JOB DESCRIPTION
This position is strictly for Women
Location: Adamawa and Taraba (2Postions 1 in Adamawa and 1 at Taraba)
Reports to: Programme Director
Working closely with: Education Coordinator, Youth & Community Engagement Coordinator, M&E Coordinator, Gender, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, and Strategy Coach
Contract: Full-time
Duration: 6 Months with Possibility of extension
Application Deadline: 28/8/2026
About Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI)
Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI) is a Nigerian, community-rooted development and humanitarian organization committed to advancing the rights, wellbeing and opportunities of vulnerable children, young people, women and communities affected by poverty, conflict, displacement and other forms of vulnerability.
ROHI works across areas including education, child protection, Livelihood, Nutrition, WASH, Climate Change, resilience, and systems strengthening, with a focus on developing practical, evidence-informed approaches that respond to community needs while contributing to longer-term institutional and systemic change.
The organization works in collaboration with government institutions, communities, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen local capacities, improve access to essential services, promote inclusive decision-making and support sustainable solutions.
As ROHI enters a new phase of organizational development and strategic positioning, the organization is undertaking a Vision and Strategy Development process to clarify its long-term ambition, strategic priorities and contribution to systems change. The process seeks to move beyond short-term project delivery (scaling up) towards approaches that can influence policies, institutions, practices, relationships and systems in ways that generate sustainable and scalable impact.
ROHI is therefore seeking individuals who are not only technically competent, but who are strategic thinkers, collaborative leaders, systems-oriented practitioners and committed to locally led and sustainable change.
About the Role
The Policy, Partnerships & Systems Change Coordinator will provide strategic leadership in strengthening the organization’s ability to influence policies, institutions, partnerships and systems that affect children, young people, education and communities.
The role is central to the organization’s Vision and Strategy Development process, supporting the transition from programme-focused interventions towards a more deliberate and sustainable systems-change approach.
The post holder will identify and cultivate strategic relationships with public institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, private-sector actors, research institutions and other influential stakeholders. They will also contribute to policy analysis, systems mapping, stakeholder engagement, strategic positioning and the development of pathways through which promising approaches can be institutionalized, scaled or sustained.
The successful candidate will bring strong systems thinking, policy analysis, partnership development and influencing skills, combined with the ability to work across sectors and engage effectively with senior stakeholders.
- Key Responsibilities
- Policy Influence and Analysis
- Monitor and analyze relevant policies, strategies, legislation, institutional frameworks and emerging priorities affecting education, children, youth and vulnerable communities.
- Identify policy gaps, implementation bottlenecks, institutional barriers and opportunities for reform.
- Translate evidence, programme learning and community perspectives into practical policy recommendations.
- Support the development of policy briefs, position papers, advocacy messages, strategic presentations and other influencing materials.
- Identify opportunities for the organization to contribute to policy dialogue, technical working groups, consultations and sector platforms.
- Ensure that policy engagement is evidence-informed and aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities.
- Systems Change
- Lead and support systems mapping to understand actors, institutions, relationships, incentives, power dynamics and structures influencing priority issues.
- Identify leverage points where strategic interventions could generate broader and more sustainable change.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of the organization’s Theory of Change and systems-change pathways.
- Identify opportunities for successful programme approaches to be adopted, institutionalized, replicated or scaled through existing systems.
- Work with programme and M&E teams to capture learning and evidence that can inform systems-level influence.
- Support the organization to move beyond project outputs towards measurable changes in systems, institutions, policies and practices.
- Promote adaptive learning and reflection throughout the strategy implementation cycle.
- Strategic Partnerships
- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with key institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, networks, research institutions, private-sector actors and other relevant stakeholders.
- Identify potential strategic partners whose interests, capabilities and influence align with the organization’s systems-change ambitions.
- Support partnership development, including partnership mapping, engagement plans, collaboration frameworks, MOUs and joint initiatives.
- Represent the organization in strategic meetings, forums, consultations, coordination platforms and relevant sector events.
- Strengthen relationships that can contribute to institutional ownership, sustainability, policy influence and scale.
- Ensure partnerships are based on shared value, complementary strengths, trust, accountability and clear strategic objectives.
- Institutional Engagement and Influence
- Develop stakeholder engagement strategies for priority institutions and decision-makers.
- Build constructive relationships with relevant public institutions and other system actors at national, state and local levels.
- Identify institutional champions and change agents who can support reform and sustained adoption of effective approaches.
- Facilitate dialogue between the organization and key institutional stakeholders.
- Support the development of institutional commitments that contribute to long-term sustainability.
- Track institutional engagement, commitments and emerging opportunities and risks.
- Strategy Development and Organizational Positioning
- Serve as a key contributor to the organization’s Vision and Strategy Development
- Contribute to strategic discussions on the organization’s future positioning, comparative advantage and systems-change ambition.
- Support the identification of strategic priorities, pathways to impact and long-term outcomes.
- Help identify where the organization should lead, partner, influence, convene or step back within a wider system.
- Contribute to organizational positioning and thought leadership on priority issues.
