Policy Influencing Specialist – Advising Developing World Partners (with a Tanzania focus)

About us 

Kivu is a specialist international development organisation dedicated to improving policy responses to social and economic challenges in low- and middle-income countries. Our approach is locally led: we do not dictate to others how to solve policy problems; instead, we help local institutions develop their own effective solutions. 

Kivu’s work supports politically informed policy influencing through partners such as local think tanks, interest groups, civil society organisations, and the private sector. 

Since 2015, we have developed a strong reputation for achieving impactful policy change. We are proud of our track record of supporting partners to deliver lasting positive change in several African and South East Asian countries. We will shortly start new long-term work in Tanzania – the core focus of this new position. 

About you 

This role will suit you if you have strong policy-influencing expertise. It will require strong analytical skills, and demonstrable political acumen. You also need excellent people skills since the work involves developing and maintaining strong working relationships. 

This is an ideal opportunity for an established policy-influencing professional who wants to lead and work on intellectually stimulating projects that involve plenty of hands-on delivery. 

You might have a track record of work in developing countries and the international development sector. This could include experience of delivering politically informed policy influencing or “coalitions for change” programmes. It’s also OK, however, if you haven’t worked in international development before. Many of our colleagues have joined us from UK roles in think tanks, the civil service, or public affairs. 

While not a requirement, we are interested in candidates with specialist expertise in innovative advocacy and/or research techniques. This could include digital communications, data visualisation, behavioural science, or data science expertise.   

About the role 

The role’s core focus will be leading the day-to-day delivery of a new policy-influencing project in Tanzania. This long-term project will support non-state organisations—from think tanks to the private sector—to achieve policy impact on a range of issues that matter to Tanzanians.   

In addition, the post holder will contribute to some other Kivu projects. These could include, for example, our work in Sierra Leone on green growth, future work in Cambodia and Malaysia on public health, or our work in Malawi on subnational government.     

The work will be intellectually engaging and challenging—it can be difficult at times—but it is also highly rewarding and helps to achieve real and lasting improvements in people’s lives. 

Day-to-day, it will involve relationship management, technical support on policy design, advice on advocacy strategies for achieving policy change, and programme management. The role would lead projects and work with local partners with a high degree of autonomy to achieve impact.  

In addition to your work in Tanzania and other Kivu policy-influencing projects, you will contribute to Kivu's intellectual and organisational development. We want you to help shape Kivu’s future evolution. 

Salary and Practicalities  

The salary is £50,000 + benefits, with more for exceptional candidates. Kivu is based in the UK, but we are open to you being based elsewhere. 

You will be spending at least half your working time in-country. We're open to a variety of ways of making that work.  

Please submit a cover letter along with your CV.