Amnesty International is seeking a Senior Policy Adviser to develop and apply policies on key human rights issues in a way that maximizes the impact of our work on behalf of rights holders under attack, furthers our strategic objectives, upholds Amnesty International’s values and principles and contributes to the collective work of the Law and Policy Programme.
About the role:
As Senior Policy Adviser you will play a key role in working with country and thematic researchers, advocates and campaigners in the IS and sections and structures on the application and development of AI’s human rights policies with regard to research projects, advocacy initiatives and campaigns. The Senior Policy Adviser will also lead in developing and delivering Amnesty International’s contribution to particular standard-setting initiatives within the UN and regional human rights systems. This Senior Policy Adviser post will be responsible for specific areas of work and develop projects to promote human rights policy development that are designed to have a strong impact in promoting human rights for individuals whose rights are under attack. The post holder will work with legal and policy advisers and assistant advisers to ensure effective, coherent and timely approvals and consultations.
About you:
You will have significant professional experience in human rights including field research and have extensive knowledge of law, politics, international relations or other fields related to human rights. You will have the ability to develop coherent policies based on a detailed understanding of human rights principles and AI’s core values. You will have demonstrated ability to lead policy development work in a complex political environment and have recognized expertise in one or more of the following fields of human rights: Discrimination, Armed Conflict, Freedom of Expression, Abuses by non-state actors, Environment and human rights, and Gender Analysis and the human rights of women, including sexual and reproductive rights.
You will have demonstrated excellent research, analytical and writing skills, including recent relevant publication. You will have extensive experience of managing people, including at a distance; excellent analytical skills; good interpersonal and organisational skills; excellent communication skills. You will have experience of planning, organizing and prioritising work under pressure and to deadlines. You will also have excellent external representational skills. You will have outstanding written and verbal English is essential and the ability to work to a high professional level in another language, particularly Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian, or Spanish, is strongly preferred.
About us:
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people standing up for human rights. We are independent and impartial and our campaigning is based on accurate and timely research. Our network extends to more than two million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries around the world. Each one of us is outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world – and together we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.
Job Summary
JOB PURPOSE: To develop and apply policies on key human rights issues in a way that maximizes the impact of our work on behalf of rights holders under attack, furthers our strategic objectives, upholds Amnesty International’s values and principles and contributes to the collective work of the Law and Policy Programme.
DEPARTMENT PURPOSE:
To provide leadership in the areas of legal standard-setting, developments in international and post-conflict justice, human rights jurisprudence, international humanitarian law, effective implementation of the law and the development and application of human rights policy. To provide legal and policy advice and analysis to the International Secretariat and the movement to ensure the accuracy of the analysis and application of law and policy and thus maximizing impact.
Ensure that Amnesty International maintains its pre-eminent position in the field of human rights legal and policy analysis.
AIIS PURPOSE: The International Secretariat, which operates from a number of sites around the world, gathers and communicates accurate and action-oriented human rights information globally. We campaign for meaningful human rights change; enable effective human rights activism and work to persuade governments and other actors to uphold universal human rights standards. We provide strategic leadership, support and advice to the Amnesty International movement globally, fostering Amnesty International’s contribution, presence and public accountability throughout the world.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
Reporting to: Law and Policy Programme Director
Posts that this job manages: Teams are assigned to work with senior policy advisers and senior legal advisers on a project-by-project basis.
Other key relationships: Senior Director for International Law and Policy, Programme Directors (International Advocacy Programme, Global Thematic Issues, Regions, Campaigns, Communications, Research Unit), Senior Policy Adviser, Senior Legal Advisers, International Secretariat staff, AI sections and networks, key human rights activists, academics, and UN and government officials.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
The Senior Policy Adviser will be a member of a team of six senior legal and policy advisers who will lead a specific area of proactive development of AI’s legal and policy work through specific initiatives tailored to their individual skills and expertise. As a team their expertise will ensure that the approvals process within the Amnesty Movement results in the strongest possible documents and advocacy and campaigning tools.
