Job Description

Peace Direct is looking for an experienced and passionate peacebuilding advocate, to head up our Policy and Research team. We are immensely proud of our partnerships, our advocacy and our impact and we are looking for an excellent candidate who will grow our work substantially in the coming years.

This is a very exciting time for Peace Direct, as we have been growing at a fast pace over the last few years and have a big ambition to scale up our reseach and advocacy efforts so that the policies and and practices of key governments and multilateral agencies is more responsive to the needs and voices of local people working to stop violence and build peace around the world.

As Head of Policy and Research, you will be a core member of the Senior Management Team, with overall responsibility for all our research and advocacy initiatives around the world. You will manage a dynamic and passionate team of 4 staff as well as a number of local consultants. The job is an exciting and challenging mix of team leadership, developing an implementing policy and advocacy strategies, overseeing research projects that build an evidence base for our policy positions and advocacy work, as well as budget and project management. We expect the successful candidate to have a solid background in all of these skill areas.

The successful candidate will be an experienced manager, with at least 5 years of policy, research or advocacy experience, as well as demonstrable experience in managing busy teams, developing and implementing strategy and supporting local partners. We are looking for someone with a genuine passion for supporting local efforts to build peace, who is willing to challenge the current aid system and its reliance on externally-led and directed interventions. We have no overseas offices, employ no expatriate staff overseas and do not intend to do so. The successful candidate will see this as our strength and will be willing to argue the case for greater support to local actors when talking to government, donors and other stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be expected to play a prominent representational role, along with the CEO, and so will be comfortable speaking publicly. She or he will be a creative thinker, an experienced manager and will have an absolute commitment to peacebuilding through non-violent local efforts.

The applicant must be fluent in written and spoken English. Fluency in French would be desirable.

This is a very exciting role for someone to join Peace Direct and lead our Policy and Research work for the coming years, and who want to use their skills and passion to help build a just world, free from violent conflict.

Peace Direct is an international NGO that supports local peacebuilding in conflict zones worldwide. We work with local organisations in ten countries around the world and aim to support many more in the years to come.

The deadline for applications is 6pm on Sunday 25th August. The Job Description and Person Specification are below. Only completed applications will be accepted and only applicants with the right to work in the UK will be considered.