Ethiopia: Head of the Tana High Level Forum on Security in Africa

Background

IPSS aspires to be a premier Institute for peace and security studies in Africa. Its mission is to promote peace and security in Ethiopia and Africa at large through education, research and outreach. The Institute produces skilled professionals in conflict prevention, management and resolution as well as in peace building, and promotes the values of a democratic and peaceful society. It works at the national, regional as well as continental level.

As part of its continental activities, the IPSS was mandated by the African Union’s (AU) Executive Council to take up the intellectual challenge of finding African-led solutions to peace and security in Africa which led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AU to serve as a research and policy think-tank.

Since January 2010, the African Union (AU) and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of Addis Ababa University, set up the Africa Peace and Security Programme at IPSS. This Pan-African programme aims at promoting advanced education, applied research, policy advice and dialogue on Africa’s peace and security challenges. The programme covers activities across the peace and security spectrum and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). Since the commencement of the programme, IPSS has established itself as an Addis Ababa University Center of Excellence and a premier think tank for peace and security on the continent, thus making a major contribution towards capacity building and networking between relevant stakeholders.

The programme is supported by several development partners, with GIZ being the largest contributor.

Objective

IPSS is seeking to recruit a Head of the APSP Programme to lead, further develop, coordinate and conduct the activities set out by the management of the institute and the African Union.

Tasks and Deliverables

The main tasks will include the supervision, oversight and overall guidance and orientation of the following components of the Programme:

a) An executive master’s programme “Managing Peace and Security in Africa”, accredited

both by Addis Ababa an internationally renowned accreditation Agency called ACRIN, based in Germany.

b) Research programme, with a flagship research project “African Solutions in Peace and Security” and a Report Unit that produces two other flagships research products, namely the Conflict Insights and the APSA Impact Report as well as others thematic or joint research projects.

c) A Policy Dialogue component aimed at developing platforms and harnessing existing ones for dialogue among African policymakers and policy-influencers on peace and security issues in Africa.

Other general responsibilities:

· Guiding the on-going research studies, develop and maintain the programme communication, and monitor the project implementation;

· Guiding the publication process of the research studies by the IPSS peace and security unit;

· Identifying areas of potential research activities on current and/or future trends/issues;

· Manage the Programme staff and conduct their appraisal;

· Liaise with relevant stakeholders and especially engage the AU, RECs and RMs;

· Facilitate the establishment of partnerships between the Institute and think tanks and other partners across Africa/ globally;

· Oversee and Coordinate fundraising activities and consolidate the Institute’s sustainability Programme;

· Guide management on IPSS institutional development consolidation; · Represent IPSS at conferences and meetings when delegated by his/her immediate superior.

Qualifications:

· A master’s degree in international Relations, Political Sciences, Peace and Security, public policy, or any other relevant social sciences fields;

· At least 10 years work experience in a relevant programme coordination, including at least 5 years work experience in peace and security in Africa;

· A reasonable number of years of managerial experience.

· Demonstrate knowledge of, preferably experience in working with, the AU, RECs/RMs and other relevant networks;

· Ability to work with different policy areas across the African continent

· Ability to innovate and implement cutting edge solutions in applied research, excellent research and drafting skills, including the ability to assimilate and summarise large volumes of material, and to draft high quality papers on matters relating to public policy.

· Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;

· Ability to produce objective and balanced work which is unaffected by the writer’s own political or other views;

· Strong communication skills, including presentation skills;

· Excellent command of English (both written and oral); French, Arabic and/or Portuguese would be an asset;

· Good IT skills;

· Experience in working in a multicultural environment;

· Be an African national.

Duration of the contract

The position is a one-year renewable contract.

Salary

Negotiable

Application instructions

Interested candidates shall send a covering letter and CV not more than 3 pages to IPSS through e-mail application@ipss-addis.org by the 15^th of February 2020.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.