Food security advisor

Background 

CARE International is one of the world’s leading aid agencies, fighting poverty and injustice in over 80 countries around the world and helping 65 million people each year to find routes out of poverty. Our mission is to create lasting change in poor communities and we put money where it is needed most: more than 90 pence in every pound goes towards our poverty fighting programmes. With over 60 years’ practical and hands-on experience, our programmes tackle the deep-seated root causes of poverty, not just the consequences. 

The aim of the Climate Change and Food Security team, where this post will sit, is to contribute to CARE International’s Vision by supporting policy development and high-quality (risk reduction, climate change adaptation and food security) programmes in situations of chronic hunger and vulnerability and acute crises. The objectives of the team are to build a strong, wellresourced portfolio, providing programme support and technical advice with emphasis on secure, resilient livelihoods and with focus on food security, community-based climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and to deliver coherent and quality evidence and learning that contributes to knowledge sharing and learning for improved policy, practice and investment. 

Our geographical focus encompasses Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Ghana, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. Technical advice is provided in some other limited circumstances and we are working on regional coherence in the Horn of Africa. Our technical focus is on community-based adaptation, community-managed DRR, and various aspects of food security. 

The post holder will lead CARE International UK’s (CIUK) work on food security, which focuses on building resilience to prevent food crises, including social protection mechanisms and early response to prevent loss of livelihood assets. S/he will work closely with country offices to effectively manage and provide technical support to a significant portfolio of long-term programmes in food insecure contexts. Currently project commitments exist in Kenya, Ethiopia, East Timor, Ghana and Bangladesh. The post holder will also be expected to explore new funding opportunities with fellow members, Country Offices and RMUs. S/he will ensure that learning from CARE’s work on the ground is captured and used to contribute to communications and advocacy work. S/he will lead analysis of current food security debates. 

The Advisor will work in partnership with other parts of CARE International and a range of inter-agency groups. 

Specific Areas of Responsibility 

Programme Quality and Impact 

- Act as a technical resource for strategy development and capacity building processes in CARE County Offices and RMUs as appropriate. 
- Manage or co-ordinate research on specific areas of food security to enhance good practice and contribute to improving the quality and impact of CI’s work on addressing vulnerability to crises linked to food and livelihood insecurity. 
- As appropriate, provide technical support in the implementation of specific emergency responses that include a food security element. 
- With Country Offices ensure robust monitoring and evaluation processes for projects in the food security portfolio that inform learning, evidence and accountability outputs. 
- Synthesise and/or analyse learning generated through programmes into communicable outputs and disseminate these appropriately.
- Stay abreast of developments and current good practice related to food security, climate change and DRR, and ensure this informs our own thinking and is communicated to appropriate CIUK and CI staff. 
- Engage proactively in the implementation of the CI Food Security Strategy. 

Organisational Efficiency and Effectiveness 

- Ensure close oversight of projects for which the Advisor is the lead within CIUK in line with contractual obligations.
- Work in close coordination with the Project Management and Funding team, the Contract Management Team and Country Offices to ensure that CIUK achieves appropriate standards of contract compliance. 
- Ensure that all project information systems are routinely and regularly updated. 

Policy Influencing 

- Lead in policy formulation and advocacy positions on food security for CIUK, ensuring these are in keeping with, and contributing to, wider CI positions, and linking with climate change, DRR and other chronic vulnerability themes where relevant. 
- Take a key role in relevant regional advocacy and public awareness work linking with others in CI UK and CI, with a particular focus on DFID and EC.
- Working with team members, develop partnerships and maintain contacts with key networks and other actors, eg the Hunger Alliance and ODI, on thematic issues in order to promote learning, innovation and influence policy & practices.
- Work with the Head of Advocacy to support policy work being undertaken by CIUK, particularly providing leadership on food security issues. 
- Support organisational efforts to promote awareness on development in the UK by providing communications materials for use by CIUK’s Marketing Team. 

New Funds and Resources 

- Contribute to meeting annual fundraising targets on food security. 
- Lead in the development of key proposals and secure funding in the theme and focus countries in association with relevant CARE units and teams. Particular focus should be on securing next-phase funding for existing programmes.
- Act as a technical resource to the PMFT in mainstreaming core concepts and developing appropriate ‘thematic’ proposals in COs in addition to those highlighted above.
- Act as a technical resource the Marketing Department fundraising teams, in raising resources for food security work. 

Connecting with CARE International 

- Liaise with other CI members, and CIUK teams to share lessons learned and strengthen CI’s overall approach to the theme, linking with relevant thematic working groups. 
• Any additional duties as may be reasonably required of the post holder by a senior manager within the scope of the above.
• This document forms part of the post holder’s contractual terms and conditions of employment.
• The document is not an exhaustive list of core elements of the role.

This job description is a working document and may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement.

Person Specification 

Education / Qualifications 

- Essential 
• Masters level of education in development related subject or equivalent experience (application). 

- Desirable
• Additional technical qualifications relevant to the role. 

Skills / Abilities 

- Essential
• Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written (interview).
• Experience in knowledge management and learning processes activities (application/interview)
• Experience providing technical advice (application).
• Team working skills (application/ interview).
• Pragmatic approach to problem solving (interview). 

- Desirable
• Ability to successfully fundraise, liaise with donors and manage contracts (interview).
• Language skills. 

Experience / Understanding 

- Essential
• Significant experience of working in food security in either the development or humanitarian sector, ideally with significant experience based overseas (application).
• Experience of project management of institutional donor contracts (application / interview).
• Policy-analysis or advocacy work, on thematic issues (application).
• Experience in the promotion of principles of gender equity and empowerment (interview). 

- Desirable
• A good understanding of development concepts, models and paradigms current in CARE - including livelihoods, rightsbased approaches, partnership, conflict and gender (application and interview).
• Experience of working on other CIUK priorities, such as conflict, governance, climate change (application).
• Sound knowledge of social protection sector (interview).
• Experience of working communications and marketing priorities (interview).
• Sound knowledge of main policy issues and good practice in CCA & DRR work (application/ interview).
• Ability to design and manage effective research (application). 

Other 

- Essential
• Capacity to relate effectively to a range of personalities in differing cultural contexts (interview).
• Networking and account management experience (interview).
• Takes personal responsibility for delivering quality results (interview).
• High quality written and oral communication and presentation skills

Special Features 

The post will be based in CIUK’s London office. It is expected that the position will entail some travel, no more than 25% of time, with occasional longer periods of absence. 

Data Protection 

The post-holder hereby agrees not to disclose any confidential or sensitive information to a third party or outside organisation except where required to do so by law.

Health and Safety 

The post-holder agrees to abide by CIUK’s Health and Safety principles and code of conduct and/or those of the host CARE country offices to take all reasonable steps to ensure both their own safety in the work place as well as that of their colleagues.

The post-holder agrees to promote and uphold the principles of equal opportunities in accordance with CIUK’s Equal Opportunities Statement and all related policies.