Government Relations Officer

Job Summary

The Government Relations Officer, based in Kampala and reporting directly to the Chief Government Relations Officer, serves as a pivotal architect of Village Enterprise's mission to end extreme poverty in rural Africa. In this high-impact role, you will be responsible for establishing, developing, and maintaining strategic relationships with key Ugandan government officials, departments, and agencies. Your primary objective is to promote the adoption and scaling of Village Enterprise's proven poverty graduation model, a comprehensive approach that equips ultra-poor households with the resources, training, and mentoring needed to build sustainable livelihoods. Beyond Uganda, you will actively engage with Village Enterprise teams in Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia to foster a united, cross-border regional effort, ensuring that government engagement strategies are cohesive and mutually reinforcing. This position is open exclusively to Ugandan Nationals who possess an intimate understanding of the country's political and developmental landscape. You will serve as the primary liaison between Village Enterprise and the Government of Uganda, translating complex programmatic outcomes into compelling narratives that resonate with policymakers and drive systemic change.

Key Responsibilities

• Stakeholder Engagement: Identify, map, and nurture relationships with critical government stakeholders at the national, district, and local levels, including ministries, parliamentary committees, and regulatory bodies, to champion the adoption and scaling of Village Enterprise's poverty graduation model.
• Policy Advocacy: Lead advocacy efforts to influence policies, national strategies, and regulatory frameworks that advance the uptake and expansion of the poverty graduation model, ensuring alignment with Uganda's national development plans such as the Vision 2040 and NDP III.
• Engagement Strategies: Design and implement comprehensive, multi-year engagement strategies targeting key government agencies, fostering alignment of Village Enterprise's model with Uganda's national development objectives and securing high-level buy-in for program integration.
• Fundraising Support: Collaborate closely with the development and partnerships team to identify, track, and pursue government funding opportunities, including grants, contracts, and co-financing arrangements, while assisting in the development of persuasive and technically sound proposals to secure these resources.
• Communication and Representation: Serve as a credible and articulate spokesperson for Village Enterprise to the Ugandan government, delivering clear, evidence-based presentations, briefs, and reports that effectively communicate the model's impact, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, while fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Reporting and Analysis: Continuously monitor, analyze, and report on political developments, legislative changes, government initiatives, and policy shifts that could impact the adoption and scaling of the poverty graduation model, providing timely, actionable insights and regular updates to the Chief Government Relations Officer.
• Regional Collaboration: Work in close coordination with government relations counterparts in Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia to promote a cohesive, harmonized regional approach to government engagement, facilitating the cross-border scaling of the poverty graduation model and sharing best practices.

What does success look like for this role?

• Successful establishment and nurturing of relationships with key Ugandan Government stakeholders, resulting in measurable increases in the adoption and scaling of Village Enterprise's poverty graduation model across new and existing geographies.
• Effective advocacy leading to tangible policy changes, such as the inclusion of graduation approaches in national poverty reduction strategies, budgets, or social protection frameworks, favoring the model's expansion within the Ugandan Government.
• Creation and execution of comprehensive engagement strategies that foster fruitful collaborations, public-private partnerships, and attract sustainable, multi-year government funding to support program operations and growth.
• Effective articulation of Village Enterprise's poverty graduation model to Ugandan Government stakeholders, enhancing understanding, trust, and active support, resulting in formal endorsements or co-implementation agreements.
• Timely, precise, and insightful reporting and analysis of political and policy developments pertinent to Village Enterprise's work, enabling proactive strategic adjustments and risk mitigation.
• Collaboration with Village Enterprise teams in other East African countries promoting a unified regional government effort, contributing to the scaled adoption of the poverty graduation model across East Africa through joint advocacy and shared learning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Public Policy, Public Administration, or a closely related field. A Master's degree is highly desirable.
• Minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in government relations, public affairs, policy advocacy, or a similar role, preferably within the NGO sector, international development, or a related field.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective, trust-based relationships with partners, government officials at all levels, donors, and other stakeholders, with a track record of achieving concrete advocacy outcomes.
• Deep, nuanced understanding of the Ugandan political landscape, government systems, legislative processes, and the socio-economic realities of rural communities, particularly in the context of poverty alleviation.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive policy briefs, presentations, and reports, and to negotiate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and strategically, with a high level of initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate complex political environments with diplomacy and tact.
• Exceptional organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities, competing deadlines, and a dynamic workload with minimal supervision.
• Familiarity with rural development, entrepreneurship, microenterprise, and evidence-based poverty graduation approaches, such as the BRAC or CGAP graduation model, is highly preferred.
• Understanding of the socio-economic context, cultural dynamics, and challenges facing ultra-poor and rural communities in Uganda is highly desirable, with a demonstrated commitment to equitable development.
• Proficiency in English (both written and spoken) is required; knowledge of local Ugandan languages, such as Luganda, Ateso, or Luo, is a significant asset for community-level engagement.
• Unwavering commitment to Village Enterprise's mission to end extreme poverty in rural Africa, and alignment with the organization's core values of integrity, collaboration, and impact.