Organization: Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI)
Position: Policy, Partnerships & Systems Change Coordinator
Location: Adamawa and Taraba States, Nigeria
Number of Positions: 2 — 1 in Adamawa and 1 in Taraba
Employment Type: Full-Time
Contract Duration: 6 Months, with possibility of extension
Reports To: Programme Director
Application Deadline: 28th August 2026
Eligibility: Women Only
About Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI)
Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI) is a Nigerian, community-rooted development and humanitarian organization committed to advancing the rights, wellbeing and opportunities of vulnerable children, young people, women and communities affected by poverty, conflict, displacement and other forms of vulnerability.
ROHI works across education, child protection, livelihoods, nutrition, WASH, climate change, resilience and systems strengthening, with a focus on practical, evidence-informed approaches that respond to community needs while contributing to longer-term institutional and systemic change.
About the Role
The Policy, Partnerships & Systems Change Coordinator will provide strategic leadership in strengthening ROHI’s ability to influence policies, institutions, partnerships and systems affecting children, young people, education and communities.
The role is central to the organization’s Vision and Strategy Development process and will support the transition from programme-focused interventions towards a more deliberate and sustainable systems-change approach.
The successful candidate will identify and develop strategic relationships with public institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, private-sector actors, research institutions and other influential stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Policy Influence and Analysis
- Monitor and analyze relevant policies, strategies, legislation and institutional frameworks.
- Identify policy gaps, implementation bottlenecks and opportunities for reform.
- Translate evidence, programme learning and community perspectives into practical policy recommendations.
- Support the development of policy briefs, position papers, advocacy messages and strategic presentations.
- Identify opportunities to contribute to policy dialogue, technical working groups, consultations and sector platforms.
Systems Change
- Lead and support systems mapping to understand key actors, institutions, relationships, incentives and power dynamics.
- Identify leverage points for broader and sustainable change.
- Contribute to the organization’s Theory of Change and systems-change pathways.
- Identify opportunities for successful programme approaches to be adopted, institutionalized, replicated or scaled.
- Work with programme and M&E teams to capture learning and evidence for systems-level influence.
- Promote adaptive learning and reflection throughout the strategy implementation cycle.
Strategic Partnerships
- Develop and maintain relationships with development partners, civil society organizations, networks, research institutions, private-sector actors and other stakeholders.
- Identify strategic partners whose interests and capabilities align with ROHI’s systems-change ambitions.
- Support partnership mapping, engagement plans, collaboration frameworks, MOUs and joint initiatives.
- Represent the organization in strategic meetings, forums, consultations and sector events.
- Strengthen partnerships that contribute to institutional ownership, sustainability, policy influence and scale.
Institutional Engagement and Influence
- Develop stakeholder engagement strategies for priority institutions and decision-makers.
- Build relationships with public institutions and other system actors at national, state and local levels.
- Identify institutional champions and change agents.
- Facilitate dialogue between the organization and key institutional stakeholders.
- Track institutional engagement, commitments, opportunities and risks.
Strategy Development and Organizational Positioning
- Contribute to ROHI’s Vision and Strategy Development process.
- Support strategic discussions around the organization’s future positioning and systems-change ambition.
- Contribute to identifying strategic priorities, pathways to impact and long-term outcomes.
- Support organizational positioning and thought leadership on priority issues.
- Develop strategic narratives communicating the organization’s contribution to systems change.
Evidence, Learning and Adaptive Management
- Work with the M&E/MEAL function to ensure programme evidence informs policy and systems-change strategies.
- Identify evidence gaps that need to be addressed.
- Promote documentation and dissemination of programme learning and promising practices.
- Contribute to learning reviews and strategy adaptation.
- Ensure partnership and policy engagement outcomes are captured in organizational learning.
Key Deliverables
The successful candidate will contribute to:
- A comprehensive stakeholder and systems map.
- A strategic policy and influencing agenda.
- A strategic partnership and stakeholder engagement framework.
- Policy briefs, evidence products and influencing materials.
- Strategic partnership opportunities and collaboration agreements.
- Pathways for institutionalization, sustainability and potential scale.
- Contributions to the organization’s Theory of Change and systems-change framework.
- Regular analysis of policy, institutional and stakeholder developments.
- Documentation of partnership, policy and systems-change learning.
- Strategic recommendations for organizational positioning and future growth.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Essential
Applicants should have:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Development Studies, International Relations, Education, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Law or a related field.
- At least 5 years of progressive professional experience in policy, advocacy, strategic partnerships, institutional engagement, systems strengthening, programme development or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience engaging with senior institutional stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Strong understanding of policy processes, institutional structures and systems-change approaches.
- Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic partnerships.
- Strong analytical, research and synthesis skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to translate complex evidence and systems issues into clear strategic recommendations.
- Experience working across multiple stakeholders and sectors.
- Strong facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills.
Desirable
- Master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Experience in education, child development, youth development, governance or social protection.
- Experience working with public institutions, development partners, INGOs, CSOs or networks.
- Experience in systems thinking, collective impact, adaptive management or systems-change methodologies.
- Experience developing policy briefs, advocacy strategies or institutional reform recommendations.
- Experience working in complex or fragile contexts.
- Knowledge of the Nigerian policy and institutional environment, particularly education and social development sectors.
Core Competencies
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
- Systems Thinking
- Strategic Thinking
- Policy and Influencing
- Partnership Building
- Stakeholder Management
- Communication and Advocacy
- Facilitation
- Adaptability and Learning
- Integrity and Professionalism
Safeguarding and Inclusion
The post holder is expected to uphold organizational standards relating to safeguarding, child protection, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), gender equality, diversity, equity and inclusion, accountability and ethical partnership.
Equal Opportunity
ROHI states that it is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable working environment and strongly encourages applications from qualified women, persons with disabilities and individuals from groups underrepresented in leadership and decision-making spaces.
However, the vacancy itself states that this position is strictly for women.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit:
- Current CV
- Cover Letter outlining their suitability for the position and experience in policy, partnerships and systems change.
Applications should be sent to:
