Advocacy and Community Liaison Officer at International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Are you passionate about advocacy, community engagement, humanitarian response, and influencing policies that improve the lives of vulnerable populations? The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is currently recruiting an Advocacy and Community Liaison Officer to support its humanitarian and development programs in Nigeria.
This opportunity is ideal for professionals with experience in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, community mobilization, policy influence, and humanitarian programming. The successful candidate will play a vital role in strengthening relationships between communities, government institutions, development partners, and IRC program teams.
About the International Rescue Committee (IRC)
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world's leading humanitarian organizations. Founded in 1933, IRC works in more than 40 countries and numerous locations across the United States, helping people affected by conflict, disasters, and displacement to survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. The organization provides support in areas such as health, education, protection, economic recovery, and women's empowerment.
In Nigeria, IRC has been active since 2012 and currently operates programs across multiple states, delivering life-saving assistance and long-term development interventions for vulnerable communities.
About the Position
The Advocacy and Community Liaison Officer will support the implementation of advocacy and community engagement strategies that enhance program visibility, strengthen government engagement, and ensure community participation in humanitarian programming.
The role serves as an important bridge between IRC, local communities, government agencies, civil society organizations, donors, and other stakeholders. The officer will help ensure that community voices and field realities inform advocacy priorities and program decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
The selected candidate will undertake a variety of responsibilities, including:
Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
- Support the implementation of advocacy strategies aligned with IRC priorities.
- Engage with government ministries, community leaders, and humanitarian actors.
- Facilitate stakeholder consultations and engagement forums.
- Strengthen relationships with civil society organizations and development partners.
- Support policy dialogue and external representation activities.
Community Liaison and Participation
- Promote community-centered programming.
- Strengthen community feedback and accountability mechanisms.
- Facilitate communication between IRC teams and local communities.
- Support community consultations and awareness activities.
- Ensure vulnerable populations have opportunities to contribute to program planning and implementation.
Research, Documentation and Analysis
- Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis.
- Document community concerns and humanitarian needs.
- Support evidence generation for advocacy initiatives.
- Contribute to reports, policy briefs, situation analyses, and communication materials.
- Analyze policy developments and humanitarian trends affecting target populations.
Program Development Support
- Contribute advocacy inputs to project proposals.
- Support donor engagement activities.
- Assist with visibility and communication materials.
- Identify opportunities for partnerships and collaboration.
- Support planning for field visits and stakeholder meetings.
Required Qualifications
Interested applicants should possess:
- Bachelor's degree in Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Public Administration, Law, Mass Communication, Social Sciences, or a related field.
- Master's degree is an added advantage.
- Strong understanding of humanitarian and development programming.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Strong report-writing and presentation abilities.
- Ability to work effectively with diverse groups and stakeholders.
Professional Experience
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant professional experience.
- Experience in advocacy, community engagement, stakeholder coordination, or humanitarian programming.
- Experience working with NGOs, INGOs, government institutions, or development partners.
- Knowledge of humanitarian contexts and community engagement approaches.
- Experience engaging government agencies and local communities.
Essential Skills
The ideal candidate should possess:
- Advocacy and policy engagement skills
- Community mobilization expertise
- Stakeholder relationship management
- Facilitation and communication skills
- Research and analytical capabilities
- Report writing and documentation skills
- Partnership development skills
- Problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
- Organizational and coordination skills
- Professional integrity and diplomacy.
Why This Opportunity Matters
Advocacy and community engagement professionals play a critical role in ensuring that humanitarian programs respond effectively to the needs of affected populations. By strengthening communication between communities, policymakers, and development actors, they help improve accountability, program quality, and policy outcomes.
This role offers an opportunity to contribute directly to humanitarian response efforts while gaining valuable experience in policy influence, stakeholder engagement, and community-centered development programming.
Who Should Apply?
This position is suitable for:
- Advocacy Officers
- Community Engagement Specialists
- Development Practitioners
- Humanitarian Professionals
- Public Policy Specialists
- Social Development Officers
- Stakeholder Engagement Coordinators
- Communications and Outreach Professionals
- International Development Practitioners
Candidates with a passion for community empowerment, humanitarian action, and policy influence are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Closing Date
Final Thoughts
The Advocacy and Community Liaison Officer position at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides an excellent opportunity to work with one of the world's most respected humanitarian organizations. The role offers meaningful exposure to advocacy, stakeholder engagement, community participation, and humanitarian programming while contributing to positive change for vulnerable communities.
If you have experience in advocacy, public engagement, community mobilization, or development programming, this position could be a valuable next step in your professional career.
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