Director of Nigeria INGO Forum, Abuja

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, emergency food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Director, Nigeria INGO Forum

Job Identification: 19168
Location: Abuja
Contract: 12 months with possibility of extension - Final candidate is ideally available to start in-person in Abuja by early January 2026, after the holiday period.
Travel: 30% travel to both secure and insecure environments

Here are some of your specific responsibilities
Strategic Coordination and Representation:

• Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information sharing between INGOs and other stakeholders.
• Enable INGOs to coordinate at strategic and operational level in Nigeria by facilitating high quality, regular meetings of Country Directors, Senior Field Managers, thematic working groups, representatives of the INGO Forum and other mechanisms that maximizes the impact of INGO action in Nigeria. Ensuring information flows, feedback, drafting of relevant agenda and timely follow up on action points.
• Encourage active and open dialogue between the NGO Steering Committee and INGO forum Plenary (General assembly) members.
• Participate in important policy and planning processes underway at the UN and government level that requires field level operational inputs from INGOs e.g. Humanitarian Program Cycle and related planning, Solutions Steering Committee, HDP Framework Action Plan, UN longer-term recovery and development planning.
• Provide a regular and reliable conduit for the UN, Government, donor representatives and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with NGOs
• Help maintain high quality countrywide coordination within humanitarian actors and between humanitarian and conflict mitigation/peace-building, recovery and development/governance actors.
• Coordinate visits of high-level evaluation missions, UN and NGO missions, researchers, donors, diplomats as required
• Increase and enhance INGO engagement with national NGOs and civil society groups to create potential coalitions around key thematic areas and to promote INGOs localization agenda
• Identify opportunities and strategies for coordination with peace-building and development actors and humanitarians in Nigeria in line with the Nexus approach
• Co-chairs the North-West Coordination Forum with UNICEF and the Peacebuilding Coordination Forum with the RCO Peace and Development Advisor, and ensures coordination with INGOs on setting respective agendas.

Senior Level Representation:

• Actively represent INGO Forum members in senior humanitarian and/or development platforms e.g. HCT, Humanitarian-Donor Group, CMCOORD, relevant technical groups and ensure engagement with and high-profile external discussions and ensure the dissemination of high quality written feedback.
• Regularly network and represent the INGO community at high-level fora and bilateral meetings including with UN, Donors, Member States, military and government, and other representative bodies, based on messages agreed on with NIF members
• Work effectively with delegated representatives of the INGO Forum and ensure accountability to members. 
• Represent INGO Forum members at global meetings and conferences and raise members’ advocacy messages and key priorities by participating in high level panel discussions, round tables and closed-door meetings.

Advocacy and Policy Leadership:

• Oversees the development, review and implementation of NIF Advocacy Strategy in close collaboration with NIF Policy Advisor, while mobilizing and leveraging support from member organizations.
• Work with NIF Policy Advisor to coordinate NIF members advocacy teams at country/regiona/HQ level on Nigeria, to regularly draft policy and positioning papers and briefs in line with collective views of INGO Forum members on topics of concern.
• Actively engage high profile targets and allies within UN, Government, donor and diplomatic communities in Nigeria and externally to further advocacy objectives.
• Stay informed on global, regional and national opportunities to further advocacy objectives by anticipating key dates and ensuring adequate time to contribute productively.
• Collect, analyse and share information relevant to members and external stakeholders, often with the goal of influencing policies and improving operational or protection space.

Information Sharing, Analysis and Best Practice:

• Acting as focal point for information/experience sharing with and among NGOs on relevant issues including managing NGO Forum and INGO membership, contact lists and mailing lists
• Offer regular analysis on key thematic and operational issues impacting country context, humanitarian responses and affected populations.
• Ensure timely response to requests for help and information from member organizations, non-member organizations and other stakeholders, such as donors, governments and UN agencies. Often this requires a high degree of coordination and the collection of sensitive information.
• Create feedback mechanisms, open learning channels, support pilot efforts for knowledge management, and ensure information flow between INGOs.
• Ensure NIF Secretariat conducts active and continued research into prevailing humanitarian, socio-economic, geo-political, security situation in NIF, providing the Forum with regular updates
• Ensure NIF Secretariat identifies gaps in research and analysis that could be used by large numbers of the membership and hire and manage NIF staff/consultants as needed to assist with and complement this task.
• Provide oversight on the development and/or maintenance of the Forum Web site.
• Ensure that NIF team keeps updated contact lists of members and external stakeholders, as well as dashboards of NIF members activities across the country.

Project Management and Human Resources:

• Ensure high quality INGO Forum proposal development and donor reporting, as well as donor liaison on key areas of progress in collaboration with the Chair and Host Agency.
• Report to Steering Committee and Plenary on project activity progress, expenditure and plans. 
• Build and maintain a productive relationship with the Host Agency and support host change.
• Manage consultants, researchers and other external support.
• Provide leadership and direction, promote professional working relationships, and encourage staff.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals identifying capacity building needs and further career objectives; follow-up, and maintain updated job descriptions
• Update the INGO Forum Strategy/work plans on an annual basis
• Ensure smooth running of the governance model of the INGO Forum and where required make recommendations for changes.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work.

What you will bring

• Undergraduate / Postgraduate qualifications in International Relations, Political Science, Development or another relevant field
• 5+ years of experience in a conflict or post-conflict setting with an INGO in a coordination or senior management role (e.g. Country Director or similar levels). Experience of working in complex humanitarian situations is preferred.
• Proven high profile management, coordination and advocacy experience in humanitarian context.
• Demonstrated communication, leadership skills, interpersonal and negotiation skills 
• Documented skills in developing proposals, budgets and reports 
• Strong advocacy experience in conflict-affected countries 
• Demonstrated knowledge of humanitarian architecture, the UN system (HCT, ISCG, Clusters), 
• Familiarity with HDP Nexus contexts, Durable Solutions, and Localization.
• Knowledge of international humanitarian law and humanitarian reform a plus 
• Strong understanding of conflict sensitivity and protection
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Knowledge of the Nigeria context or previous experience working in Nigeria/West Africa/similar scale humanitarian response is required.
• Experience in administration and coordination of coalition or secretariat functions an asset.
• Understanding of internal NRC operational and administrative system is an asset.
• Strong communication, inter-personal, facilitation and diplomatic skills.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal, with strong writing and editing skills. Knowledge of Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo is an added value.

Salary / Benefits
Grade 11 on NRC’s salary Resident/Mobile scale, with accompanying terms and conditions. 

Application Closing Date
14th October, 2025, 12:55 AM.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click Apply Now button to apply

Note

• NRC is an equal opportunities employer.
• We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels.
• You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.