Conflict Advisor – Rift Valley Institute (RVI) Ethiopia

Employment type: Full-time, to the end of March 2027, renewable subject to funding

Expected start date: September 2025

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Travel to other regional cities might be required.

Job Background and Purpose

The Conflict Advisor is one of the key positions of RVI office in Ethiopia with responsibility of strengthening conflict sensitivity in the design and delivery of all RVI programmes and that of its key partners – including Humanitarian and Development Partners. The Conflict Advisor is primarily responsible for supporting the Peace Research Facility – an FCDO funded program. Drawing on available research, particularly that is undertaken by the Facility and other similar RVI work, the Conflict Advisor will provide high-quality technical program and policy advice to FCDO staff and partners on how to ensure their humanitarian and development work is conflict sensitive, and as required, provide advice on conflict reduction and peace and reconciliation processes.

The Conflict Advisor will work to advance RVI’s strategy in Ethiopia, through the design, implementation and dissemination of conflict sensitive knowledge products by working closely with a range of Humanitarian and Development Actors and research and knowledge institutions. S/he will also play a pivotal role in building the capacity of state and non-state actors on conflict sensitive programming.

Reporting structure

The Conflict Advisor reports to the Head of RVI’s Ethiopia Office, who oversees the management of the Ethiopia Peace Research Facility.

Key working relationships

• Works closely with the Ethiopia Head of Office, the Research Manager, other RVI team members in Nairobi, London and across the region, consultants, and affiliate entities such as the Conflict Sensitivity Hub and Ethiopian Women’s Research Network (EWNET), ensuring collaborative integration with other RVI activities.
• Works closely with key stakeholders at the British Embassy, Addis Ababa and the FCDO in London, including FCDO Team Leaders and FCDO Ethiopia governance and conflict advisors.
• Works closely with other national and international Humanitarian and Development (HDP) actors and key government stakeholders.
• Participates in and provides support to RVI wide organizational processes and events

Key responsibilities

Conflict sensitivity support: Knowledge Sharing, Capacity Building and Training, and Project Design with FCDO Staff and partners (60%)

• Identify and analyze conflict and peacebuilding implications for humanitarian and development program and policy, drawing on RVI’s research and analysis work.
• Respond to FCDO’s conflict sensitivity needs through regular discussions with program teams.
• Provide direct technical support for critical peacebuilding and conflict sensitive program design and review activities to FCDO. This will involve coaching, accompanying, mentoring, reviewing of projects, briefing and/or supervising as requested.
• Participate in and advise on the design and implementation of program assessments and program review activities as requested, including through participatory conflict analysis and the use of systems thinking tools.
• Conduct project visits to monitor implementation progress and identify and address challenges in collaboration with FCDO, PRF and other RVI staff and consultants.
• Review and input into FCDO business cases and contract terms of reference (where appropriate), program monitoring and annual reviews to increase accountability and quality of implementation of conflict sensitivity priorities.
• Organize periodic review meetings with FCDO partners and stakeholders to discuss progress with their conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding commitments.
• Support the design of organizational development processes to integrate conflict sensitivity and other peacebuilding tools and approaches into FCDO’s and others HDP‘s policies and program.
• Work closely with the Research Manager and Head of Office to contribute to research and analysis at RVI Ethiopia Office including in bulletin production, debrief and briefings, peer review and revision of drafts.

Represent RVI in responding to the needs of HDP’s through better conflict analysis and peacebuilding strategies (20%)

• Provide timely conflict analysis to other HDP partners as required, drawing on the analysis that the Facility produces.
• Organize workshops and roundtables with HDP partners to draw out conflict sensitivity implications for program and policy from the Facility’s and other research outputs.
• Design strategies and deliver technical training and collaborative learning sessions (including experience-sharing) on conflict sensitivity, conflict management and peacebuilding for members of the humanitarian and development community.
• Facilitate consultations on how conflict sensitivity practices can be improved and adopted among HDP actors.

Leading and Developing the Facility’s and RVI’s Institutional Capabilities on Conflict Sensitivity (10%)

• Ensure all the facility’s research activities are designed, implemented and disseminated with a conflict sensitive approach.
• Develop and secure training and knowledge resources, in order to share expertise in conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding across the Facility and RVI to integrate conflict sensitive programming in the wider organization.

Program management (10%)

• Support in the hiring and management of technical consultants.
• Assist with donor reporting, including documenting program outputs, impacts, and learning.
• Lead in the monitoring, evaluation and learning of the Facility’s and RVI’s overall conflict sensitivity activities.
• Support in the sustainability of conflict sensitive work as a key approach to RVI’s strategy in Ethiopia and elsewhere by developing new work streams and identifying funding opportunities.

 

This is a local hire and only nationals and those with the right to work in Ethiopia can apply.

Applications will close on 5 August 2025. However, we will review them on a rolling basis and the vacancy will be filled in as soon as a suitable candidate is found. We encourage interested candidates to apply immediately.

Person specification knowledge and qualification

• Minimum of a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, Development Studies or another related field.
• Expertise in conflict sensitivity, conflict analysis, peacebuilding and reconciliation.
• Formal training in conflict sensitivity, negotiation, conflict management and mitigation, or social cohesion methodologies.
• Excellent understanding of current and historical political and conflict dynamics in Ethiopia.
• Demonstrated experience in research, analysis and capacity building related to conflict analysis, conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding
• Good research networks across Ethiopia (including with relevant government authorities and NGOs)

Experience

• Minimum of five years of work experience in designing and delivering conflict analyses and peacebuilding program in fragile and conflict affected states, preferably in Ethiopia.
• Experience working in the humanitarian and development sector an advantage

Skills and abilities

• Training and facilitation skills.
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English and fluency in Amharic.
• Knowledge of an additional Ethiopian language is an advantage.
• Demonstrable ability to innovate conflict sensitivity, analysis and peacebuilding tools and procedures.
• Excellent political analysis skills.
• Cultural sensitivity and experience of working with diverse constituencies.
• Strong oral presentation and communication skills.
• Administratively self-sufficient, able to prepare budgets, reports and handle logistics.
• A commitment to RVI’s values, mission and vision.