SOS MEDITERRANEE recruits 01 Advocacy Manager

CONTEXT

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a European civil association for rescue at sea founded in 2015. Facing the humanitarian tragedy and the lack of adequate rescue capacity in the Central Mediterranean, on the deadliest migratory route in the world, a group of European citizens created a maritime and humanitarian association in order to: rescue persons in distress at sea, protect and assist them, as well as testify about the realities and many faces of migration.

Today, SOS MEDITERRANEE is a network composed of four national associations (Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland) sharing the same mandate. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations have been carried out since February 2016 in the Central Mediterranean off the Libyan coast, first with the ship Aquarius, and since July 2019 with the Ocean Viking, both chartered by SOS MEDITERRANEE and operated in partnership with Médecins sans Frontières. SOS MEDITERRANEE operates the Ocean Viking independently since April 2020. Since February 2016, the teams on the Aquarius and the Ocean Viking have been able to rescue and assist more than 31 000 persons. The operations cost today around 7 M€ per year and are financed mostly by private donations.

SOS MEDITERRANEE anchors its advocacy actions in its Search and Rescue operations. The association intends to further develop this field of activity and therefore opens a full-time position within the Operations department in order to design and coordinate the implementation of an advocacy strategy for the network.

OBJECTIVES & MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Advocacy Manager is part of the operations department, in charge of designing, implementing and monitoring the advocacy of the SOS MEDITERRANEE network, in close coordination with the four national associations.

Under the supervision of the Director of Operations based in Marseille, the Advocacy Manager works with the support of the Operations team (onboard and on shore) and in close collaboration with the national teams in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

The advocacy manager’s role is to initiate, develop and lead the implementation of the advocacy strategy for SOS MEDITERRANEE.

• Elaborate the SOS MEDITERRANEE advocacy strategy

 

• Lead the internal process to design SOS MEDITERRANEE’s advocacy strategy, involving key stakeholders within the SOS MEDITERRANEE network (operations department ashore, General Directors and dedicated national advocacy staff in national associations, communications staff and management teams onboard)
• Contribute to frame and develop the SOS MEDITERRANEE advocacy messages and proposals and guarantee that they are always aligned with the network’s charter and core values, fit with operational constraints, are coherent with public positioning and always in support of operations at sea.

 

• Collect and present advocacy-related data

• Define, organise & manage the collection of operational data & information to ensure that SOS MEDITERRANEE’s advocacy is grounded on solid, relevant and timely evidence, in closecollaboration with operational teams onboard and on shore (especially with the communications team)
• From research on internal and external data, produce comprehensive advocacy tools, write internal briefing memos, public reports, map opportunities and stakeholders.

 

• Coordinate the implementation of SOS MEDITERRANEE advocacy

• Act as the focal point in the SOS MEDITERRANEE network for all advocacy actions, keep track of outreach and meeting activities performed by or delegated to the network members, provide support and briefings, alert on opportunities
• Liaise and engage with relevant NGO networks, working groups and coalitions in the SAR, maritime and humanitarian sectors, with support of other SOS MEITERRANEE staff when relevant, to contribute to and influence collective action towards advocacy objectives
• Contribute to internal communication on advocacy activities within the organization.
• With the support from the Director of Operations and/or General Directors of the national associations, directly engage with decision makers at global level, identifying key targets and processes / events and ensure adequate level of participation from SOS MEDITERRANEE in these events
• Can be requested by the Communications Manager to directly engage in public communication events and act as a spokesperson with the media

Experience / Training

• Committed to the vision, mission and values of SOS MEDITERRANEE
• Several years of experience in the humanitarian sector in positions either in the field or at headquarter level with a strong advocacy component
• Knowledge of humanitarian emergency contexts, International Humanitarian & Maritime Law, migration issues and the particular context of the Mediterranean are an asset
• Outstanding proven management and organizational skills with a keen attention to detail and the ability to remain calm under pressure
• Readiness to take decisions and responsibilities
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to cultivate high-level contacts within government or diplomatic circles, the media and civil society
• Confidence in working both independently as well as part of a team, able to coordinate effectively with colleagues in other departments and associations
• Ability to work in an international structure with a strong focus on civil mobilization and many volunteers
• Excellent proficiency in spoken and written English at a professional level
• Knowledge of French, Arabic, Italian and/or German is an advantage
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Availability to work out of regular office hours (evenings and weekends)
• Familiarity with MS Office and skilled in the use of IT tools

Salairy

TERMS OF CONTRACT:

• Permanent and full-time contract
• Starting as soon as possible
• Based in Marseille, France
• Regular Europe-wide travel
• Regular evenings and weekend work
• Remuneration: gross monthly salary of 3100€

Salary advantages: Ticket restaurant, French health complementary insurance. Five weeks of paid leave.

How to apply

Please send your application (CV and cover letter) in English no later than 10 December 2020 via email to recrutementsosmedfr@sosmediterranee.org and indicate “Application Advocacy Manager” as the subject of the email. Kindly note that no information will be given by telephone.