Duty station: Tehran, Iran.
Are you passionate about bringing the voices of the refugees and displaced people to the forefront? Are you committed to ensuring learning from programmes informs policymaking and improves humanitarian response for displacement-affected people? Are you analytical, do you enjoy working with others and are you an excellent communicator? Do you have experience of delivering high quality communication and advocacy work in a sensitive context? Can you think “out of the box” and offer context-specific solutions?
NRC has a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Manager to lead our Advocacy and Communication Unit in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Read below for more details about the position and we look forward to receiving your application.
NRC in Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran hosts about five million Afghans, the largest and among most protracted refugee caseloads worldwide. NRC supports refugees, displaced and disaster affected populations in Iran. We have grown to become the largest international NGO, currently operating in ten provinces across the country.
NRC Iran delivers humanitarian assistance in the sectors of Education, Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Shelter, Protection, as well as Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA). We co-lead several technical inter-agency working groups and provide capacity building to humanitarian partners in country.
About the position: Advocacy Manager at NRC Iran
The Advocacy Manager provides overall leadership, management and strategic direction to NRC’s policy, advocacy and communications work in Iran. S/he is responsible for identifying priority protection concerns for advocacy, strengthening the incorporation of advocacy into all aspects of NRC’s activities and guiding NRC’s advocacy messaging to promote an improved protection and humanitarian response environment in Iran. S/he also leads on the development and implementation of the country-specific communication strategy. The Advocacy Manager holds a key role in the Country Programme and reports to the Country Director.
All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.
The following is a brief description of the role:
Find more details about the role HERE.
Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC HERE.
Important information about the application process:
Why NRC?
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.
Watch this short video to see NRC in action.
For the past 40 years, Iran has hosted one of the largest and most protracted refugee crises in the world. Two years after the political changes in Afghanistan, at least 4.5 million Afghans reside in Iran, making it the largest refugee hosting country worldwide. This number comprises 750,000 Amayesh cardholders (long-term registered refugees), 267,000 visa holders (long-term Afghan residents in Iran), 360,000 with a residence permit, 2.6 million people who joined a 2022 government-led registration exercise, and a further large number of undocumented persons.
Iran’s inclusive policies grant access for all Afghans to primary health care, and Afghan children can study in Iranian public schools. Amayesh and visa holders are allowed to work in certain job categories. Despite the inclusive policies and support from the international community, Afghans still face challenges finding and retaining a stable income. This affects their ability to secure housing and keep their children in school, and could adversely impact their ability to renew their documentation and legal status on time.
The re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran in 2018 and the Covid-19 pandemic have further pressured Iran’s economy, increasing the challenges faced by all Afghans in Iran.
Internal candidates are encouraged to apply, and we are also open to external applicants who can show a commitment to NRC and being part of a challenging, but important mission to make a difference.
NRC might review applications before the advertised deadline, therefore interested candidates are encouraged to apply early. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We work in crises across more than 31 countries, providing emergencies and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. We stand up for people forced to flee, advocating their rights. NORCAP, our global provider of expertise, helps improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country. Employment with NRC may lead to employment in or deployment to Regions, Countries, Areas or Offices that may be host to considerable health, safety and security risks. NRC takes this very seriously and we have procedures in place to reduce known risks, but will never be able to take away all risks. NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and physical ability.