Advocacy and Research Officer

Position description

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the role:

The Advocacy and Research Officer is responsible for generating evidence, coordinating local-level advocacy initiatives, and ensuring the effective implementation of influencing strategies in the North Mecha Universal WASH Programme. The post holder will contribute to policy research, stakeholder engagement, and build community voice in sector dialogues, while supporting learning and documentation in line with WaterAid’s influencing approach.

Main Responsibilities and Duties

Advocacy and Policy Engagement:

• Coordinate local and sub-national policy influencing interventions aligned with WAE’s national policy priorities.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with relevant government and civil society stakeholders.
• Organize multi-stakeholder platforms, town halls, and public dialogues to amplify community voices.

Research and Evidence Generation:

• Lead documentation of case studies, evidence briefs, and learning from project implementation.
• Support baseline, endline, and WASH systems mapping in collaboration with the MEL team.
• Monitor WASH sector developments and contribute to evidence-based policy dialogue.
• Design and carry out operational, qualitative, and quantitative research to inform advocacy and programmatic decisions.
• Ensure participatory research methodologies and ethical standards are maintained

Campaigns and Communication:

• Coordinate local campaign implementation aligned with WaterAid’s national/global campaigns.
• Develop communication materials (factsheets, briefs, blogs) that capture the impact and insights of the programme.
• Translate complex research findings into clear, compelling messages for diverse audiences.
• Work with media partners to ensure visibility and amplification of key WASH messages.

Networking and Capacity Building

• Represent the organization in local WASH coordination forums, advocacy coalitions, and technical working groups

Learning and Capacity Building:

• Facilitate peer learning sessions, reflection meetings, and joint reviews with partners. – Support community organizations to engage in advocacy and voice platforms.
• Coordinate documentation of promising practices and ensure learning is shared with other WAE programmes.

Safeguarding and Compliance:

• Uphold WaterAid’s Safeguarding, Gender Equality, and Child Protection Policies. – Ensure all communications and documentation uphold ethical and inclusive principles.

Requirements

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Communications, Public Health, WASH, Development Studies, or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years for BA or 5 years to MA holder, of relevant experience in advocacy, research, or programme learning. – Demonstrated experience in organizing community engagement and government dialogue forums. – Experience in developing policy briefs, learning products, or campaign materials. – Strong understanding of WASH systems and policy processes in Ethiopia.

Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. – Strong analytical and report writing abilities. – Ability to coordinate multiple tasks and stakeholders. – Proficiency in Amharic and English (written and spoken).

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on geopolist.com