Advocacy Officer - Walking the Talk

Duration: January 1st, 2026, to June 30th 2026

Location: Global Office, The Hague

Hours: Full-time (36 hours per week)

Contract type: Staff

Application deadline: November 26th, 2025

Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. We are hiring an advocacy officer for the Walking the Talk program. We seek a person that is able to translate feminist values into inclusive and effective advocacy strategies and practices. In this program, you will closely work with three European consortium partners, as well as with feminist allies from the Global South and North.

About the program

European countries play a key role in advancing gender equality globally, yet funding for gender equality and feminist values through Official Development Aid (ODA) faces growing pressure. Despite being directly impacted by these decisions, (young) feminists and LGBTIQ+ individuals from the Majority World are not structurally engaged in shaping ODA or Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). However, growing interest in FFP presents an opportunity to strengthen feminist approaches. To seize this momentum, the Walking the Talk consortium—led by Hivos (Netherlands) with Equipop (France), Restless Development (UK), DSW (Germany), and ODI Europe (Belgium)—leverages collective expertise to embed gender equality in foreign policies and ensure Majority World feminist voices shape ODA and FFP. The three-year, USD 7 million program launched in August 2023.

For more information, you can visit the website https://hivos.org/program/walking-the-talk/.

Job context

As Walking the Talk advocacy officer, you lead advocacy efforts at Dutch foreign policy level. With input from consortium partners, and aligning with and drawing on priorities of feminist organizations and groups from the Global South, you will be responsible for developing and implementing an advocacy strategy focused on the Netherlands.

You ensure strategic collaboration with consortium members, as well as with other civil society actors from the Global South and North, including from the Netherlands. You position and profile the Walking the Talk agenda, engage in the public debate in collaboration with and on behalf of feminist activists, communicate with stakeholders in the broadest sense to strengthen political commitment and motivate decision-makers to support gender equality and FFP policies, practices and funding.

You are committed to the values and principles defined by the program, as well as specific advocacy and lobbying guidelines.

You are part of the consortium-level advocacy working group, and report to Walking the Talk's program manager.

Responsibilities

Advocacy and external positioning

• Building on priorities, ideas and needs of Global South feminist organizations and groups, and making use of research-results as well as of concrete opportunities in the Dutch and international decision-making processes, you design advocacy strategies that contribute to project results and motivate decision makers in the Netherlands to actively support gender equality ODA and FFP. In doing so, you work in close coordination with consortium members and other
• You initiate, facilitate and manage or co-manage relevant and effective advocacy activities and events, primarily in the Netherlands, and where relevant in international spaces. In doing so, you closely engage with consortium members, Global South feminist organizations and groups, and Global North allies to ensure complementarity and alignment.
• You ensure strategic participation and visibility of Walking the Talk in relevant fora to positively influence the agenda and debate on gender equality in ODA and FFP. Create space in such arenas for voices and ideas of Global South feminist actors.
• As needed, you provide training, information, coaching, support and accompaniment to Global South activists, organizations and groups, and support their access to relevant spaces and decisionmakers, so that they are well-positioned to bring their ideas, needs and priorities to the attention of decisionmakers.

Project implementation and accountability

• In line with Walking the Talk's overarching planning and monitoring plan, you design, implement and evaluate advocacy strategies, and report on these.
• You constantly coordinate with the Walking the Talk team, consortium-members and allies.
• You participate in and / or lead the projects' Advocacy working group.
• You support the learning, monitoring and evaluation for advocacy within the project.
• You work closely with Hivos' communication and advocacy teams, to ensure consistency and alignment in messaging and advocacy efforts.

Requirements

• Solid, professional and up-to-date knowledge of and experience in advocacy for gender equality ODA and/ or FFP.
• Excellent understanding of the Dutch and international political and administrative context for gender equality ODA and FFP.
• Relevant degree or equivalent work experience in international development, gender or feminist studies, political science, public administration, or another relevant field
• A strong belief in and embodiment of Walking the Talk’s values and principles
• Team-spirit and collaborative
• Ability to develop and maintain close collaboration between Global South and North actors, working to generate access for Global South voices to directly influence policy agendas on gender equality ODA and FFP
• Excellent skills in external relationship management
• Strategic thinking and ability to create, identify and make use of advocacy opportunities, and link results and lessons to wider program outcomes
• Sense of humor and positive attitude
• Imagination and creativity for solving challenging problems
• Full professional proficiency in English with excellent written and verbal skills; fluency in Dutch; if possible, proficiency in French or German
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly, mostly in Europe

What we offer

In this position you will work at Hivos’ Global Office in the city center of The Hague, where a part of the program team is located. Other team members are based in the UK, France, Germany, and Brussels. You will also be part of an international community of highly motivated and dedicated people working to advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion in a wide variety of contexts.

We are offering a 6 month contract from January 1st until June 30th 2026 for 36 hours per week based on Hivos Global Office labor conditions. The gross salary ranges from €4.151,21 to € 5.523,71 per month based on a 36-hour work week.

We provide a laptop and travel expenses according to our commuting policies, as well as participation in our pension fund. Hivos additionally works according to a 50/50 schedule, which means you may work from home during half of your contract hours.

Want to apply?

Please submit a cover letter and CV by November 26th, 2025, at the latest, by clicking on the ‘Apply here’ button.

Candidates are highly encouraged to provide a clear track record in their CV and description in cover letter that matches the requirements of the position elaborated above.

Due to the expected volume of applications, we regret that only shortlisted candidates will receive a response. Hivos reserves the right to close the vacancy once a suitable candidate is identified, so early applications are highly encouraged.

Hivos reserves the right to close the position before the application deadline if a suitable candidate is identified. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Please note that applicants must possess a valid work permit for the Netherlands.

You will be asked to provide professional references and a certificate of conduct (VOG) per our Safeguarding Policy if selected for the final stage. Exceptions may be made if local legislation prohibits obtaining this certificate or if it cannot be obtained due to activities related to LGBTIQ+ and Human Rights. Social media checks may also be conducted unless applicants explicitly opt out. We will verify the accuracy of the information provided in your CV.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting a work environment where diversity and inclusion is valued, and people are treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnicity/race, national or social origin, disability, religion, political affiliation, age, family size, marital status, or any other form of personal identity. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

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