HelpAge International Head of Advocacy and Evidencing Jobs in Kenya
HelpAge International Head of Advocacy and Evidencing Jobs in Kenya;The Head of Advocacy & Evidencing provides strategic leadership and organizational accountability for HelpAge’s global advocacy, policy, and research agendas.
The role ensures external engagement is grounded in rigorous evidence, shaped by the lived experiences of older people, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Key Areas for Impact, Influence and Responsibilities
To deliver impact, the Head of Advocacy & Evidencing will:
Lead the delivery and evolution of HelpAge’s global advocacy and research agenda, ensuring it reflects lived experiences and advances rights, inclusion, and equity for older people.
Strengthen the capacities of network members and older people to lead and participate meaningfully in advocacy efforts and ensure inclusive engagement in influencing strategies.
Cultivate strategic partnerships with policy, academic, and research institutions to co-produce high-quality, policy-relevant evidence and strengthen HelpAge’s thought leadership on rights, healthy ageing, humanitarian inclusion, and social protection.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Advocacy
Lead and be accountable for the development, implementation, and results of HelpAge’s global advocacy and evidencing strategy, aligned with organizational priorities and co-created with network members.
Monitor and respond to global, regional, and national policy trends, advising colleagues and network members on opportunities for engagement and influence.
Champion inclusive and partner-led advocacy approaches that place the voices and leadership of older people and civil society actors at the center of advocacy efforts.
Collaborate with the Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships Director and supporting teams to align donor advocacy efforts with organizational priorities and influencing strategies.
Advise the Executive Leadership Group and Board on advocacy positions and external positioning and lead the preparation of advocacy papers and strategic briefings.
Represent HelpAge’s policy and advocacy positions externally alongside senior leadership where appropriate.
Strengthen HelpAge’s positioning with institutional donors and strategic partners.
Be accountable for achieving the Advocacy & Evidencing income target.
Work closely with the Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships team to develop fundable propositions, strengthen pipelines, and support donor cultivation and stewardship.
Ensure advocacy, research, and evidence-generation activities comply with safeguarding, ethics, data protection, and organizational policies.
Represent HelpAge at senior-level global and regional coalitions, alliances, and policy forums.
Build strategic relationships with governments, multilateral agencies, donors, and other influential stakeholders.
Evidence and Research
Lead and be accountable for HelpAge’s global research and evidence agenda.
Ensure research is ethical, inclusive, coherent, and aligned with advocacy and programme priorities.
Provide strategic oversight of evidence-generation, policy analysis, and advocacy initiatives across key impact areas.
Ensure evidence and learning from network members contribute to organizational priorities.
Foster partnerships with universities, think tanks, and research organizations to co-produce robust policy-relevant evidence.
Ensure research outputs are accessible, actionable, and designed to support strategic influence at global and national levels.
Capacity Strengthening and Network Engagement
Lead advocacy capacity strengthening for HelpAge network members and older people through mentoring, training, and tailored support.
Promote peer learning and knowledge exchange across the global network.
Ensure inclusive participation in advocacy platforms and decision-making spaces.
Collaborate with regional colleagues to support member-led national and regional advocacy strategies.
Team and Resource Management
Lead, manage, and coach a multidisciplinary team of advocacy advisers.
Ensure high performance and alignment with organizational objectives.
Support advisors whose roles combine global advocacy responsibilities with technical assistance to network members and programme development.
Manage advocacy and research budgets effectively and ensure compliance with donor requirements.
Ensure strategic allocation of resources to maximize impact.
Cross-Organizational Collaboration
Work closely with Programme Support, Network Development, MEAL, Fundraising, and Communications teams.
Ensure evidence generation and influencing approaches are embedded across all areas of work.
Coordinate research
and advocacy initiatives that connect policy influence with programme delivery and impact measurement.
Skills and Experience Required
Essential
Proven strategic leadership experience in global advocacy, policy influencing, and research within international development, humanitarian, or human rights sectors.
Strong leadership, planning, and performance management skills with experience leading diverse and remote multidisciplinary teams.
Deep understanding and practical application of rights-based, inclusive, and intersectional approaches, particularly relating to age, gender, disability, and displacement.
Demonstrated success designing and implementing partner-led advocacy strategies centered on lived experience and community priorities.
Experience influencing policy at national, regional, and international levels through coalition building and engagement with governments, multilateral organizations, and donors.
Strong analytical and research skills, including experience with ethical and participatory research approaches.
Proven ability to translate evidence into influential policy and advocacy outputs.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships with academic institutions, think tanks, and policy platforms.
Proven track record of securing funding for advocacy and research initiatives.
Experience developing fundable proposals and engaging institutional donors in collaboration with fundraising teams.
Strong budget oversight and resource management experience.
Ability to monitor advocacy results, policy trends, and funding landscapes and adapt strategies accordingly.
Experience strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations, networks, and grassroots movements through mentoring, training, and support.
Lived experience in the Global South or extensive professional experience working in Global South contexts.
Desirable
Strong knowledge of European and global institutional policy and donor environments.
Experience engaging with media to support advocacy goals.
Education and Qualifications
Degree in International Development, Public Policy, Human Rights, Social Sciences, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Postgraduate qualification is an asset but not essential where substantial practical experience exists.
Other Requirements
Willingness to travel internationally.
Ability to work inclusively across cultures, sectors, and geographies.
Excellent written and spoken English communication skills.
Additional languages commonly used in Global South contexts (e.g., Spanish, French, Arabic) are highly desirable.
Strong commitment to locally led development and Partner-Led Programming principles.
Candidates with lived experience of inequality, marginalization, disability, displacement, ageing, gender inequality, or economic injustice are particularly encouraged.
Familiarity with ageing, inclusion, and rights issues in Global South contexts is a significant advantage.
Key Behavioural Competencies
Working Collaboratively with Others
Build trust-based relationships and collaborate effectively with partners and stakeholders to achieve strategic objectives.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Adapt to changing priorities and opportunities while using feedback to support continuous learning and improvement.
Supporting and Facilitating Change
Lead organizational and cultural change through supportive, collaborative, and inclusive leadership.
Extend HelpAge’s Reach and Impact
Identify new business development opportunities and establish relationships with new partners to increase organizational influence and impact.
Diversity and Inclusion
Promote the inclusion of older people’s voices and perspectives in all organizational activities.
Foster an environment that is inclusive of people marginalized by gender, disability, economic status, and other forms of discrimination.
Leading Others
Provide strong leadership and people management.
Create an environment of trust, accountability, professional growth, and high performance.
Safeguarding
Prevent harm and abuse through HelpAge’s people, programmes, and operations.
Report safeguarding concerns through established internal mechanisms.
Comply with all safeguarding policies, procedures, and practices.
Complete mandatory safeguarding training and adhere to HR vetting requirements.
Safer Recruitment
Employment with HelpAge International is subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.
Screening may include misconduct disclosure schemes and terrorism financing checks.
How to Apply
Qualified and experienced candidates are encouraged to review the full Job Description and submit their Cover Letter and CV to Jobs@helpage.org indicating the role in the email subject no later than Sunday, 1 November 2026.
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