Job from Crisis Action

Post:New York Advocacy Associate
Job-from Crisis Action

 Career categories:  Administration/HR

Country: United States of America

Organisation:Crisis Action

Theme:Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
    Protection and Human Rights

Job years of experience:3-5 years

Job type:Job

New York Advocacy Associate
Information Pack
2013

The closing date for receipt of all applications is May 15, 2013. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place in New York on June 3-7, 2013.
To apply send a resume and cover letter to nyadvocacyassociate@crisisaction.org

Introduction

You may not have heard of us, as we work behind the scenes, but Crisis Action is at the forefront of global advocacy. We are looking for a strategic and dynamic person to be our New York Advocacy Associate.

Our job is to tackle the causes and consequences of armed conflict head on. We work behind the scenes to create and support strategic coalitions to avert unnecessary conflicts and ensure the protection of civilians where conflict exists. From Syria to Mali to Sudan, you’ll be on the front line of global advocacy.

In collaboration with Crisis Action partners such as Oxfam, Save the Children, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, you will be supporting high-profile international campaigns and delivering effective high-level advocacy.

You will work with our offices in Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Nairobi, London, Paris and Washington DC to change the political equation when it comes to addressing conflict.

If you relish bureaucracy or are looking to put your feet up, this job is not for you. If you are hungry for a challenge, have limitless energy and think you can help us and our partners convince some of the world’s most powerful people, then please apply.

About Crisis Action

Crisis Action is a pioneering organization, launched in London in 2004 to enable civil society to respond more effectively to international conflict. Our aim is to help prevent suffering caused by armed conflict, to change the calculations of decision makers and to ensure the protection of civilians.

To achieve this aim Crisis Action works behind the scenes to catalyze, coordinate and support strategic coalition campaigns by our civil society partners. Our work enables more effective joint advocacy and campaigning on conflict by our partners, which include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Oxfam, International Rescue Committee, CARE International and many others.

We aim to complement our partners’ existing work on conflict prevention, resolution and early warning by increasing their collective influence on foreign policy, especially as it affects specific country/regional conflicts. Crisis Action draws together existing strengths and capacities into effective joint action that has impact.

A decade ago Crisis Action was little more than an idea on paper. We are now an international organization with a growing track record of successful, conflict-related campaigns.

Our latest annual report (available from www.crisisaction.org in PDF) summarizes Crisis Action's achievements during 2011-2012. Earlier reports are also available on our website.

What others say about Crisis Action

“Crisis Action continues to prove that its model works and has impact. We repeatedly see that policymakers are more likely to take stronger and more effective action when NGOs coordinate and collaborate. Crisis Action helps make this happen.” Ken Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch

“Crisis Action harnesses the combined power of different NGOs, thus helping us at critical moments to be more than the sum of our parts. Whether speaking on the Middle East or other key crisis points around the world, decision-makers are more likely to listen to us if we act in unison.” Salil Shetty, Secretary General, Amnesty International

“Crisis Action’s great added value is its ability to draw on the different strengths of its partner organisations and mould them into strategic and effective advocacy campaigns that make a difference on the ground. Crisis Action helps ensure coherent, targeted engagement between civil society and important decision-makers across the EU, UN, African Union and Arab League. The difference they make far exceeds their small size.” Jeremy Hobbs, Former Executive Director, Oxfam International

“Crisis Action played a discrete but vital role in coordinating a public statement by leading international jurists on Gaza: ensuring it got widespread media attention and had impact on the important decision-makers. On issues of such sensitivity, it is invaluable for Crisis Action to bring together experts to speak with one voice.” Justice Richard Goldstone, Head of UN Gaza Inquiry

“Crisis Action has developed an impressive record of politically astute and effective work on areas of great sensitivity. Their promotion of influential NGO coalitions and their impact on prominent international leaders are instrumental in building collective efforts to protect civilians from violent conflict.” Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Director, Ditchley Foundation, former UK Ambassador to the UN

