Technical Advisor – Armed Actor Engagement

Job Title:                                           Technical Advisor – Armed Actor Engagement

Function:                                                   Principled Engagement with Armed Actors, Protection, Peacebuilding, Capacity Development

Department:                                             Programme

Duty Station:                                     Remote, with relocation to Gedaref (or another location in Sudan)

Line Manager:                                   Head of Mission

Line Management Responsibility:  N/A

Position Type:                                   Full-time

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is a dynamic, international non-governmental organization. We work with people affected by violent conflicts to enhance their security and dignity through Unamed Civilian Protection (UCP). We work to reduce violence, protect civilians in countries affected by violent conflict and its aftermath, and help transform the world's response to conflict situations.

OVERVIEW:

NP has been working in Darfur for several years, with particular focus on North Darfur and is now looking at expanding its operations – both geographically and through partners. Working through UCP, NP centres local communities in preventing violence and promoting positive peace. The NP programming focuses on building capacities within local communities to engage in nonviolent self-protection methods such as protective accompaniment/presence, community-led safety and security initiatives such as conflict de-escalation techniques and early warning/response mechanisms. Secured funding spans several years and offers an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of sustainable civilian protection.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Technical Advisor – Armed Actor Engagement (Advisor) supports the NP teams and local partners with armed actor engagement support across Sudan. In coordination with the Head of Mission and other Senior Management Team members, the Advisor is responsible for supporting direct engagement with armed actors in NP’s areas of operations in coherent, well planned, principled approaches in line with the NP's methodology of UCP. In this context, s/he will provide operational, strategic planning for effective engagement, support and guidance to the programme teams and local partners to effectively engage, positively influence and garner acceptance by armed actors on civilian protection methods and violence-prevention programming for those affected by violent conflict in Sudan.

The Advisor is expected to provide regular support to NP programme teams and NP’s local partners. The Advisor will work closely with the Programme Support Team contributing to the mission’s evolving strategic direction as different regions of Sudan experience periods of transition. The Advisor will work closely with the NP programme teams in analyzing and mitigating risks for themselves, local partners, and community protection teams, involved in armed actor engagement for protection of civilian concerns. The Advisor will also collate good practices across NP Sudan and additional country offices, developing the proof of concept, strengthening the correlation between armed actor engagement, UCP and NP’s core competencies of:

• Women Peace and Security
• Protection in Humanitarian Emergencies
• Inclusive Ceasefire and Peace Processes

The Advisor is not to be deterred by the complexity of conflict; is able to analyze conflict dynamics; is motivated and unendingly persistent in finding and implementing protection and prevention strategies. The Advisor will be responsible for working together with others to directly implement the project and to participate in reporting and its documentation. This position also implies living and working in a continuously insecure and unpredictable environment.

The successful candidate combines creativity, innovation and demonstrated knowledge of humanitarian mediation and negotiation; engagement with a wide range of armed actors including duty bearers, security actors, nonstate armed groups, de facto authorities, and more; humanitarian access; protection, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. They are experienced and skilled at converting protection, violence reduction and conflict analysis theory into practical, locally appropriate solutions for effective and principled engagement with armed actors, which in turn positively impacts the safety and security of civilians affected by violent conflict. They have excellent interpersonal skills and a flair for connecting and building trust with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. They are focused, strategic and are driven by a keen interest and personal commitment to civilian protection.

KEY OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Commitment to NP Principles and Principled Humanitarian Action

a)     Demonstrate a commitment to NP’s mandate and principles, and principled humanitarian action

b)     Maintain a positive image of the organization

c)     All NP employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization's guiding principles:

• Nonviolence
• Non-partisanship
• Primacy of local actors
• Civilian-to-civilian action

These principles and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships in protecting civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies.

KEY OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist teams in finding appropriate entry points with armed actors for direct protection activities in the field, ensuring a strong focus on UCP principles.
• Coach teams in building principled relationships with armed actors through a UCP lens, ensuring interventions are rooted in acceptance of civilian protection.
• Coach teams and partners in strategic engagement with armed actors, providing direct support and direct engagement where needed and deemed appropriate.
• Safeguard teams and local partners from defaulting to traditional humanitarian access approaches, coaching them through difficult dilemmas, including how to directly engage difficult actors in high stress and complex environments.
• Building off UCP methods, develop and (co)facilitate workshops with NP teams and local partners on principled engagement with armed actors on protection of civilians; training in risk management and engagement with armed actors; mentorship of local partners in necessary engagement for safe, direct application of UCP, steering teams away from generic approaches and maintaining hands-on, practical guidance.
• Support senior management in identifying opportunities to showcase the impact of armed actor engagement for UCP, the facilitation of community security forums, and increased responsiveness by duty bearers for protection of civilians.
• Conduct regular context and conflict analysis, and the evolving impact on armed actor engagement by teams for UCP.
• Mentor NP teams in dialogue, humanitarian mediation and negotiation for protection of civilians; the role of International Humanitarian Law in the Sudanese context; and the intersection of principled humanitarian action and UCP.
• Mentor NP teams and local partners risk management.
• Collates tools and best practices across Sudan operations and additional NP country programs.
• Representation of NP in select coordination forums at regional and/or national level, dependent on consultation and collaboration with the Programme Support Team. Support NP teams in their own representation in coordination forums.
• Deliverables and work plan to be determined in close consultation with the HoM and Programme Support Team.

PROFILE SPECIFICATION

Education, Knowledge and Experience

• University degree desired (but not required), preferably at Masters level or equivalent in social sciences, international development or related area of studies
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a senior or advisory humanitarian position, and capacity development of teammates and partners
• Experience facilitating capacity exchange in risk management with frontline responders and local partners
• Experience working with Unarmed Civilian Protection and/or a combination of the following programming: humanitarian protection, emergency response, peacebuilding
• Experience in principled humanitarian action, IHL and humanitarian negotiation with armed actors in complex and evolving contexts
• Demonstrated experience in constructive engagement and with armed groups, military and security actors, local and national government officials, diverse community leadership and L/NNGOs
• Experience working in contexts in transition
• Demonstrated ability to analyze conflict, security and political contexts and capacity exchange in conflict sensitivity
• Understanding of conflict and peace building concepts and international human rights and humanitarian law
• A strong understanding of the political, security and humanitarian context in Sudan
• Strong communication, coordination and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile

Context/Specific skills

• Fluency in written and spoken English, with Arabic a distinct advantage
• Good analytical and communications skills, written and oral
• A positive problem-solving approach
• Enthusiasm to learn and apply new skills
• Good interpersonal and cross-cultural communication and team-working skills
• Ability to work under pressure and under difficult conditions
• Knowledge of the Sudan context and neighboring countries
• Experience with start-up or expansion of new programmes
• Advanced computer skills, especially in Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook

Key Challenges:

• This position will be based in Sudan and will include travel to additional field sites, including locations with limited access to communications
• NP missions are often in a complex security environment where conditions change rapidly; ability to manage in insecure environments is essential to success in this position.

HOW TO APPLY:

• Candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit a CV (max. 2 pages) and cover letter (max. 1 page) through our website detailing your experience and how you qualify for the role. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• The closing date for applications is Saturday 15th March 2025
• Candidates may be selected before the closing date, apply early
• As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a written assignment before participating in an interview.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Nonviolent Peaceforce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Nonviolent Peaceforce acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of employees, contractors, volunteers, interns, communities we work with, and other stakeholders and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practices in the Humanitarian and Development sector. NP expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We prioritize ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. NP also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

NO FEE

We never ask for payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check whether the role you are interested in is posted here on our website.