Executive Director

Position description

Front Line Defenders aims to protect human rights defenders at risk, people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and subsequent covenants and treaties addressing and specifying rights.

Front Line Defenders (FLD) is an international human rights organisation founded in Dublin in 2001, to improve the security and protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) and organisations around the world at risk for their peaceful and legitimate human rights work. As identified by HRDs themselves, FLD responds to protection and security needs by providing support through grants, capacity building, visibility, networking, and advocacy, at the international, regional, and local levels. 

HRDs work in diverse contexts and on diverse issues – we intentionally take a broad and context-sensitive perspective of who is a human rights defender. Proving protection support and legitimacy to new and emerging groups of HRDs is an important added value of our work. Front Line Defenders maintains its headquarters in Dublin, an EU Office in Brussels, and regionally based field staff in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe & Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Front Line Defenders is now seeking an exceptional Executive Director to lead us through the next phase of our growth and to deliver our ambitious new five-year strategic plan. Reporting to the Board, you will lead the management of the organisation with a particular focus on strategy and policy development, financial management, risk management, fundraising, grants, communications, external representation and ensuring effective action on behalf of human rights defenders at risk.

We are looking for an inspirational leader with vast strategic delivery and people management experience and a track record of working the in international humanitarian or human rights sector. As a strategic thinker, you will be used to operating in a complex organisation and will understand what constitutes good governance. If you are decisive, result and solution-focused, have demonstrable experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships, both internally and externally, and have a strong understanding and experience of the needs of human rights defenders at risk, and holistic protection responses, we invite you to apply.

Application instructions

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