Right to Food Advocacy Advisor Full Time NEW

Job Summary

The Right to food Policy and Advocacy Advisor is responsible for leading the planning, development, and implementation of MELCA-Ethiopia’s Right to food program. The role provides strategic and technical leadership in advancing sustainable, agroecology-based food systems and promoting the realization of the right to adequate food in line with frameworks such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as Ethiopian Productive safety Net program and applicable national policies and strategies.

A key focus of the position is to design and lead advocacy initiatives (based on the ongoing project-‘) that integrate right to food principles into national policies and programs, particularly the Productive Safety Net Programme. This includes engaging duty bearers to strengthen enabling policy and institutional frameworks, and advocating for improvements in program design, targeting, adequacy, accountability, and transparency mechanisms.

The position holder will coordinate stakeholder engagement, develop detailed work plans, and anchor program implementation within a robust results framework for tracking effectiveness and impact. The role also involves identifying research priorities, designing and commissioning studies, developing terms of reference, and leading evidence generation to inform policy reform and program improvement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Advocacy and Policy Influence

• Lead the development and implementation of advocacy strategies to promote the right to adequate food and sustainable food systems.
• Influence national policy processes related to food security, food systems, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
• Engage duty bearers, civil society organizations, coalitions, and development partners to strengthen an enabling policy environment for the right to food.
• Advocate for the integration of human rights principles—adequacy, equity, participation, accountability, and transparency—into national programs, including the PSNP.
• Promote improvements in PSNP design, including targeting mechanisms, transfer adequacy, predictability, nutrition sensitiveness and grievance redress systems.
• Lead media and public awareness campaigns on the right-to-food agenda.

Strategic Leadership and Representation

• Act as a leading voice in influencing decision-makers on the right to food agenda in Ethiopia.
• Represent Right to Food Ethiopia in national, regional, and international forums and policy platforms.
• Lead engagement with multilateral and bilateral development partners to influence policy and promote government accountability.
• Strengthen and lead national and regional coalitions and partnerships working on the right to food.
• Engage actively with human rights actors to ensure the right to food is prioritized in national policy, plan and action plans development, implementation and monitoring processes.

Research, Evidence Generation, and Learning

• Lead the design and implementation of research, assessments, and studies on food systems, agroecology, and the right to food.
• Generate and synthesize evidence to support policy dialogue and advocacy initiatives.
• Develop policy briefs, legal analyses, and advocacy papers to inform planning, policy formulation and decision-making processes.
• Document lessons learned and best practices to strengthen program impact.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building

• Facilitate workshops, trainings, and multi-stakeholder policy dialogue platforms.
• Strengthen collaboration with government institutions, civil society organizations, research institutions, and community actors.
• Promote inclusive participation in food systems transformation and governance processes.
• Coordinate engagement with PSNP national coalitions and international partner networks to advance shared advocacy goals.

Program Coordination and Strategic Support

• Support the development of implementation frameworks, work plans, and results-based monitoring systems for advocacy initiatives.
• Contributes to resource mobilization and strategic partnership development.
• Identify policy and programmatic bottlenecks and propose practical, evidence-based solutions.
• Ensuring advocacy work is aligned with organizational strategy and food systems transformation goals.

Job Requirement

• Required Qualifications: Master’s degree in Law, Food and Nutrition Systems, Public Health, Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Communication and advocacy, Project Management, or related fields
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience in agriculture, food systems, agroecology, or project management within government, NGOs, research, or international organizations
  • Proven experience in advocacy, policy engagement, and influencing food systems transformation and PSNP related advocacy subjects
  • Strong understanding of Ethiopia’s economic reform agenda, food and nutrition policies, and agricultural systems
  • Demonstrated knowledge of human rights-based approaches, particularly the right to adequate food and Ethiopian PSNP
  • Excellent analytical, communication and advocacy, and stakeholder engagement skills and strategies and a natural propensity to easily advocate  and lobbying of the key national, regional and international stakeholders, duty bearers and right holders
  • Being a quick learning and committed to continuous learning and self-improvement

Employment Type: Full-time contract (one year, with high possibility of renewal)

Remuneration: Negotiable

Duty Station: Addis Ababa (Head Office)

How to Apply

Application Deadline: Within 7 working days from the date of announcement

Interested applicants should submit a non-returnable copy of their updated CV, application letter, and supporting documents via:

Email: melca.ethiopia2004@yahoo.com and/or tefaber2004@yahoo.com

Post/Hand Delivery: MELCA-Ethiopia Head Office, Addis Ababa (in front of Ambassador Theatre, Kidane Beyene Building, 1st Floor, Room 903/6)

P.O. Box: 1519 Code 1250, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel: 011-550-71-72 / 011-554-45-54

Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. MELCA-Ethiopia reserves the right to cancel part or all of this announcement.