What we do
Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to preserve human dignity and relieve suffering caused by war and armed violence.
In collaboration with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world, we do everything we can to deliver life-saving aid, reconnect families and locate missing people – helping those who need it most, regardless of who they are and what side of the front line they are on.
We engage with authorities and armed forces on all sides, often confidentially, pressing for access to detainees to improve their living conditions and urging compliance with international humanitarian law to protect non-combatants, including from digital threats.
Context of the Position
The ICRC’s Economic Security (EcoSec) Unit works to protect and restore people’s ability to meet their essential needs with dignity in situations of conflict and violence, combining emergency relief, livelihood support and nutrition programming, complemented by engagement on food security as a protection and IHL issue. As this positioning becomes more central to the ICRC’s protection and policy dialogue, the Unit is building dedicated capacity to lead its policy narrative, guidance and external engagement, starting with this newly created role.
Purpose of the Position
The EcoSec Policy & Partnerships Advisor is EcoSec’s first dedicated policy role, shaping the narrative, guidance and external positioning that underpin the Unit’s priorities. The role operationalizes EcoSec’s contribution to Protection and IHL through development of relevant processes, methods and tools for field teams while contributing to EcoSec’s engagement with policy, donor and partnership counterparts internally and externally.
Reports to (role)
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Policy, Narrative and Guidance
- Leads the development of EcoSec’s policy positions, narrative and guidance, ensuring they reflect and reinforce the Unit’s 2026–2027 and subsequent priorities and are aligned with ICRC’s mandate and Institutional Strategy.
- In collaboration with the EcoSec Head of Data & Analytics, analyses qualitative and quantitative evidence from EcoSec field programmes and secondary sources to inform policy and support EcoSec and ICRC decision-making.
- Maintains a high-level understanding of the global policy environment relevant to food and economic security and anticipates emerging trends and debates.
Operationalizing EcoSec’s Contribution to Protection and IHL
- Leads the development of processes, models and guidance that enable field teams to document and analyse the impact of conduct of hostilities on food systems, markets, supply chains and other objects indispensable to survival, adapting Water and Habitat’s existing data collection and analysis frameworks where feasible and supporting field teams directly in applying these methods; this builds EcoSec’s contribution to protection through field analysis, complementary to HQ-led analysis of global trends.
- Engages extensively with Protection and Legal (JUR) colleagues to align EcoSec’s analytical approaches with institutional priorities and works with Protection’s Open Source Information (OSI) team to strengthen the use of OSI methods in analysing hostilities’ impact on food and economic systems.
Cross-Cutting Alignment and Integrated Approaches
- Ensures EcoSec’s policy and analytical approaches are aligned with Health, Water/Habitat and Weapons Contamination policy approaches, supporting continued institutional efforts towards integrated approaches to public health and protection risk reduction through assistance.
- Works with the EcoSec Head of Data & Analytics and the Accountability, Analysis & Evidence (AAE) team to align indicators, monitoring and reporting approaches within EcoSec and across métiers, contributing to Ops/Programs efforts to strengthen integrated approaches to problem analysis, programme design and outcome measurement.
Partnerships and External Engagement
- Supports the Head of Unit on EcoSec’s external positioning, including direct participation and preparation for engagement with humanitarian peers, academia, donors and development actors, in online and in-person fora.
- Leads the Unit’s external communication on food/economic security policy issues, in close collaboration with the HQ Policy and External Communication teams
- Engages with international financial institutions (World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and others) and donors on both technical and funding dimensions, in line with ICRC’s institutional positioning and priorities.
- Contributes to donor proposals in collaboration with EcoSec HQ specialists, regional Programme Partners and field coordinators, ensuring proposals reflect EcoSec’s positioning and approach to partnership, localization and handover.
- Engages internally with Resource Mobilization (REM) counterparts on donor interaction and proposal development, and contributes to the design of new funding mechanisms and innovative partnerships, including blended finance.
Scope and Impact
- Remit: Global, with a high number of internal and external stakeholders/interlocutors; HQ-based with regular field engagement (approximately 2–3 missions per year)
- Strategic Impact: Significant impact on EcoSec’s policy positioning, its contribution to protection and IHL dialogue, and its standing with donors, partners and international financial institutions.
- Major accountability: Internal and to external partners/donors, with a significant impact on ICRC’s reputation and capacity on obligations.
Relationships
- Internally, interacts closely with the EcoSec Head and Deputy Head of Unit, the Head of Data & Analytics, EcoSec HQ specialists and Programme Partners, coordinators, regional and field specialists, and works extensively with Protection, Legal (JUR), Policy, External Communication, WatHab, Health and Weapons Contamination and FAS/Prevention colleagues at headquarters and in delegations.
- Externally, interacts with humanitarian peers, academia, donors, development actors and international financial institutions (e.g. World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank), and represents the ICRC in relevant external policy and partnership fora.
Education Required
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in international relations, international law, development studies, agricultural/food economics or other relevant subject; PhD a strong asset.
- Verbal and written fluency in French and English is required; other languages is a plus.
- Computer proficiency; familiarity with digital communication and social media, and competency in multimedia communication (podcasts, video and similar) as channels for policy and advocacy content.
Experience Required
- Typically, 12-15 years of overall professional experience is required
- 10 years’ experience in humanitarian operations and/or policy development.
- Proven experience formulating and/or implementing policy initiatives, including on protection, IHL or food/economic security is required.
- Strong track record in shaping and communicating policy, including writing and publishing is required.
- Food Security, Livelihoods or Protection field experience is a strong asset; familiarity with IHL analysis and protection methodologies is valued.
- Red Cross-Red Crescent Movement experience is highly valued.
- Experience engaging with donors, development actors or international financial institutions is an asset.
Additional Information
- Type of Mobility: Required Rotation
- Working rate: 100%
- Starting date: 1st Jan 2027
- Location: Geneva
- Job level: C2
- Length of assignment: until 31st Dec 2028
- Application deadline: Monday, 7th Sept 2026
The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.
Are you ready to explore the next chapter of your career? Apply now!
For more information about working at ICRC HQ please click here.
Our values
- At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.
