Brides secretariat
- Represent Girls Not Brides externally at relevant meetings and conferences in/on Africa, as appropriate.
- Perform other tasks, including administrative tasks, as required from time to time.
Support the secretariat’s work to strategically engage with Girls Not Brides members in Africa
- Support the Africa team and the Partnership team in liaising with and providing technical assistance to Girls Not Brides members and national partnerships in Africa.
- Support the secretariat’s efforts to strengthen engagement of Francophone members in the work of the Partnership.
We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications and skills:
- Graduate qualification in a relevant area (such as public policy, development/African studies, international relations, human rights or gender issues) or proven experience in a related field
- Relevant professional experience, preferably engaging with non-governmental or civil society organisations, particularly in Africa
- Strong policy analysis skills and understanding of policy dynamics on gender and/or development issues; an understanding of child marriage and of the key players in the women’s and children’s rights fields in Africa is desirable
- Excellent research skills and written communication skills, and ability to write for different audiences
- An excellent eye for accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to work pro-actively with minimal supervision, meet tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities
- Ability to follow instructions, resolve problems and adapt plans if required
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures
- Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality
- Excellent written and spoken English and French required
- Proficiency in the latest versions of MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, and familiarity with databases (Salesforce preferred)
- Willingness to travel in Africa and other regions when necessary, sometimes at short notice.
Eligibility criteria and terms
A competitive salary and benefits package will be offered to the successful candidate. Please note that in order to work from Dakar (Senegal), the successful candidate would need to demonstrate that they have the appropriate work permission or visa.
How to apply
To apply, please send your CV and a brief cover letter demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this position to recruitment@GirlsNotBrides.org by 23:00 GMT on 7 November 2015, clearly stating “Africa Programme Associate” and your name in the subject line. Due to the large number of expected applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted by Girls Not Brides.