Job description

Key details Salary: $41,000
Benefits: 25 days of vacation; health insurance paid in full.
Starting date: To be agreed, but no later than July 1
Responsible to: New York Director
Location: New York (applicant will be expected to have relevant permissions to work in the US)
Deadline for application: May 15, 2013
Interviews: June 3-7, 2013

Principal Roles

The Advocacy Associate will work in our small New York office to provide support to the campaigns and Crisis Action staff that are based in it. This includes the New York Director, the New York Head of Advocacy as well as Crisis Action’s Campaign Director. The work involves a range of duties including:

    Administrative Support to New York Office – Within the New York office, you will play a key role in making sure the office runs smoothly and will provide administrative support such as setting up conference calls, maintaining contact lists and databases, ordering stationery, assisting with financial record keeping, ensuring the upkeep of insurance and other office policies. You will also provide IT support such as setting up new email accounts on Outlook, installing software on new computers, etc. You will assist in intern recruitment processes and other HR matters where required and provide guidance to interns as needed.

    Support of coalition campaign activities – The main area of your work will be working with the New York Director and the Head of Advocacy and our partner organizations to support campaigns that mobilize the resources and influence of civil society to the greatest possible effect. This process will involve supporting diverse advocacy activities that range from: organising meetings with key UN officials; media work, including drafting media materials; campaign stunts; and preparation of reports. As such, you will liaise with leading international NGOs, the media, UN officials and diplomats. Working with colleagues in our other offices, you will support our international campaigns and will be asked to assist with devising and implementing our core work.

    UN Political Analysis - Focusing on actual or potential conflicts of most concern to our partners, you will ensure that Crisis Action supplements their understanding by supporting our analysis of the policy positions of members of the UN Security Council, key Missions to the UN, and UN Secretariat officials. You will monitor UN briefings, Security Council meetings and the UN press corps. You will help feed this intelligence into our global campaign groups, strategies and analysis.

    Administrative Support to Crisis Action’s Campaign Director – You will provide support to Crisis Action’s Campaign Director who is based in the New York office. This will include: ensuring key campaign team management documents and systems remain up to date, including devising maps of campaign ‘peaks’ and team capacity allocations across campaigns; tracking campaign budget allocations; ensuring systematic filing.

Current conflict priorities for Crisis Action in New York include Sudan, Syria and Mali (as well as emergencies as they arise).

Personal Skills
The following are essential:

• A degree in politics, international relations or a similar field and/or related experience.
• Excellent writing skills, including ability to draft advocacy and media materials to a high standard.
• Knowledge and understanding of international human rights issues and armed conflict situations.
• Experience and understanding of advocacy and media work.
• Knowledge of the UN Security Council and how to influence UN policies and processes.
• Excellent political judgment and instincts, especially with regard to international relations.
• First-class interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to interact professionally with high-level policymakers and the media.
• High levels of organization, efficiency and professionalism.
• Initiative to spot what needs to be done, as well as to respond to specific direction.
• Excellent administrative and computer/technology skills and Microsoft Office proficiency.
• Ability to cope with multiple internal and external demands and to juggle matters of substance alongside excellent attention to details.
• Ability to prioritize with minimal supervision and to work independently.
• Ability to work as a collegiate member of a small team, and to assist in building the capacity of office interns.
• High levels of energy, enthusiasm and ambition.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

The following are desirable:

• Understanding of the challenges involved in organizing NGO coalition campaigns.
• Additional languages, such as Arabic, Russian, Chinese, French.
• Experience in using social media in campaigning.

Equal opportunities: Crisis Action values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. All applicants for employment will receive equal treatment without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origins, personal disability or sexual orientation.

Disabilities: We are committed to making every reasonable adjustment to the workplace or working arrangements so as to accommodate people with disabilities.
How to apply:

To apply send a resume and cover letter to nyadvocacyassociate@crisisaction.org

The closing date for receipt of all applications is May 15, 2013. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place in New York on June 3-7, 2013.
Job ID: #571839
Closing date: 15 May 2013