Advocacy Officer

Job Description

Title: Advocacy Officer

Company Name: Mahideb Jubo Somaj Kallayan Somity (MJSKS)

Vacancy: 1

Age: At least 26 years

Job Location: Kurigram (Chilmari)

Salary: Tk. 38000 (Monthly)

Experience:

• At least 4 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Bachelor of Social Science (BSS)

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Development Studies, Public Health, Education, or related field.

• At least 4 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Age At least 26 years

• Master’s degree will be an added advantage

• Experience: At least 4 years’ relevant working experience in any Local/National/International NGO in resource management (finance and assets) of donor funded project.

Mahideb Jubo Somaj Kallayan Somity (MJSKS) is a non-profit making community development organization situated in the northern Bangladesh. The organization is registered with the Social Welfare Department and NGO Affairs Bureau of the Bangladesh government. Since 1972, the organization has been serving the poor and extreme poor with special focus on the char (River Island) and attached char inhabitants (men, women, persons with disability, youth, children and adolescents) in different areas through several program initiatives.

Mahideb Jubo Somaj Kallayan Somity (MJSKS), in collaboration with WaterAid Bangladesh. Partnership, is implementing the project titled “Civil Society Leadership in Mobilizing for Better WASH (CLIMB)”. The program aims to strengthen and improve WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services for poverty-driven vulnerable communities through a structured and sustainable approach. Throughout the implementation period, the project

focuses on strengthening local ownership, building institutional capacity, and integrating WASH priorities into government planning and budgeting processes. This comprehensive approach will help ensure that the project’s achievements are sustained beyond its implementation period.

MJSKS is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all individuals who are connected with our program work like; program participants including children, persons with disability, stakeholders, vendors, staff, and volunteers. MJSKS team is trained to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns with professionalism and urgency, ensuring that protection from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment is a top priority. Through clear policies, regular training, and a zero-tolerance approach, we promote dignity, safety, and accountability in every aspect of our work.

MJSKS is looking for a qualified Advocacy Officer for the said project

Job Nature: Full-time up to the project period based on performance

Job location: Chilmari upazila under Kurigram District.

Reporting to: Project Manager.

Key responsibility:

• Understanding of and experience in policy dialogue, advocacy meetings, Ward Shavas, open budget sessions, and community–government interface meetings.

• Experience in effective relationship building with government agencies, Union Parishads, media representatives, development partners, and civil society networks.

• Skills to engage women, youth, ethnic minority communities, and other marginalized groups in local governance and decision-making processes

• Sound understanding of community training, facilitation, and advocacy approaches

• Experience in designing and delivering training modules for community groups and stakeholders

• Knowledge of rights-based approaches, WASH, gender equality, and climate resilience issues

• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills in Bangla and English

• Ability to develop IEC/BCC materials and training reports

• Computer literacy in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

• Willingness to travel frequently to field locations and work in remote areas.

• Ability to ride a motorcycle with a valid driving license.

• The expected outcomes of the CLIMB project are;

• Civil society amplifies the voices of rights holders to claim and secure their rights.

• Civil society effectively holds duty bearers accountable to deliver on their WASH, climate, and health commitments.

• Decision-makers commit to gender-responsive and climate-resilient WASH policies

• Decision-makers commit to increased and improved gender responsive and climate-resilient WASH financing.

• The Advocacy Officer will lead capacity strengthening and advocacy initiatives, supporting civil society organisations, community representatives, Local government and local leaders to effectively engage with duty bearers on climate-resilient and gender-responsive WASH issues, while contributing to evidence-based advocacy, policy dialogue, and participation in local planning and accountability processes such as Ward Shavas, open budget sessions, and stakeholder consultations.

Job Responsibilities of Advocacy Officer:

• Lead the planning and implementation of capacity-building initiatives for CSOs, CBOs, community leaders, and local government institutions on climate-resilient and gender-responsive WASH, Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), GESI, advocacy, and organisational development.

• Organize and facilitate training, workshops, TOTs, learning events, and stakeholder consultations under the project.

• Support CSOs in conducting Participatory WASH Vulnerability Assessments (PWVA) and community-led adaptation planning processes.

• Facilitate policy dialogue, advocacy meetings, Ward Shavas, open budget sessions, and community-government interface meetings.

• Coordinate the preparation of policy briefs, advocacy materials, case studies, success stories, reports, and communication products.

• Support evidence generation, documentation, and dissemination of project learning and best practices.

• Strengthen engagement of women, youth, ethnic minority communities, and marginalized groups in local governance and decision-making processes.

• Build and maintain effective relationships with government agencies, Union Parishads, media representatives, development partners, and civil society networks.

• Support awareness campaigns and media engagement on climate-resilient WASH, health, and adaptation issues.

• Prepare activity reports, training reports, and other documentation as required by the project.

• The candidate should have good knowledge on safeguarding (Child Protection, Gender, and Anti-Sexual Harassment), PSHEA issues, persons with disability inclusion, social protection, and complaint response and feedback mechanism.

• Salary: Monthly gross salary Tk. 38000/- possibility of yearly salary increment maximum 5-10% with 1 festival bonus (equivalent one-month gross salary)