Policy & Advocacy / Members’ Relation Officer

Job Title: Policy & Advocacy / Members’ Relation Officer

Location: Ramallah

Contract Duration: 1 Year – Renewable.

Starting Date: ASAP

Background on PITA

Palestinian Information Technology Association of Companies – PITA is the voice of the ICT sector in Palestine. It has more than 180 member companies working in different ICT sectors such as software and outsourcing sector, hardware sector, training and consultancy sector, Internet and telecommunications sectors. PITA is the reference and representative association of private ICT sector, and was founded in 1999 by a group of Palestinian entrepreneurs as a non-profit organization to advance the interests and positive societal impact of Palestine’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

PITA offers its members a wide range of exclusive services that help leverage members’ investments and facilitate information exchange among them. Through its varied programs, PITA provides a multitude of services which are aimed at promoting and facilitating the exchange of knowledge, information and deal flow with its members.  It also recognizes the need for capacity building where we help companies with technical skills, soft skills training, access to markets, and legal and HR advise. Adding to that; PITA has ad -hoc committees that are comprised of PITA dedicated members who are specialized in certain aspects of the ICT sector. Those committees are devoted to the development of the sector by offering specialized consultancy and following up with different stakeholders in the Palestinian economy.

Additionally; with over 180 member companies, PITA aims to foster collaboration between the private sector and the government to position Palestinian ICT capabilities on both local and international stages. To further this mission, PITA seeks to establish a dedicated Policy and Advocacy Unit that will strategically engage with stakeholders to shape policies fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration within the ICT sector.

Position Profile:

PITA seeks to hire an experienced Advocacy and Policy / Members’ Relation Officer to work on a dual-layered approach: 1. Lead the establishment and strategic direction of the Policy and Advocacy Unit. The Officer will play a pivotal role in engaging with governmental bodies, private sector stakeholders, and external experts to develop and advocate for tailored policy frameworks supporting the growth and competitiveness of the Palestinian ICT industry. 2. Manage and enhance the PITA's outreach strategies, public image, and membership relations, through taking the lead in a number of initiatives and activities especially the coordination of the PITA’s members and sub-committees, external committees and taskforces; in terms of the internal and external communications with the public and the private sectors, and supporting the various structures at all levels in empowering PITA’ membership profile. (The Officer will work closely with PITA’s General Manager, Board of Directors, PITA’s sub-committees and members).

Expected Tasks:

Advocacy & Policy Reinforcement:

• Engage with both government bodies/ministries (e.g., Ministry of National Economy, MTIT, PMO), and PITA’s ICT companies/sub-sector committees to advocate for ICT sector interests.
• Lead the establishment of a dedicated policy unit within PITA.
• Coordinate communication between the Unit and the Board of Directors and its various committees.
• Develop tools and frameworks for data collection, consolidation, and transformation into position papers.
• Design a policy reform approach specific to each policy issue.
• Lead and support the implementation of the policy reform approach, including setting and attending meetings and supporting stakeholders to follow through on action steps identified, which may include policy and legal reforms.
• Collaborate with an external expert to refine and implement an incentive package for ICT startups/companies.
• Develop a tailored advocacy campaign and strategies to advocate for policy reforms effectively.
• Assess intersections with key economic sectors and advocate for ICT as an enabler.
• Collect relevant data from various stakeholders to formulate position papers.
• Conduct roundtable sessions to refine advocacy approaches and educate stakeholders on policy initiatives, and to enhance stakeholder understanding and utilization of the incentive package.
• Engaging with PITA’s internal and external committees and taskforces for following up, designing, and carrying-out advocacy efforts for the adoption of set policy reforms.
• Prepare summary reports and policy and position papers on PITA’s members’ and its committees’ activities to be shared with PITA’s members, Board of Directors and PITA’s General Manager.

Membership Management:

The advocacy unit that will be established will focus on a communication domain designed specifically for PITA’s members. This strategy aims to ensure consistent and effective communication with all members to support PITA’s advocacy efforts, facilitate learning and capacity building, and promote other relevant activities of members.

Alongside the advocacy & policy endeavors; the officer will be performing the below tasks:

• Develop a membership outreach strategy for PITA’s members; to attract, engage, and retain members of PITA.
• Actively identify potential new members among the ICT sector.
• Manage the membership process for new and the old members to ensure they are easily integrated into the mailing lists and receive other communications.
• Manage databases of members, partners and stakeholders and ensure up-to-date profiles of PITA’s members on the website. Additionally; manage and develop a network of ICT specialists, academics, and trainers.
• Identify and develop opportunities for members to showcase and communicate their work at external events.
• Oversite of all membership data, tracking and reporting, including but not limited to:
• Accurate membership records.
• Membership trend analysis by region.
• Recruitment and retention reports.
• Current, new and prospective member information.
• Member experience throughout join and renewal process.
• Develop an overview document outlining PITA’s membership profile (including regional distribution, key activities and thematic focus across the membership base).
• Keep abreast of the latest local, national and international efforts and public policies related to the association, and monitor media, NGO and academic reports on a daily basis to identify new developments affecting the ICT sector.
• Where feasible, offer strategic communications advice to members to maximize their advocacy impact.

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لموقع جوبس.

Required Expertise:

The Officer shall have:

• At least 5-7 years of experience and demonstrated effectiveness in implementing policy reform activities in WBG, including research; analysis (political economy analysis); and negotiations
• An advanced (Master’s preferred) degree in a related specialty (political science, economics, public policy, or another related subject).
• An extensive professional network across public and private sector stakeholders in WBG.
• Familiarity with the ICT sector and the Palestinian context, understanding of advocacy issues, and knowledge of public relations practices.
• Experience of engaging with membership organizations and associations.
• Proven ability to develop consensus policy positions and write high-quality policy and position papers.
• Ability to work, communicate and advocate with a broad range of stakeholders including policymakers, government officials, NGOs, and community representatives.
• Experience in public relations and corporate communications.
• Strong working experience of a variety of public relations programs.
• Spoken and written fluency in Arabic (fluency of English is an advantage).

Application Instructions

Only applicants who have the required qualities, experience, and skills will be considered.

Interested applicants must include (a) A resume (in English) and (b) a cover letter explaining their suitability for the position (in English). Please submit your application by e- mail to [email protected] no later than Thursday, 30th of May 2024 at 3:00 PM local time in Palestine and include the “Policy & Advocacy / Members’ Relation Officer” in the subject line and cover letter.

Applications received after this date will not be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.