Partnership & Relations Officer

Please note: Recruitment will be done on a rolling basis and FYF reserves the right to recruit before the deadline

Who We Are

The Free Yezidi Foundation is one of the leading Yezidi organizations providing humanitarian and human rights support to Yezidi civilians. The Free Yezidi Foundation is a humanitarian, apolitical, women-led non-profit organization formally registered in the Netherlands and the United States and licensed to operate in Iraq.

The Free Yezidi Foundation is designed to assist Yezidis in need. The Foundation was established shortly after ISIS attempted to eradicate the Yezidi people in August 2014. The Free Yezidi Foundation seeks to implement projects to protect and support the most vulnerable members of the Yezidi community.

The Free Yezidi Foundation is virtually headquartered in the Netherlands and the United States, with its operational base in Duhok, Iraq. The Foundation is particularly engaged with services for Yezidi survivors, with a special focus on Yezidi women and children. FYF also works to assist for all Yezidis seeking justice and accountability. FYF also plays an important advocacy role in promoting better and broader humanitarian and human rights support to Yezidis.

Operations in Iraq include a women’s center and a children’s center, a trauma team, a justice team, an enterprise & training center campus, a center to combat gender-based violence and gender discrimination in the community, and a variety of other activities to support Yezidi recovery and growth.

The Foundation currently employs a number of staff members, both national and international, and is now growing rapidly to manage the implementation of a number of projects.

Background

Yezidis have suffered from a very different sort of trauma than Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs and refugees in general. It is true that all have experienced devastating losses. But the Yezidi community is recovering from a deliberate attempt by ISIS to exterminate their people specifically because of their religion. This has been recognized as genocide already by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the US State Department and Congress, the European Parliament, the UK Parliament, and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The decision to target a small minority group for extermination based on identity has created a sense of horror not unlike that found in populations in Rwanda, former Yugoslavia, post-WWII Germany, and so on. FYF is sensitive to the particular nature of the suffering of Yezidi survivors, and all projects and activities have been tailored in this regard. The horrific crisis currently facing Yezidis is one in which an external group perpetrated unspeakable crimes against a religious minority, which is now in need of care and support.

Job Summary

The Partnership & Relations Officer will be responsible for developing and expanding relationships with foreign government offices and aid agencies in Iraq, for maintaining relations with UN agencies and local authorities as necessary, and working with partners, donors, and civil society organizations to maintain and expand FYF programs and operations in the field. (S)he will liaise with country and HQ leadership closely in pursuit of strengthened relationship with partners and stakeholders.

We are looking for an individual with a passion for making a difference in the lives of religious minority members recovering from severe persecution, and someone who believes in the importance and value of civil society organizations, and the value of trauma treatment, justice and accountability, and critically, in women’s rights.

The Partnership & Relations Officer will be accountable to the Country Director and, in some areas, to FYF’s Executive Director. (S)he will be based in Duhok, with travel within Duhok, to Erbil, and in some circumstances to Baghdad and to Ninevah governorate. This is a field-based position.

Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform a number of functions.

General Objectives

· Direct FYF communications and relationships in the field with partners, donors, the media, and all stakeholders, in coordination with the Country Director.

· Contribute to FYF’s development strategy and growth, in coordination with FYF leadership.

· Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization.

Engagement with Foreign Missions and Agencies

· Proactively establish relationships with diplomatic missions in Erbil and Baghdad, with assistance from senior FYF team.

· Proactively establish relationships with UN agencies, based in Duhok, Erbil, and Baghdad, with assistance from senior FYF team members.

· Develop relationship with aid agencies based in Iraq with assistance from senior FYF team members.

· In circumstances where FYF already has an established partnership, work with project managers and implementing staff to fully understand current or past projects and ensure continued engagement.

· Understand the FYF program portfolio, associated outputs and outcomes, and communicate the organization’s goals and programs with stakeholders.

· Facilitate communication with field-based staff, organize regular calls, and help streamline reporting from the field to the HQ office.

· Collect and package photos, videos, and other collateral for communications packages.

Engagement with Local Authorities, INGOs, CSOs

· Ensure coordination with local authorities in order to assure continued implementation of projects, together with the Country Director and field team members.

· Develop or expand relationships with international NGOs, with a view to partnerships and joint or shared implementation of projects.

· Follow the directions of FYF leadership in coordinating with civil society organizations, and strengthen or establish relationships with those organizations that share FYF’s goals and ethical standards.

Coordination with FYF Field & HQ Team

· Help identify unrestricted fundraising opportunities and apply for such opportunities, in coordination with FYF Executive Director and Programs Director.

· Contribute substantively to developing and adapting the organization’s fundraising strategy, seek and screen new funding opportunities.

· Contribute to the drafting and editing of proposals for funding as necessary.

· Assist in follow-up with donors after proposal submission to monitor progress, answer questions and amend submissions as necessary, in coordination with team members.

· Pursue funding opportunities other than direct grants from donors, e.g. as a sub-grantee or consortium member, in coordination with senior FYF team members.

· Remain updated of quantitative and qualitative program information to be shared with partners, stakeholders and donors (past and current programs).

· Review proposals, agreements, contracts, donor reports, etc. with special attention to maintaining high quality of external reporting and compliance with donor rules.

· Support FYF on various administrative and management tasks as necessary.

· Maintain orderly files and involve relevant internal stakeholders in communications.

· Ensure databases are updated for reporting and knowledge retention, in coordination with field team members.

Qualifications and Competencies: Education, Knowledge and Experience

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· A bachelor’s degree in International Development, International Relations, or related field is a distinct advantage. Master’s degree in Humanitarian or Development Studies preferred.

· Five years of relevant experience.

· Excellent English oral and written communication skills, including ability to analyze and present a cogent argument both in writing and orally. Other language skills a plus but not required.

· Experience managing and prioritizing a high workload and working with a diverse staff team with a flexible approach to changing environments.

· Interest in displaced persons, religious freedom, anti-trafficking initiatives, sexual violence in conflict, women’s rights & empowerment, genocide and atrocities issues, justice and accountability, trauma, and crisis recovery.

· Proven capabilities in teamwork and collaboration are required, with the ability to work among a diverse team, communicate effectively with individuals, and navigate difficult situations.

· Experience in drafting of proposals for humanitarian and development programs preferred but not required.

· Commitment to ethical delivery of humanitarian and human rights programs, with ability to maintain focus beyond media or public attention and on the rights and needs of individual beneficiaries and the beneficiary community.

· Skill and knowledge in working with humanitarian field program staff preferred but not required.

· Strong computer skills: facility with MS Word, Excel, and email/internet software.

· Proven diplomatic and public relations skills, and a demonstrated ability to work with cooperating partners required, with the ability to publicly represent an organization.

· Willingness to travel and adapt to new environments, adjust to life in Iraq, and accept COVID-related restrictions as necessary.

Base of Operations

Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Start Date

October 2021

Length of Contract

The first contract lasts for 12 months and is renewable.

Salary and Benefits

· Salary is determined according to the organization’s salary scale and commensurate with experience.

· Full-time employees receive a generous benefits package, including FYF-listed holidays, generous paid vacation, and health insurance coverage.

Upon Joining FYF

FYF has non-disclosure and liability waiver clauses in the contract for all employees upon joining the team. All paperwork will be managed between the time the job offer is sent and the candidate begins work.