Head of Government Engagement & Public Policy Job Blue Ventures

Project Management Jobs. Blue Ventures Jobs

Key Responsibilities

Government Engagement & Relationship Management (40%)

• Lead the government relations work stream in the region to promote and secure tenure and co-management rights for coastal communities and small-scale fishers and to limit the impact of destructive industrial fishing – including the development and implementation of a regional public affairs strategy.
• Oversee the identification and partnerships with relevant ministries, institutions, universities, and local civil society organisations relevant to Blue Ventures’ public affairs mission and learn about their public policy priorities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with government officials, regulators, and policymakers at local (county), national, and regional levels.
• Act as a liaison between the organisation and governmental bodies to ensure alignment on key policies and programs.
• Build and manage programmes and relationships with national and regional partners relevant for public policy change work, including government departments, civil society organisations and others as appropriate.
• Gather relevant evidence to inform the organisation’s policy positions.
• Represent Blue Ventures at national, regional and international levels in relevant meetings and conferences with governments and other organisations.
• Identify opportunities to promote agreed policy adoption and implementation, in collaboration with project partners.
• Support the full integration of local communities’ tenure rights and co-management approach in conservation policies at all levels through a human rights-based approach.
• Contribute to the development of BV’s global policy positions and adapt these to the regional and country levels as appropriate.
• Oversee the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework for BV’s public affairs work in the region, including key performance indicators and evaluation strategy.
• Identify grant and funding opportunities to develop Blue Ventures’ government relations work in East Africa.
• Support fundraising for public affairs in the region through inputting donor proposals, updating donors in regular calls and providing narrative and financial reports.
• Oversee the research and production of a variety of written materials, including reports.
• Contribute to the management and mitigation of strategic and operational risks related to Blue Ventures’ mission and partnership advocacy efforts.

Capacity Building & Stakeholder Engagement (30%)

• Scope and build partnerships with key civil society organisations.
• Support community stakeholders and frontline fisheries communities in understanding and navigating policy landscapes affecting their livelihoods and engaging local, national, and regional authorities/governments.
• Develop tools and deliver policy-related training sessions and workshops for internal teams and external partners.
• Contribute to Blue Ventures’ communications and public affairs strategy, ensuring alignment with government relations efforts.

Regulatory Compliance & Policy Engagement (10%)

• Ensure understanding and alignment with national and international laws, regulations, and policies governing marine conservation, fisheries management, food security and nutrition and environmental sustainability.
• Monitor and analyse regulatory and legislative developments at sub-national, national, and regional levels, providing internal guidance on compliance and potential impacts on fishermen/women and Blue Ventures’ initiatives.
• Engage and support governments on favourable policy and regulatory frameworks that support community-led fisheries management and sustainable fisheries.
• Develop relevant position papers and policy briefs.
• In collaboration with Advocacy, Technical, Partner Network Team, Implementing Partners, and wider Stakeholders, support the government in the completion and implementation of the pending policies.

Leadership and Management (10%)

• Create a positive, engaging, creative, and successful environment with colleagues. Oversee the creation of a shared vision for Blue Ventures in the region while ensuring that all colleagues understand their contribution to this vision.
• Support and promote BV’s commitment to helping and encouraging institutions working closely with communities to strengthen and create new locally managed marine areas for better fisheries management.
• Foster a culture of performance and continuous improvement that values learning and commitment to quality.
• Uphold and promote BV’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Ensure that all organisational activities are consistently performed under the principles.

Communications (10%)

• Support the development of a regional communications strategy to support the government relations programme, including clear policy positions on key issues in the region, in collaboration with partners.
• Ensure that all staff working with Blue Ventures on communication and government relations are fully informed of Blue Ventures’ mission and kept abreast of new developments when they arise.
• Represent Blue Ventures with public, private and civil society partners, and ensure clear and effective communications are maintained with all stakeholders.
• Support field visits and learning exchanges for staff, partner organisations and donors.
• Cultivate effective, proactive internal communications to ensure all colleagues are well informed, can clearly articulate Blue Ventures’ core mission in the region and are kept up to date with ongoing activities, as well as new developments, policies and procedures, as and when they arise.
• Ensure effective documentation of knowledge, lessons learned and experiences for internal and external sharing and publication.

Qualifications

Required

• Postgraduate/graduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field and/or proven experience in rural development or environmental conservation.
• Experience in government relationship management and partnership building with civil society organisations.
• Existing network of governmental representatives and partners relevant to BV’s mission.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to convey complex messages clearly in presentations, meetings, and written form, and to connect with people of all seniority levels and cultural backgrounds.
• Understanding of influencing dynamics.
• Experience in the small-scale fisheries, marine conservation or rural development sectors, working with institutional partners, conservation and development sectors is a plus.
• Experience in building a civil society network and alliance in the region.
• Competency in Swahili and English.

How to Apply

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