Advocacy and Communications Lead
Search Jobs by Category
Role description
About ELiDA Ethiopia
Empathy for Life Integrated Development Association (ELiDA) is a women-led Civil Society Organization (CSO) established in 2008 in Ethiopia. As a gender-focused organization, ELiDA’s mission is to promote the economic, social, and political empowerment of women, girls, and youth through alleviating the challenges of the most marginalized communities and inspiring women and girls to contribute to and lead in building sustainable peace and strong democratic culture. Its core programming areas include- girls’ education, peacebuilding, prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful customary practices, democracy and governance, environmental protection and climate change adaptation, and livelihoods/economic empowerment. ELiDA operates in Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and Afar regions.
Job Summary
The Advocacy and Communications Lead will guide ELiDA’s advocacy, policy engagement, public communication, digital visibility, and strategic partnerships. The role requires a practical leader who can turn evidence into clear advocacy messages, build strong relationships with stakeholders, manage campaigns, strengthen organizational visibility, and support resource mobilization.
Key Responsibilities
1. Advocacy, Policy Engagement and Campaigns
Develop and implement ELiDA’s advocacy and policy influence strategy, aligned with organizational priorities.
Lead evidence-based advocacy on women’s rights, girls’ education, GBV and TFGBV, Women, Peace and Security, climate justice, and social inclusion.
Identify policy gaps, emerging issues, and opportunities for advocacy and policy influence.
Prepare policy briefs, position papers, advocacy messages, recommendations, statements, and discussion papers.
Represent ELiDA in policy dialogues, consultations, national forums, networks, coalitions, and stakeholder meetings.
Build and maintain strong relationships with government institutions, parliamentarians, regional authorities, donors, UN agencies, diplomatic missions, media, and civil society actors.
Monitor relevant policy developments and advise management on advocacy priorities and risks.
2. Thematic Advocacy Leadership
Lead advocacy for equitable access to quality education for girls, including prevention of dropout, child marriage, harmful practices, and other gender-related barriers.
Lead advocacy and campaigns to prevent and respond to GBV and TFGBV, including cyber harassment, online abuse, and digital violence.
Promote survivor-centered, rights-based, and gender-transformative approaches across advocacy and communication activities.
Support advocacy on Women, Peace and Security, including women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding, mediation, conflict prevention, recovery, and UNSCR 1325 implementation.
Lead advocacy on gender-responsive climate policy, climate justice, women’s leadership in climate action, and investment in gender-responsive adaptation and resilience.
3. Strategic Communications and Public Relations
Develop and implement ELiDA’s communication strategy, annual communication plan, and visibility plan.
Ensure consistent, clear, ethical, and professional messaging across all public materials and platforms.
Prepare press releases, speeches, statements, talking points, newsletters, publications, success stories, and communication materials.
Manage media relations, interviews, press briefings, public events, and organizational visibility activities.
Lead crisis communication and reputational risk management when required.
Ensure communication outputs meet donor visibility, safeguarding, branding, and ethical storytelling standards.
4. Digital Communications and Visibility
Manage ELiDA’s website and digital platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, and other relevant platforms.
Prepare monthly content calendars and digital outreach plans.
Oversee production of digital content such as videos, photos, graphics, infographics, animations, podcasts, and campaign materials.
Lead digital advocacy campaigns and online mobilization efforts.
Track audience reach, engagement, media visibility, and campaign performance, and prepare regular visibility reports.
Monitor digital trends, risks, misinformation, and online issues relevant to ELiDA’s work.
5. Knowledge Management and Learning
Lead documentation of success stories, case studies, lessons learned, best practices, research findings, and learning products.
Support dissemination of assessments, studies, evaluation findings, and program evidence for advocacy use.
Strengthen internal systems for knowledge sharing, institutional memory, and learning across programs.
6. Partnership and Resource Mobilization Support
Support proposal development, donor engagement, fundraising, and partnership building.
Develop organizational profiles, capability statements, visibility materials, partnership packages, and impact summaries.
Promote ELiDA’s work and achievements to existing and prospective partners.
Represent ELiDA in consortiums, coalitions, networks, and partnership forums.
7. Team Leadership and Coordination
Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision, coaching, and support to advocacy and communications staff, consultants, and service providers.
