US Representative

Position description

The US Representative is a senior position leading Front Line Defenders’ advocacy, outreach and fundraising efforts in the United States. The US Representative engages with decision makers, civil society, donors and other allies, and help strengthen a constituency of support in the US for HRDs. The US Representative works in cooperation with the Front Line USA Foundation.

Responsibilities:

• Represent Front Line Defenders in the United States at meetings, conferences and other relevant human rights spaces, and further develop in the US the organisation’s profile and awareness of human rights defenders protection needs, including through participation in campaigns, events and social networking;
• Formulate, manage and oversee the implementation of a US strategy for FLD that creates space for and centers HRD voices, supports HRDs at risk and increases HRD protection with US Government and US Congress and other US-based policymakers, as requested and in close coordination with the FLD global advocacy team and FLD protection team;
• Support fundraising efforts in the US, in coordination with the development team, including working to maintain good relationships with FLD’s current US-based donors, identifying new donors, attending relevant donors conferences, building relationships with prospective donors, and meeting annual fundraising targets;
• Coordinate events and visits of human rights defenders to the US in order to increase awareness of the work of human rights defenders as well as promote the organisation’s work, including for the launch of FLD’s annual Global Analysis and the Front Line Defenders Awards for Human Rights Defenders at risk;
• Engage with peer human rights organisations to support and contribute to the development, promotion and implementation of HRD-focused legislation and policies in the US;
• Support urgent advocacy efforts on cases of HRDs at risk, including by raising the profile of HRDs at risk with US policymakers.
• Support and co-manage the Front Line USA Foundation and its Board, in coordination with head of development.
• Participate actively in the FLD management team and develop a shared sense of management responsibility and accountability.
• Engage with the FLD evaluation and data management team to support good data collection and reporting on the work of the organization.

Qualifications

Essential:

• In-depth knowledge of US foreign policy, human rights context in the US and globally, and of the key actors in the human rights space among policymakers, government officials, and the philanthropic sector, particularly with regard to human rights defenders;

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships of trust with human rights defenders and key stakeholders;

• Self drive, initiative and capacity to pro actively support HRDs;

• Familiarity with international human rights mechanisms, including those related to human rights defenders;

• Fluent written and spoken English;

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and creatively;

• Excellent political judgement, including the ability to make strategic choices based on sound analysis of potential costs and benefits, with a human rights and intersectional perspective.

Desirable:

• Working knowledge of one of Front Line Defenders other working languages (Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish).

• Good knowledge of civil society sector in the US.

Experience:

Essential:

• Minimum 7 years of work experience in civil society, human rights, and government engagement programmes at national or international level;

• Experience in fundraising and engaging with private donors, such as foundations, corporations and high-net worth individuals.

• Demonstrated experience working with a human rights defender-centered approach and engaging with grassroots HRDs and/or communities of different cultures.

Desirable:

• Experience working for a human rights organisation or a philanthropic organisation.

Other requirements:

• Frequent requirement to travel, primarily in the US, but also a minimum of three annual trips to Dublin for internal meetings.

• Availability to attend evening networking events.

• Valid work permit in the US

Salary: $95.000 – $105.000 per annum

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on tendersglobal.net