Responsible To: President
Appointment Site: Challenging Heights Office, Winneba, Ghana

Mission and Job Purpose:
Our mission is to ensure a secured, protected and dignified future and life for children and youth by promoting their rights, education, and health.

Challenging Heights delivers social justice interventions to children, women, and underserved communities in the coastal and farming communities of Ghana. This includes rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of children who have been trafficked in the fishing industry, as well as organizing communities around issues of child protection in order to prevent trafficking and re-trafficking of children. Challenging Heights also contributes to policy and awareness creation and the public discourse on issues affecting Ghanaian children. Additionally, the organization runs a school for more than 700 children who are survivors of child trafficking or who are at risk of child trafficking.

From the humble beginning of being a one-man unregistered organization in 2003, Challenging Heights has grown to its present status of a formidable child-centered social justice organization that is at the forefront of fighting for the rights of children and underserved populations.

Challenging Heights is poised to scale up operations for the purpose of sustaining its program gains and services and improving upon the quality it offers to both its clients and supporters.

The Advocacy Officer will work closely with the President and Programs Manager to develop and implement a strategy for advocacy at the district, national, and international level on issues relevant to the mission of Challenging Heights. Additionally, the Advocacy Officer will assist the Programs team with projects in the community. This position requires public speaking ability, diplomacy, patience, and flexibility.

Advocacy Officer:

•   Liaise with district, municipal, and national governments to advocate for issues relevant to the work of Challenging Heights.
•   Represent Challenging Heights to local, national, and international governments as well as other non-governmental organizations.
•   Facilitate partnerships with district governments to achieve strategic objectives.
•   Engage diverse audiences in relevant advocacy.
•   Design and implement an advocacy strategy in collaboration with the President and other staff.
•   Network and identify new forums for expanding the advocacy strategy.
•   Coordinate events related to the advocacy strategy.
•   Coordinate and produce media, including writing articles and op-eds on issues relevant to Challenging Heights mission.
•   Give interviews for radio and television.
•   Manage communication with local and international partnerships.
•   Write various reports for Challenging Heights.
•   Support the Programs team as required in implementing community programs.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   A first degree in government, public policy, journalism, human rights, or other relevant field required.
•   Understanding of child rights and social justice agenda in Ghana. Knowledge of child trafficking, especially in the fishing industry in Ghana, a plus.
•   Knowledge of local and national government structure and relevant laws and acts (Human Trafficking Act, Childrens Act, etc).
•   Knowledge of international bodies and laws a plus.
•   Experience writing articles or op-eds.
•   Experience working with government officials, both local and national.
•   Experience coordinating events.
•   Experience with the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare and/or the Ministry of Women and Childrens Affairs a plus.
•   Experience working with children a plus.
•   Contacts in local and/or national government a plus.
•   Contacts in the media a plus.
•   Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
•   Highly computer and internet literate. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint.
•   Strong public speaker.
•   Outgoing, flexible, and a quick learner. Passionate about human rights and justice.
•   High level of personal initiative and resourcefulness.
•   Ability to work long hours, including some weekends.
•   Intercultural relationship-building skills.

Location: Winneba

How To Apply For The Job

To apply for this position, please email the following to infoCHghana@gmail.com (applications not including all of the below will not be considered):

•   A one page Cover Letter, detailing experience that is relevant to the position.
•   A CV/resume, including two professional references.
•   A Writing Sample of your own work, preferably an op-ed, which demonstrates effective written communication on a relevant issue.

Closing Date: 25 August, 2013

For more information on Challenging Heights, please visit our website: www.challengingheights.org.

Female candidates and graduates of UEW highly encouraged to apply. Ghanaian nationals only please.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, as we hope to fill this position ASAP.