Senior Advocacy Officer

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a Senior Advocacy Officer to support efforts in policy advocacy and influence rooted in the IRC’s Kenya Country Program Strategic Action Plan (SAP). This role contributes to the implementation of the Re:BUiLD program’s influence and adoption initiatives.

The Senior Advocacy Officer will drive the Re:BUiLD Extension Phase Influence & Adoption agenda by spearheading national and county-level engagement. The role focuses on advocating for an enabling environment for the economic inclusion of refugees and vulnerable host communities. Additionally, the officer will support policy-to-practice adoption by assisting in county planning and budget processes, strengthening coordination mechanisms, and ensuring refugee inclusion commitments are operationalized. The senior officer will work closely with implementing partners to strengthen the participation of refugee-led organizations (RLOs) in locally led advocacy and accountability processes.

Key Responsibilities

County Government Engagement and Policy Implementation Support

• Maintain structured engagement with county executives, departments, county assemblies, and coordination structures in Nairobi, Garissa, and Turkana Counties.
• Develop and support the implementation of county engagement plans, including stakeholder mapping and influencing pathways.
• Support and engage counties to operationalize refugee-inclusive commitments, plans, and budgets through practical actions like workplans, action trackers, and implementation reviews.
• Provide day-to-day coordination to ensure decisions translate into implementation steps and clear accountability.

Evidence-based Advocacy

• Package program evidence into advocacy materials including policy briefs, position papers, calls to action, advocacy statements, and case stories.
• Support convenings and technical dialogues that promote the uptake of evidence and agreement on practical adoption steps.
• Coordinate inputs from program teams to ensure advocacy messaging is accurate and aligned with program goals.

Partnership Coordination

• Collaborate with the partnership department for coordination with local partners on RLO strengthening and locally led advocacy initiatives.
• Facilitate and strengthen the safe, inclusive participation of RLOs in county and national dialogues and public participation forums.
• Support capacity strengthening actions that enable RLOs to engage effectively and responsibly in policy processes.
• Collaborate with the private sector and CSOs (particularly refugee-focused advocacy groups) to advocate on identified issues.

Policy Monitoring, Context Scanning, and Response

• Track relevant county policy processes, political economy dynamics, and regulatory developments affecting refugee inclusion.
• Identify and document advocacy moments and recommend timely engagement actions to advance implementation.
• Prepare briefs and positioning notes for key meetings or emerging issues.

Representation and Coordination

• Represent the program in relevant national and county stakeholder forums.
• Support cross-county learning and documentation of lessons between Nairobi, Garissa, and Turkana Counties.
• Coordinate with internal teams (Programs, Partnerships, MEAL, Finance, Communications) to align advocacy actions.

Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain engagement trackers, meeting minutes, and action logs for each county.
• Contribute to donor and internal reporting on Influence & Adoption progress, outcomes, and risks.
• Support activity planning and spending tracking for assigned advocacy actions in line with IRC policies.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply via the International Rescue Committee career portal. You can find the application link through the MyJobMag portal here.