- Support the development of strategic narratives that clearly communicate the organization’s contribution to systems change.
- Evidence, Learning and Adaptive Management
- Work closely with the M&E/MEAL function to ensure that evidence generated by programmes informs policy and systems-change strategies.
- Identify evidence gaps that need to be addressed to strengthen influencing efforts.
- Promote documentation and dissemination of programme learning, innovations and promising practices.
- Contribute to learning reviews and strategy adaptation based on emerging evidence.
- Ensure that partnership and policy engagement outcomes are captured and reflected in organizational learning.
- Coordination and Internal Collaboration
- Work closely with the Executive Director and Programme Director to align external engagement with organizational priorities.
- Collaborate with the Gender, Equity & Inclusion Lead to ensure that policy and systems-change efforts address power, inequality, inclusion and representation.
- Collaborate with the Youth & Community Engagement Coordinator to ensure that external influencing is informed by community and youth perspectives.
- Work with the Education Coordinator to connect technical education priorities with policy and institutional opportunities.
- Coordinate with M&E to establish appropriate indicators for measuring partnership, policy and systems-change outcomes.
- Contribute to organizational planning, risk management and strategic reviews.
- Key Deliverables
The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the delivery of:
- A comprehensive stakeholder and systems map.
- A strategic policy and influencing agenda aligned with the organization’s vision.
- A strategic partnership and stakeholder engagement framework.
- Policy briefs, evidence products and influencing materials.
- Strategic partnership opportunities and collaboration agreements.
- A clear pathway for institutionalization, sustainability and potential scale of successful interventions.
- Contributions to the organization’s Theory of Change and systems-change framework.
- Regular analysis of policy, institutional and stakeholder developments.
- Documentation of partnership, policy and systems-change learning.
- Strategic recommendations for organizational positioning and future growth.
- Required Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Development Studies, International Relations, Education, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Law, or a related field.
- At least 5 years of progressive professional experience in policy, advocacy, strategic partnerships, institutional engagement, systems strengthening, programme development or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience engaging with senior institutional stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Strong understanding of policy processes, institutional structures and systems-change approaches.
- Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic partnerships.
- Strong analytical, research and synthesis skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to translate complex evidence and systems issues into clear strategic recommendations.
- Experience working across multiple stakeholders and sectors.
- Strong facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills.
Desirable
- Master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Experience working in education, child development, youth development, governance, social protection or related sectors.
- Experience working with public institutions, development partners, INGOs, CSOs or networks.
- Experience in systems thinking, collective impact, adaptive management or systems-change methodologies.
- Experience developing policy briefs, advocacy strategies or institutional reform recommendations.
- Experience working in complex or fragile contexts.
- Knowledge of the Nigerian policy and institutional environment, particularly within the education and social development sectors.
- Core Competencies
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
Systems Thinking
Ability to understand how institutions, policies, actors, incentives, relationships and behaviours interact and influence outcomes.
Strategic Thinking
Ability to see beyond immediate programme activities and identify longer-term pathways to sustainable change. Policy and Influencing
Ability to analyse policy environments and build credible influencing strategies.
Partnership Building
Ability to establish relationships based on trust, mutual value and shared objectives.
Stakeholder Management
Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders with different interests, levels of power and perspectives.
Communication and Advocacy
Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and persuasively to different audiences.
Facilitation
Ability to convene diverse stakeholders, facilitate dialogue and help groups move towards shared objectives.
Adaptability and Learning
Ability to work in uncertain environments, learn from evidence and adapt strategies accordingly.
Integrity and Professionalism
Demonstrates sound judgment, discretion, accountability and commitment to ethical engagement.
- Key Performance Indicators
Performance in this role may be assessed against:
- Quality and relevance of policy analysis and influencing recommendations.
- Number and quality of strategic partnerships developed and maintained.
- Evidence of increased institutional engagement and ownership.
- Progress towards agreed systems-change outcomes.
- Quality of stakeholder mapping and engagement strategies.
- Contributions to the organization’s Theory of Change and strategic priorities.
- Evidence of policy, institutional or practice influence.
- Successful identification of opportunities for institutionalization, sustainability and scale.
- Quality of strategic representation and external engagement.
- Evidence that programme learning and data are informing policy and systems-change decisions.
- Safeguarding, Inclusion and Accountability
The post holder is expected to uphold the organization’s policies and standards relating to safeguarding, child protection, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), gender equality, diversity, equity and inclusion, accountability and ethical partnership.
The role requires a strong commitment to ensuring that systems-change efforts are inclusive and do not reinforce existing inequalities or power imbalances.
- Equal Opportunity
ROHI is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable working environment. We strongly encourage applications from qualified women, persons with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented in leadership and decision-making spaces.
Recruitment will be based on competence, experience, qualifications and alignment with the organization’s values and strategic objectives.
Application
Interested candidates should submit:
- A current CV.
- A cover letter outlining their suitability for the position and their experience in policy, partnerships and systems change.
Applications should be submitted to: [email protected]
Subject: Application – Policy, Partnerships & Systems Change Coordinator
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
