Advocacy, Policy and External Engagement Coordinator

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 31,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

The Advocacy, Policy and External Engagement Coordinator turns World Vision Lebanon's field evidence and children's voices into policy influence. Anchored in child rights and protection, the role coordinates WVL's national advocacy priorities with the relevant technical specialists (including education, mental health and psychosocial support, gender equality, humanitarian access and funding). It builds the missing link between local level advocacy in Area Programmes and national policy dialogue, represents WVL in coalitions and with government, and mobilises partners and communities as allies for children. Reporting to the head of communications, advocacy, media, and external engagement, the coordinator supports the National Director’s advocacy and external engagement agenda to advance child wellbeing initiatives, secure WV Lebanon’s leadership role across the Nexus, and contributes to new funding opportunities through leveraging evidence with impact. The role spans the humanitarian-recovery-development Nexus  to mobilize d advocacy efforts that are  child-centred, gender responsive and disability inclusive.

Advocacy Strategy, Policy Analysis & Evidence

• Draft and update the annual WVL external engagement plan and roadmap, aligned with the National Strategy, regional (MEER) priorities and global campaigns, under the direction of the Head of Department.
• Monitor Lebanon's political, legislative and humanitarian context, including laws and draft laws affecting children and public budget allocations for children; produce regular updates for SLT.
• Lead the drafting of policy briefs, position papers, private advocacy briefings, key messages and joint statements, built on evidence from MEAL, technical specialists and Area Programmes.
• Develop and maintain power analysis and stakeholder mapping on each priority issue.
• Coordinate internal technical review and clearance of advocacy positions with relevant specialists and management before any external use.
• Track and report WVL's country advocacy indicators (OIOS: policy changes, budgetary changes, children reached through policy change, child and community participation in policy processes) with evidence of contribution, in coordination with the Strategy and MEAL teams.

Local to National Advocacy & Child Participation

• In coordination with the CP & GEDSI Specialist, support the advocacy components of PROTECT (CP Core project model) and Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) in AP areas, including local advocacy plans, CVA linkages and escalation of issues to national level.
• Meet regularly with all technical focal points (ie CP, gender, health etc.) to discuss key issues and gaps raised during cluster meetings and working groups, tailoring advocacy messaging and approaches accordingly.
• Set up and run a structured escalation mechanism so that issues raised by children's councils and clubs, community committees and local partners are reviewed regularly and, where relevant, taken to national level.
• Build the capacity of AP staff, partners and children's groups on advocacy (problem analysis, advocacy letters, dialogue with local authorities), always applying child safeguarding standards.
• Facilitate meaningful and safe child participation in consultations, policy processes and events (e.g. Mini COPs, World Children's Day), and lead on the eventual establishment of WVL’s children and youth council.
• Provide advocacy inputs to annual and semi-annual AP reports.

Advocacy Engagement, Representation & Coalitions

• Represent WVL, as delegated by the Head of Department, in advocacy coalitions and coordination forums (e.g. LHIF advocacy group, Child Protection, GBV, Education and MHPSS working groups, relevant clusters).
• Build and maintain working-level relationships with line ministries (e.g. MoSA, MEHE, MoPH, MoJ), parliamentary committees, municipalities, UN agencies, donors and civil society on agreed advocacy priorities. Senior-level institutional engagement and strategic partnerships remain with the Head of Department and the National Director.
• Prepare briefing packs, talking points and follow-up notes for the National Director and the Head of Department ahead of high-level meetings, donor visits and field visits.
• Maintain the department's external engagement tracker and stakeholder map.
• Work with Grants and programme teams so that advocacy objectives, activities and budget are built into proposals, inception workshops and donor reports.

Gender Equality, Disability & Social Inclusion in Advocacy

• Integrate gender, disability and inclusion analysis into the power analysis, stakeholder mapping and selection of advocacy priorities, with the Child Protection & GEDSI Specialist, ensure advocacy products and key messages are gender responsive and disability inclusive, using appropriate language and featuring the voices of women, girls and persons with disabilities.
• Coordinate WVL's advocacy positioning on agreed priority international days (e.g. International Day of the Girl Child, 16 Days of Activism, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, World Children's Day), selected for their policy relevance and planned at least four weeks ahead.
• Support the advocacy components of gender equality and GBV projects and link their evidence to national advocacy.

Campaigns, Emergency & Rapid Advocacy

• Coordinate the national rollout of WV global campaigns (e.g. ENOUGH on child hunger) with the Communications team, with a focus on school meals and food security.
• During escalations, produce rapid advocacy outputs (key messages, statements, inputs to sitreps and regional advocacy) following the agreed approval chain with the region and Global Centre.
• Advocate on humanitarian access, protection of children and civilians, and closing the humanitarian funding gap, in coordination with LHIF and the regional office.
• Work with the Communications team to turn advocacy messages into media, digital, and public engagement content.
• Support with the development of comms materials when needs arise.

Reporting, Learning & Compliance

• Apply informed consent, safe participation and confidentiality standards whenever children and communities are involved in advocacy, and flag political, safeguarding and reputational risks early to the Head of Department.
• Provide advocacy progress inputs to the department's quarterly report and to regional and global reporting.
• Participate in WVL strategic planning, learning and reflection processes.
• Ensure full compliance with WVL safeguarding, security, Code of Conduct, Christian Commitments and accountability policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the line manager.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Political Science, International Relations, Journalism, Law, PublicPolicy, Development Studies, Social Sciences or a related field.
• Master's degree in a relevant field is an asset.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in advocacy, policy and/or external engagement with an NGO, UN agency, think tank or civil society organisation.
• Proven track record of advocacy products (policy brief, position paper or legal review)
• Significant experience working with ministries, parliamentarians, coalitions or UN coordination structures in Lebanon.
• Experience in child protection, child rights, gender equality/GBV, education or MHPSS advocacy.
• Experience supporting community-based advocacy or child participation.
• Ability to deliver in both development and emergency settings, under pressure and with changing priorities.
• Commitment to World Vision's Christian identity, mission and core values, and ability to work respectfully with colleagues and communities of all faiths.
• Excellent written and spoken Arabic and English, including drafting policy products in both languages. French is an asset.
• Strong computer literacy (MS Office, Teams, online collaboration tools).
• Position requires in-country travel for up to 30% of working time, including to Area Programmes throughout Lebanon.
• Position requires availability to work outside regular office hours when needed, especially during emergencies.
• Position requires willingness and ability to continue to function during emergencies or  in a crisis context, including during a World Vision response to conflict and/ormanmade or natural disaster, and to undergo World Vision and external security and first aid training.
• Good knowledge of Lebanon's legal and policy frameworks on child rights and protection, gender-based violence,  and of the humanitarian coordination system.
• Familiarity with WV models such as Citizen Voice and Action and PROTECT (CP Core project model).
• Experience measuring advocacy outcomes (policy, practice and budget change).
• Strong analytical, writing, negotiation and representation skills, with sound political judgment.
• Experience coordinating joint advocacy with local NGOs and coalitions.
• Knowledge of GEDSI and safeguarding standards for child participation.

As a Christian organisation, World Vision is founded on the biblical principles that women and men, girls and boys are created in the image of God, and of Jesus’ love for all people without discrimination. This means that we recognise and affirm the equal worth, dignity and rights of women, men, girls and boys with and without disability and all applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only