Advisor Governance

HELVETAS is an organization specialised in international development cooperation and humanitarian response, based in Switzerland. Our vision is a just world in which all men and women determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner.

We are looking for a dynamic, collaborative individual who is curious, seeks to learn and innovate and has a proven record of working in complex governance and civil society programmes and projects. The position is at our Head Offices in Switzerland (Zürich or Berne) and the starting date is upon agreement, but preferably as soon as possible.

Voice, Inclusion, Cohesion (VIC) is one of the three thematic working areas of HELVETAS. The VIC team provides technical advisory services, capacity development and knowledge management support to our programmes and projects worldwide. We also service external clients such as bi
- and multilateral development agencies. While we observe a healthy work-life balance and pursue digital and virtual collaboration modes, frequent travelling, incl. to fragile countries, is an important part of the job.

At present the VIC team consists of nine highly qualified experts that are specialized in the following interrelated working fields: governance & civic space; conflict transformation; and migration. The aim of the working field ‘governance & civic space” is to ensure that communities and civil society can claim their rights and meaningfully engage in local governance and policy processes. To achieve this, we empower citizens to voice out and engage in local development processes; we develop the capacities of civil society to represent communities’ interests and wield influence in policy making; and we support local governments to manage public resources in a transparent, inclusive and accountable manner. With the aim to transform societies through systemic solutions we are persistently anchoring the transversal topics advocacy and gender & social equity in our programmes and projects.

The VIC team has an ambition to further expand its project portfolio in governance & civil space over the next 5 years. Experience with and/or motivation for project proposal development, acquisition and resource mobilisation is therefore an added advantage.

**MAIN TASKS**:
Your tasks, carried out both as a member of the VIC team and individually, include:

- Providing technical and strategic advice to HELVETAS governance & civic space programmes and projects (incl. government & civil society partners) and to provide consultancy services to external clients
- Supporting the integration of gender & social equity and advocacy into governance and civic space working field
- Delivering trainings and capacity development activities for a wide range of internal and external clients
- Contributing to the portfolio development, resource mobilisation and participation in proposal writing
- Documenting and communicating about the governance & civic space working field, its approaches and impact with different public, policy and professional audiences through a variety of platforms and networks
- Fostering integrated thinking and approaches between governance & civic space and the other VIC working fields migration and conflict transformation and exploring synergies with other working areas and humanitarian responses of HELVETAS

**YOUR QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Master’s degree in development studies, political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology or in another area relevant to the position
- At least 6 years of experience in international development cooperation with assignments that are thematically relevant, preferably including medium to long-term assignments in the Global South/East
- Solid experience with short-term consultancy assignments providing technical and strategic advisory services in the context of development cooperation
- Knowledge of and experience in relevant working field topics such as local democratic governance; protecting and expanding the civic space; social protection, access to justice digitalisation, urbanisation, local economic development
- Experience working with gender & social equity and advocacy either as transversal or stand-alone topics
- Excellent listening and advisory skills, intercultural and gender sensitivity, able to establish and maintain a good advisor-client relationship
- Proven experience in design, acquisition and evaluation of projects
- Competencies in tools & methodology development as well as training, coaching and facilitation skills
- Ability to think and act strategically, analytically and systemic
- Excellent spoken and written English is a must, with language proficiency in French or Spanish

**WE OFFER YOU**:
We offer challenging and meaningful work in a supportive and diverse environment, attractive employment conditions and a workplace in Bern or Zürich (close to the main train stations).