The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting refugees, vulnerable host communities, and various institutions in the country notably the government, community-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Currently, the IRC in Uganda has a presence across five sub-regions and six refugee settlements, implementing programming in the sectors of health, protection and rule of law (PRoL), women’s protection and empowerment (WPE), economic recovery and development (ERD), and education. IRC Uganda also implements cross-cutting programming focused on systems strengthening and accountability to affected persons.
Job Overview/ Summary:
PlayMatters (PM) phase 3 is a 4-year education initiative (2026-2030) with a goal of improving the well-being and holistic learning outcomes of pre-primary and primary school aged children (ages 3-12+), including those who are affected by conflict and crisis, in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda by strengthening education systems to deliver quality education services using active teaching and learning through play. PM prioritizes strengthening education systems to be resilient and scaling impact by working with and through existing systems rather than establishing parallel systems. PM has three main outcomes: Outcome 1: Education systems have increased capacity, uptake, and coordination of Learning through Play (LtP) as a teaching method; Outcome 2: School-aged children in refugee hosting and post-crisis recovery zones have increased access to quality learning opportunities in safe environments; Outcome 3: School-aged children’s holistic development is protected in times of acute crisis.
The Policy and Advocacy Advisor for the PlayMatters regional support team will lead creative efforts to bring attention to the developmental needs of children aged 3-12 in settings where PlayMatters operates, raise the profile of IRC and partners’ work in this area and influence change in the ways in which education integrating play is prioritized and funded in PlayMatters contexts and globally. Reporting to the Deputy Project Director, PlayMatters, the Regional Policy and Advocacy Advisor will be a critical member of the regional project team, based in the Kampala office.
During inception period (through July 2026) the Policy and Advocacy Advisor will participate in the preparation of key project inception deliverables including the advocacy and communications plan, implementation plan, the work plan, the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)plan for Policy and systems workstream, and contribute to the research agenda. This will involve participating in regular communication and meeting routines within IRC as well as with partners.
Following the inception period, the Policy and Advocacy Advisor will be responsible for designing and implementing a policy and advocacy strategy across the project’s country programs as well as connecting the policy and advocacy work to the other technical aspects of project implementation and to IRC’s global education strategy. This will involve close communication with the research and MEAL teams and the implementation teams to understand the interventions being used and the lessons stemming from them. Ensuring regular timely and relevant communications with ministries, partners, and relevant coordination working groups (such as the Education Cluster) will be essential. Both the inception period and long-term scope of major responsibilities for the Policy and Advocacy Advisor are presented below.
Major Responsibilities:
1. Design and Implement Learning through Play Policy and Advocacy strategy
• Support IRC’s global education advocacy strategy by identifying and participating in key moments to promote PlayMatters.
• Liaise with key advocacy focal points across IRC’s Crisis Response, Recovery & Development (CRRD) Unit at the global, regional, and country level, as well as IRC’s Policy and Advocacy and Communication units, to keep abreast of strategic initiatives and opportunities that may inform the PlayMatters advocacy strategy.
• Conduct and maintain stakeholder analyses and power mapping to identify and recommend strategic decision makers to target with advocacy and communications opportunities.
• Develop and oversee advocacy and communications tactics for influencing and supporting donors, ministries, and the cluster and working groups – as well as ways to influence and engage the humanitarian coordination decision makers and partners external to the PlayMatters consortium – to reach the 800,000 children, including:
• Collaborate with Communications (project-based and Education TU) to develop and continually update compelling print and digital products on relevant activities and accomplishments.
• Initiating presentations at key points in the project cycle for updates and when research findings are complete.
• Maintaining relationships through providing regular updates and convening meetings
• Tracking and continually updating requests for IRC participation or representation related to PlayMatters in advocacy-related meetings and events, providing recommendations for engagement and participation.
• Support the translation of outcome led interventions into innovative multi-media solutions for mass media dissemination.
• Using policy advocacy channels, facilitate the adaptation and uptake of PlayMatters digitalized multi-media content within appropriate government systems and mechanisms.
• Oversee the identification of opportunities to develop and adopt multi-media content for use in various education platforms.
• Develop a Learning through Play Advocacy workplan aligned with the strategy and track the progress of objectives and activities.
2. Internal Capacity Building and Communications:
• Develop, support and/or lead advocacy capacity building workshops and meetings for IRC staff and/or relevant partner staff at the global, regional, and country level.
• Assist in the development and finalization of PlayMatters talking points and presentations for events and meetings.
3. External Representation and Relationship Management
• In coordination with Deputy Project Director, Technical – PlayMatters and the SPA Education, liaise with advocacy focal points at key partner organizations as well as with advocacy focal points at peer organizations and UN agencies.
• Represent PlayMatters within appropriate interagency groups, as appropriate/feasible.
Key Working Relationships:
• Position Reports to: Deputy Project Director, Technical
• Indirect Reporting: Country Policy and Advocacy coordinators
• Other Internal and/or external contacts:
• Internal: Headquarters & Global Field Teams – multiple departments Senior Policy Advisor, Education TU
Education and Technical Competencies:
• Master’s degree required; post-graduate degree preferred in a discipline relevant to Global Education in humanitarian settings (such as education, psychology, etc.)
• 5+ years of experience working in policy and/or advocacy related to children, education, health, or other relevant fields
Skills and Competencies
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced environment, within and across departments/functions and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff.
• Strong facilitation skills and ability to lead meetings and workshops with diverse stakeholders.
• Self-directed, able to independently set priorities and solve problems with minimal guidance; comfortable working for a supervisor who is remotely located
• Excellent writing and editing skills: the ability to draft and edit memos, letters, reports and proposals.
• Good critical thinking; ability to synthesis a wide scope of information.
• Solid organizational skills, with a proven ability to prioritize projects with attention to detail.
• Flexible work attitude: the ability to work productively in a team environment, problem solve with minimal guidance and support any range of projects at a moment’s notice.
• Knowledge of early childhood development, education, social and emotional well-being and psycho-social support, humanitarian programming and relevant international policies and stakeholders
Working Environment:
• Standard office working environment
• Position is based out of Kampala, Uganda PlayMatters Regional Office
• Travel: Approximately 30%
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
More Information
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