Research, Advocacy & Communication Consultant

Overview of the Organization

Established in 2019, the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE)  is a coalition of over 175 Ethiopian CSOs working in the area of elections, human rights, and democracy. The Coalition is registered and licensed under the Civil Society Organizations Proclamation No. 1113/2019. Since its establishment, CECOE has observed the 6th general Ethiopian elections, the Sidama and South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region referendums. Furthermore, the Coalition has been engaged in various advocacy and civic education activities. The I Vote digital voter education campaign which reached several million Ethiopians and an advocacy campaign to reform the electoral legal regime come at the forefront in this regard.

CECOE has been carrying out several projects aimed at bolstering the political participation of these marginalized groups. Currently, with financial support from the European Union and in partnership with Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), CECOE is implementing a project on enhancing the Participation of Women in Ethiopian Politics.

Summary of the Position

Working collaboratively with other teams across the organization, the Research & Advocacy Officer will play a key role in undertaking high-quality research on women's political participation and elections; assisting in developing & implementing advocacy strategies; and ultimately, preparing policy briefs. This will be done in the context of developing and promoting CECOE as a strong voice for improved participation of women in Ethiopian politics. 

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the execution of all of CECOE’s Research, Advocacy, and Communication priorities. 

Research and Advocacy

• Develop and implement CECOE’s research and advocacy agenda in line with the Coalition’s strategic and operational plan 
• Research, write, and prepare papers, reports, and submissions on relevant issues which contribute to CECOE’s overall advocacy goal
• Refine the research methodology and manage the project timeline;
• Prepare data and interpret findings;
• Secure content contributions and compile research components;
• Identify top trends and recommendations;
• Develop and support in the execution of research-related convening, including but not limited to town halls and task force and committee meetings;
• Gather stakeholder feedback;
• Provide administrative support in all aspects of report production (e.g. design, editing, printing); and
• Create strategies for the dissemination and implementation of research.

Communication

• Collaborate with management to develop and implement an effective communications strategy based on CECOE’s target audience.
• Write, edit, and distribute content, including publications, press releases, website content, annual reports, speeches, and other outreach material that communicates the organization’s activities.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with journalists, and maintain a media database
• Responsible for one or more aspects of the communications and/or public relations plan, e.g., media relations, membership communications, online/web page activities, and/or association profile.
• Maintain records of media coverage and collate analytics and metrics.
• Work collaboratively with staff to execute additional organizational priorities as they arise.

Term of employment One Year with possible extension based on availability of budget and performance

Responsible to  Executive Director

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should:

• Knowledge and experience in Ethiopian electoral system
• Have relevant research and advocacy experience and a demonstrated capacity for community organizing;
• Be future-focused, data-driven, and strategy-minded, and thrive in fast-paced CSO working environments;
• Be methodical and detail-oriented, with excellent writing, planning, and time management skills, and able to advance multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines;
• Be comfortable working with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Apps and have an aptitude for working with online and mobile applications; 
• Ability to establish and maintain effective collaborative working relations with clients, stakeholders, and senior management in a multicultural context;
• Have proficiency in design and publishing software.
• Have a wide cross-sector network.
• Fluency in English and Amharic languages; additional local language is a plus

Educational Qualifications

• BA Degree or Master's in Communication, Journalism, or a related field
• At least Four (4) years’ work experience for MA and (6) years’ work experience for BA implementing research and advocacy initiatives of which at least 2 years in elections-related project

How To Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume, a cover letter outlining their experience and suitability for the role, and relevant documents through the CECOE website at Research, Advocacy & Communication Consultant | CECOE

CECOE strongly encourages female candidates to apply!