Job Opportunity for Advocacy Coordinator at Quest Alliance in Bengaluru

At Quest Alliance we transform learning ecosystems through education technology, capacity building, and collaboration to build 21st-century skills for learners and facilitators

We are a not-for-profit trust that focuses on research-led innovation and advocacy in the field of teaching and learning. We engage with educators, civil society, government institutions and corporate organizations to demonstrate and enable scalable and replicable solutions in school education and vocational training

At Quest you will get the opportunity to apply your skills and contribute to addressing issues around quality education and skills training. The organization gives you the space to learn and grow in a fun and engaging environment.  We have an eclectic group of people working at Quest drawn from diverse disciplines including Education, Technology, Design, Youth Development and Business. 

ABOUT THE ROLE: 

As we look at shaping a 21st century networked organization, we are looking for an Advocacy Coordinator who can contribute and lead execution of Quest’s  advocacy strategy for the organisation.

In this role, you will contribute towards all aspects of advocacy including 

1. Coordinating the Quest2learn (Q2L) strategy and execution:

Quest2Learn brings together different stakeholder voices and sector practitioners from across the world to share best practices and insights, engage in dialogue, analyze new trends in learning, validate approaches, and build on new ideas around the education-skills divide, and the future of work and learning. in this role you will

• Coordinate the webinars and physical events by bringing practitioners together
• Develop the concept note and agenda design in partnership with various teams
• Anchor the newsletter & contribute to the blog to share with the sector
• Organising multi stakeholder meetings by  fostering a community of practitioners across the school to work spectrum to build key skills and mindsets to create long-lasting change.
• To promote Q2L internally and have QA members see it as a source of information, data and dialogue and creating visual artefacts
• Organise regular roundtable convening key thought leaders in the space to gather and curate diverse perspectives.
• Hosting an annual event to recognize and celebrate innovative initiatives and curate them on the Q2L platform. 

2. Strategic Advocacy Support :

• Coordinate the organisation wide Advocacy working group to develop the point of view on various issues like gender, 21st century skills and system change.
• Work closely with the teams to develop concept notes and advocacy plans for the state in partnerships with CSOs, governments and funders
• Developing policy and advocacy strategy that take into account external trends and in-depth understanding of needs and issues impacting young people on employment and education
• Represent Quest alliance  internally and externally as required including coalitions, task forces, panels, committees, etc.
• Develop presentations and synthesis of external reports to help the leadership communicate key organisational perspectives and positions
• Develop and maximize strong and effective relationships with key decision makers such as government, UN agencies and other influencer so that Quest Alliance is looked to for policy and program direction 
• Develop effective strategic relationships with other organizations working in aligned areas to maximize impact of Quest Alliance’s policy positions  Communicate priorities and promote buy-in of advocacy campaigns among NGOs,  institutions and allies
• Delivering campaigns through partnerships and consultations to achieve the objectives for each issue selected.
• Ideate and strategize on research initiatives to inform the advocacy strategy and influence the change
• Writing, publishing and disseminating advocacy briefs

3. Funding Liaison 

• Preparing and marketing proposals for fundraising projects related to advocacy and research
• Overseeing the fulfillment of donor-funded advocacy projects;

Requirements

We are looking for an individual who has

Demonstrated Excellence in Policy Advocacy & Research – Proven in-depth understanding of national and state policies and programs and budget process; Experience of managing and coordinating research projects ; proven success with managing high-impact advocacy campaigns; demonstrated ability to prioritize and evaluate issues worthy of focus  

Experience with working in and coordinating, coalitions – Existing and positive relationships with decision makers, nonprofit leaders ; proven expertise in the areas of youth, education, employment

Strategic Vision and Agility – Ability to think strategically and act tactfully, anticipate future consequences and trends, incorporate them into the unit’s plan, and manage change processes to achieve results. 

Project Management – Ability to prioritize effectively to achieve maximum impact; experience managing complex and changing projects; ability to anticipate future consequences and trends; capacity to incorporate changes into advocacy  plan and ensure effective delivery of outcomes  

Effective Partnerships – Ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders; ability to develop effective partnerships; demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team  

Communication Ability – Excellent writing, analytical, research and speaking skills; experience facilitating meetings and workshops; experience in messaging and framing advocacy efforts; demonstrated media skills and experience preferred 

Outcome and Results Orientation – Demonstrated ability to manage to an outcomes-based approach; proven experience of monitoring and evaluating policy and advocacy activities, managing to outcomes, 

Operational Management & Capacity Building – Ability to effectively build organizational and staff capacity including the processes that ensure the organization runs smoothly and achieves outcomes; understanding of management and processes within nonprofit organizations; experience and demonstrated success in setting effective goals, objectives, and outcomes; experience in managing budgets; excellent MS Office skills (including Word, Publisher, Access, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of database management

Action-Oriented – Enjoyment of working hard and looking for challenges; ability to strategize, act and respond as necessary, even if limited information is available; ability to balance strategy and tactics to achieve effective outcomes; high degree of independence, flexibility, initiative, commitment and ability to work as part of a team.  

Relevant Educational Background – Graduate degree in Policy, Public Administration, Law, Social Work, or related field preferred