Prepare team work plans, budgets, performance indicators, and progress reports.
Build staff capacity in advocacy, communication, media engagement, policy analysis, digital communication, and ethical storytelling.
Promote teamwork, accountability, creativity, safeguarding, and results-based performance.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies, Political Science, Law, Communications, Journalism, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Master’s degree in a relevant field is an advantage.
Experience
Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience (3 years for MA holders) in advocacy, policy engagement, communications, media relations, public affairs, or related work.
Proven experience in one or more of the following areas: girls’ education, gender equality, GBV prevention and response, Women, Peace and Security, climate justice, human rights, or social inclusion.
Strong experience engaging government institutions, donors, UN agencies, diplomatic missions, media, and civil society networks.
Proven experience designing and leading advocacy campaigns, policy influence initiatives, and strategic communication activities.
Experience working in the Ethiopian civil society sector is highly desirable.
Required Competencies
Strong policy analysis, advocacy planning, campaign design, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Excellent writing, editing, public speaking, media relations, and message development skills.
Strong understanding of gender equality, women’s rights, GBV, TFGBV, girls’ education, Women, Peace and Security, and climate justice.
Strong digital communication skills, including social media management, content planning, performance tracking, and online campaign coordination.
Ability to build partnerships, manage relationships, negotiate, and represent the organization professionally.
Strong leadership, team management, planning, budgeting, reporting, and problem-solving skills.
High integrity, accountability, safeguarding awareness, and commitment to gender equality and social justice.
Languages
Excellent written and spoken English.
Excellent written and spoken Amharic.
Knowledge of additional Ethiopian languages is an advantage.
Travel Requirement
The position requires frequent travel to project implementation areas and representation of ELiDA at regional and national events.
How To Apply
Interested applicants who meet the requirements should send their application letter and updated CV by email to c
areers@elidaethiopia.org
on or before 10 June 2026.
Applicants must write
“Advocacy and Communications Lead”
in the email subject line.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for possible written and/or oral assessments.
Skills (mandatory):
Social media/digital communication, Excellent English writing skills, Proven experience producing policy briefs or advocacy publications,, Communication, coordination, networking and facilitation skills
Apply Now!
Empathy for Life Integrated Development Association (ELiDA) is a women-led Civil Society Organization (CSO) established in 2008 in Ethiopia. As a gender-focused organization, ELiDA’s mission is to promote the economic, social, and political empowerment of women, girls, and youth through alleviating the challenges of the most marginalized communities and inspiring women and girls to contribute to and lead in building sustainable peace and strong democratic culture. Its core programming areas include- girls’ education, peacebuilding, prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful customary practices, democracy and governance, environmental protection and climate change adaptation, and livelihoods/economic empowerment. ELiDA operates in Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and Afar regions.
Job Summary
The Advocacy and Communications Lead will guide ELiDA’s advocacy, policy engagement, public communication, digital visibility, and strategic partnerships. The role requires a practical leader who can turn evidence into clear advocacy messages, build strong relationships with stakeholders, manage campaigns, strengthen organizational visibility, and support resource mobilization.
Key Responsibilities
1. Advocacy, Policy Engagement and Campaigns
Develop and implement ELiDA’s advocacy and policy influence strategy, aligned with organizational priorities.
Lead evidence-based advocacy on women’s rights, girls’ education, GBV and TFGBV, Women, Peace and Security, climate justice, and social inclusion.
Identify policy gaps, emerging issues, and opportunities for advocacy and policy influence.
Prepare policy briefs, position papers, advocacy messages, recommendations, statements, and discussion papers.
Represent ELiDA in policy dialogues, consultations, national forums, networks, coalitions, and stakeholder meetings.
Build and maintain strong relationships with government institutions, parliamentarians, regional authorities, donors, UN agencies, diplomatic missions, media, and civil society actors.
Monitor relevant policy developments and advise management on advocacy priorities and risks.
2. Thematic Advocacy Leadership
Lead advocacy for equitable access to quality education for girls, including prevention of dropout, child marriage, harmful practices, and other gender-related barriers.
Lead advocacy and campaigns to prevent and respond to GBV and TFGBV, including cyber harassment, online abuse, and digital violence.
Promote survivor-centered, rights-based, and gender-transformative approaches across advocacy and communication activities.
