What we are looking for
Do you want to lead advocacy in one of the world's largest and most complex displacement crises? NRC Bangladesh is looking for an Advocacy Manager to help shape policy and influence decision-makers.
The role holder will provide overall leadership and strategic direction to policy, communication, and advocacy work in Bangladesh. He/she will be responsible for identifying protection concerns for advocacy, strengthening its incorporation into NRC’s activities, and guiding NRC’s messaging to promote an improved protection and humanitarian response environment. The Advocacy Manager will focus on the Rohingya crisis; climate-related displacement; and regional/intra-country advocacy initiatives in close coordination and collaboration with the regional level and the Myanmar country mission.
If you are an influential and strategic leader who takes initiative; with strong communications, networking, and collaborative skills; and a background in protection, analysis, messaging, and coordination, then this is the role for you!
What you will do
- Line management, including performance management, workforce planning, recruitment, induction, development, and duty of care.
- Humanitarian and protection analysis synthesis, to inform advocacy and communications products.
- Humanitarian and protection analysis compilation, interpretation, and translation into advocacy and communications products.
- Advocacy strategy development, revision, and implementation.
- Advocacy coherence and synergies with programmes.
- Advocacy training and capacity building.
- Sectoral and operational analysis, ensuring advocacy messaging is evidence-based and validated.
- Advocacy and communications messaging strategic delivery coordination to maximise impact.
- Media lines and media strategy advice, ensuring potential risks are assessed and procedures followed.
- NRC representation, strengthen advocacy networks, and identify opportunities to advocate NRC’s position.
- We highly encourage you to learn more about the role: please review the full Job Description here.
What you will bring
- Protection principles and advocacy knowledge.
- International legal and policy processes understanding, relating to forced displacement and migration.
- Analysis, messaging, coordination, and networking experience.
- Advanced degree, or similar qualification.
- Managerial and interpersonal skills.
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Refugee and internal displacement understanding relevant to the Bangladesh context.
- Complex, and volatile context exposure, with experience working with displacement-affected people.
- English fluency, both written and verbal.
What makes this position attractive?
- The opportunity to work in the steadily growing NRC mission of Bangladesh that has scaled up since inception in 2018 to respond to the Rohingya influx, and that has an increasingly growing portfolio and funding. NRC interventions are used to increase the acceptance of humanitarian assistance amongst Rohingya and Bangladeshi populations.
- NRC Bangladesh currently operates in Cox’s Bazar, Ukhiya, and Dhaka. NRC interventions are grounded in humanitarian principles, which guide efforts to increase acceptance of humanitarian assistance among Rohingya refugees and host communities, and to facilitate access.
- In addition to the existing Rohingya refugee response, NRC’s integrated activities are addressing the impacts of displacement from climate change in Cox’s Bazar, in the North-East and South-West parts of Bangladesh. As of 2022, NRC is working to respond to severe floods in Sylhet. Bangladesh is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries while also hosting nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees. This is considered a protracted emergency in which displacement and recurrent climate disasters combine.
- Bangladesh remains highly disaster-prone while hosting approximately one million Rohingya refugees. The situation is now considered a protracted crisis, where displacement and recurring climate-related shocks intersect with limited humanitarian access and ongoing political pressure for repatriation. The broader humanitarian context is characterised by multiple localised emergencies, high vulnerability, and acute poverty.
- Advocacy is a core pillar of NRC Bangladesh's work. We are committed to ensuring that evidence from our programmes informs policy and contributes to better protection and humanitarian outcomes for displaced people.
- This is an opportunity to lead programme-driven, evidence-based advocacy in one of NRC's largest and most strategically important operations, influencing policy at national, regional and global levels.
- Meaningful work that responds to the diverse needs, priorities, and concerns raised by beneficiary communities. The current context is set against a backdrop of continued conflict in Rakhine State, steady attenuation of humanitarian access, and political pressure to repatriate refugees. This is characterised by multiple localised emergencies adversely affecting communities and populations with low levels of resilience, high vulnerability, and acute poverty.
- Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
- Learn more about NRC’s operation in Bangladesh here.
What we offer
- Cox’s Bazar, or Dhaka, Bangladesh duty station.
- 12 month contract duration, with the possibility of extension based on performance, requirements, and funding.
- 25% travel, approximately.
- Grade 9 in NRC’s International Salary Scale, with accompanying terms and conditions. NRC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
- NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
- We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.
- Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC.
Important information about the application process
- Internal candidates:- log in with your official NRC email address or click on Opportunity Marketplace.
- When creating your profile, include your full name as per your passport.
- Apply by completing all the system-required fields of your experience, employment history, and education in your application.
- Ensure to attach your latest CV.
- Submit your application and CV in English.
- Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. NRC is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and you meet most, but not all the requirements, we encourage you to apply anyway.
- Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered.
- Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
- For any genuine queries, please email us at aela.recruitment@nrc.no with “Advocacy Comms Manager Bangladesh” as the subject line. This email address is for queries only. Applications will not be accepted via email.
- Please note that NRC does not request any fees in connection with its recruitment processes.
Why NRC?
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.
Watch this short video to see NRC in action.
NRC works in Cox’s Bazar in response to the Rohingya crisis, and in areas such as Sylhet in the north-east addressing the impacts of climate change. Alongside partners, our integrated operations include shelter and water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), responding to weather-related emergencies, ensuring education continuity through in-person and digital learning, and scaling up information counselling for refugees and host Bangladeshis, reaching over 150,000 people per year. Our approach to humanitarian action focuses on principled aid delivery and promotes the agency and dignity of impacted populations.
We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:
- Do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
- Join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
- Be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.
Learn more about NRC here.
Organization context
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.
Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world's most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people.
At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Together, we save lives and rebuild futures.
Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to:
• treat everyone with respect and dignity
• contribute to building a safe environment for all
• never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)
• always report. NRC has a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH
