Policy Advisor, Nutrition and Food Security

Are you a passionate policy and external engagement professional with a proven track record of government relations success?

Do you have experience with international development policy and program trends as they relate to Canada’s international development and humanitarian priorities around nutrition and food security? Do you have experience in humanitarian and fragile contexts?

Do you thrive on navigating Ottawa’s political and legislative decision-making process?

Have you worked on public engagement campaigns? Can you build consensus between organizations and individuals who have diverging interests and capacities?

If this sounds like you, we can’t wait to hear from you!

Job Purpose:

  • The Policy Advisor- Nutrition and Food Security is responsible for designing and implementing policy change and advocacy campaign strategies while positioning World Vision Canada (WVC) as a go-to partner and program implementer.
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders, including policy makers, thought leaders and other NGOs for the purpose of increasing WVC’s access to, and influence over, the development of relevant policies and to position WVC as a partner.
  • The Policy Advisor – Nutrition and Food Security will also engage and lead in Ottawa based coalitions and represent WVC at external events.

Gender equality is a priority focus of WVC. As such, all duties and responsibilities will be undertaken through a gender equality lens.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Proactively identify and pursue emerging opportunities to influence the Government of Canada’s policies in nutrition and food security, especially in the context of fragility and the hunger crisis:
  • Actively monitor Government of Canada activity as it relates to nutrition and food security policy and priorities.
  • Proactively identify emerging policy opportunities and together with relevant stakeholders discern which opportunities are strategic and the best policy tactics to capitalize on.
  • Lead the development and implementation of short and long-term policy change agendas.
  • Be the policy change and key messages champion in a broad advocacy campaign on nutrition and food security.
  • Develop policy research and write a diverse range of policy products (reports, briefing notes, letters etc).
  • Engage in key stakeholder meetings; lead and or participate in internal teams and external coalitions to advance policy influence.
  • Support and/or lead WVC’s nutrition and food security positioning through targeted external engagement:
  • Proactively identify, scope, and engage in opportunities that showcase WVC’s Nutrition and food security programming at a national (GAC and sector) and global level, in support of policy development, positioning and resource acquisition.
  • Assess and advise on WVC representation at events and engagement in key moments.
  • Initiate and maintain external relationships with appropriate government, funders, and civil society partners.
  • Participate in regular World Vision Partnership policy and positioning coordination processes to facilitate coordination of influence opportunities.
  • Be a subject matter expert on nutrition and food security, speak in clear and compelling ways, in public fora, the media, and with individual supporters, across WVC stakeholder communities.
  • Collaborate internally within WVC to develop joint strategy and messaging:
  • Collaborate closely with Strategic Communications teams to advance short and long-term policy and external engagement objectives.
  • Review communication strategies, press releases and other communication tools to ensure alignment with policy and external engagement objectives.
  • Collaborate with program managers, business development managers and technical specialists to draw out relevant field experience and realities to ensure alignment of policy and external engagement priorities with resource acquisition objectives.
  • Support senior leader’s external engagements on nutrition and food security.

Qualifications Required:

  • Master’s level degree in International Development or Political Science  or a Master’s level degree in disciplines covering nutrition and food security in an international context, with experience in related policy development.
  • 5 years of policy influence experience with the Canadian government, including policy/advocacy positions in Ottawa or a comparable Canadian setting.
  • Demonstrated ability to identify and champion emerging issues with government partners.
  • Good knowledge of nutrition and food security issues in developing, humanitarian and fragile contexts.
  • Good knowledge of the state of play of Canadian and international stakeholders in nutrition and food security.
  • Demonstrated commitment to gender equality in the context of policy change/government relations.
  • Proven knowledge of developing and implementing strategies for influencing Canadian government policy obtained by either working in a similar position in an NGO, for an elected official, or in a Government of Canada department.

Critical Skills:

  • Ability to engage in technical discussions with and to influence senior policy makers and other critical stakeholders on nutrition and food security.
  • Demonstrated ability to mobilize stakeholders into partnerships and alliances, lead and facilitate collaborative processes.
  • Experience developing, researching, and writing policy papers and briefs.
  • Ability to think strategically, synthesize complex information and develop innovative policy approaches.
  • Bilingual (English/French) strongly preferred.
  • Ability to thrive in a cross-cultural and Christian faith-based environment.

Work Conditions:

  • The ideal candidate should be based in or near Ottawa to facilitate face-to-face meetings with government stakeholders.
  • Some attendance at evening / weekend events may be required.
  • Ideally, not restricted from lobbying the federal government.


How to Apply:

Please submit – in one document:

1. Your resume

2. A cover letter (no more than two pages) which describes in one paragraph your most enjoyable experience to date in relation to this type of role.

Click here to apply: https://can231.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/wvc/Posting/View/5837

 

 

Published:

June 5, 2023


Deadline:

June 9, 2023


Type:

Full-time Permanent

Location:

Ottawa, ON


Organization:

World Vision Canada


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