Support advocacy on Women, Peace and Security, including women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding, mediation, conflict prevention, recovery, and UNSCR 1325 implementation.
Lead advocacy on gender-responsive climate policy, climate justice, women’s leadership in climate action, and investment in gender-responsive adaptation and resilience.
3. Strategic Communications and Public Relations
Develop and implement ELiDA’s communication strategy, annual communication plan, and visibility plan.
Ensure consistent, clear, ethical, and professional messaging across all public materials and platforms.
Prepare press releases, speeches, statements, talking points, newsletters, publications, success stories, and communication materials.
Manage media relations, interviews, press briefings, public events, and organizational visibility activities.
Lead crisis communication and reputational risk management when required.
Ensure communication outputs meet donor visibility, safeguarding, branding, and ethical storytelling standards.
4. Digital Communications and Visibility
Manage ELiDA’s website and digital platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, and other relevant platforms.
Prepare monthly content calendars and digital outreach plans.
Oversee production of digital content such as videos, photos, graphics, infographics, animations, podcasts, and campaign materials.
Lead digital advocacy campaigns and online mobilization efforts.
Track audience reach, engagement, media visibility, and campaign performance, and prepare regular visibility reports.
Monitor digital trends, risks, misinformation, and online issues relevant to ELiDA’s work.
5. Knowledge Management and Learning
Lead documentation of success stories, case studies, lessons learned, best practices, research findings, and learning products.
Support dissemination of assessments, studies, evaluation findings, and program evidence for advocacy use.
Strengthen internal systems for knowledge sharing, institutional memory, and learning across programs.
6. Partnership and Resource Mobilization Support
Support proposal development, donor engagement, fundraising, and partnership building.
Develop organizational profiles, capability statements, visibility materials, partnership packages, and impact summaries.
Promote ELiDA’s work and achievements to existing and prospective partners.
Represent ELiDA in consortiums, coalitions, networks, and partnership forums.
7. Team Leadership and Coordination
Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision, coaching, and support to advocacy and communications staff, consultants, and service providers.
Prepare team work plans, budgets, performance indicators, and progress reports.
Build staff capacity in advocacy, communication, media engagement, policy analysis, digital communication, and ethical storytelling.
Promote teamwork, accountability, creativity, safeguarding, and results-based performance.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies, Political Science, Law, Communications, Journalism, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Master’s degree in a relevant field is an advantage.
Experience
Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience (3 years for MA holders) in advocacy, policy engagement, communications, media relations, public affairs, or related work.
Proven experience in one or more of the following areas: girls’ education, gender equality, GBV prevention and response, Women, Peace and Security, climate justice, human rights, or social inclusion.
Strong experience engaging government institutions, donors, UN agencies, diplomatic missions, media, and civil society networks.
Proven experience designing and leading advocacy campaigns, policy influence initiatives, and strategic communication activities.
Experience working in the Ethiopian civil society sector is highly desirable.
Required Competencies
Strong policy analysis, advocacy planning, campaign design, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Excellent writing, editing, public speaking, media relations, and message development skills.
Strong understanding of gender equality, women’s rights, GBV, TFGBV, girls’ education, Women, Peace and Security, and climate justice.
Strong digital communication skills, including social media management, content planning, performance tracking, and online campaign coordination.
Ability to build partnerships, manage relationships, negotiate, and represent the organization professionally.
Strong leadership, team management, planning, budgeting, reporting, and problem-solving skills.
High integrity, accountability, safeguarding awareness, and commitment to gender equality and social justice.
Languages
Excellent written and spoken English.
Excellent written and spoken Amharic.
Knowledge of additional Ethiopian languages is an advantage.
Travel Requirement
The position requires frequent travel to project implementation areas and representation of ELiDA at regional and national events.
How To Apply
Interested applicants who meet the requirements should send their application letter and updated CV by email to c
areers@elidaethiopia.org
on or before 10 June 2026.
Applicants must write
“Advocacy and Communications Lead”
in the email subject line.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for possible written and/or oral assessments.
Skills (mandatory):
Social media/digital communication, Excellent English writing skills, Proven experience producing policy briefs or advocacy publications,, Communication, coordination, networking and facilitation skills
Apply Now!