The Senior Policy Adviser plays a key role in working with country and thematic researchers, advocates and campaigners in the IS and sections and structures on the application and development of AI’s human rights policies with regard to research projects, advocacy initiatives and campaigns. The Senior Policy Adviser will also lead in developing and delivering Amnesty International’s contribution to particular standard-setting initiatives within the UN and regional human rights systems.
Each Senior Policy Adviser will be responsible for specific areas of work and develop projects to promote human rights policy development that are designed to have a strong impact in promoting human rights for individuals whose rights are under attack. Post holders will be recruited based on specific areas of expertise identified as critical to AI’s work, including:
• Discrimination
• Armed Conflict
• Freedom of expression
• Abuses by non-state actors
• Environment and human rights
• Gender analysis
• The human rights of women, including sexual and reproductive rights
Senior Policy Advisers work with law and policy advisers and assistant advisers to ensure effective, coherent and timely approvals and consultations.
LOCATION: London or New York
Job Description
Lead the development of proposed policy positions and the application of Amnesty International’s legal analysis to concrete situations, including by creating plans to translate analysis into action, in order to help implement AI’s strategic goals and deliver Amnesty International’s global campaigns.
Oversee the provision of authoritative, expert advice on the application of policy and legal analysis to country and thematic specialists and others at the International Secretariat and Amnesty International’s sections in order to ensure the consistent and coherent application of Amnesty International policy positions to particular contexts.
Write own documents and assist in the preparation of documents by others on current and emerging human rights concerns in a variety of formats that are tailored to particular audiences (for example, briefing documents and discussion papers for internal use, Amnesty International policy guidelines for staff, talking points, op-eds, press releases, lobbying documents, detailed reports) in order to effectively communicate Amnesty International’s calls for change and the research and analysis that supports those calls.
Build relationships with external actors who play a key role in influencing international human rights and represent Amnesty International publicly to raise public awareness of AI and its concerns and position Amnesty International at the forefront of the human rights movement.
Represent AI in meetings with senior government and inter-governmental officials and in the media in order to communicate AI’s findings and recommendations for change to decision-makers and to the public.
As required, represent AI in field research missions to contribute to the delivery of high-quality analysis of human rights abuses and effective, evidence-based recommendations for change.
Lead the development of strategies and project plans in order to help ensure delivery of AI’s priorities.
Provide training and ongoing guidance to colleagues in order to develop their awareness of Amnesty International’s policy approach and their ability to apply human rights policy to particular situations.
Manage cross-programme or intra-programme project teams on specific areas, participate in crisis response and other project teams as appropriate, and otherwise take part in the management of the Law and Policy Programme in order to contribute to the overall smooth running of the programme.
Develop and maintain productive relations with AI membership, members of the human rights movement, and experts working on particular thematic issues in order to contribute to organizational effectiveness and own professional development.
What does success look like in this job?The Law and Policy Programme deliver timely advice on law and policies which contribute to strategies that promote the rule of law and respect for human rights at the international, regional, state and local level.
The Law and Policy Programme provide timely, clear and accessible legal and policy advice to IS staff, the AI movement and partners throughout the world to enable AI and its partners to actively shape the global human rights agenda.
The Law and Policy Programme provide expert analysis and advice to ensure that AI can initiate and leading in responding to crises or emerging opportunities.
The Law and Policy Programme represent AI effectively externally where a high profile s needed, whether in the field, with international organizations or other settings or provide the expertise for other AI staff to represent AI in these venues.
The Senior Policy Adviser effectively manages staff and financial resources to deliver specific projects as defined in light of AI’s priorities.
The Law and Policy Programme develops and maintains strong relationships within the IS, the AI movement and key external stakeholders who see the programme as a source of expert, timely, accessible and clear advise and judgment.
Skills & Experience
1. Significant professional experience in human rights including field research.
2. Extensive knowledge of law, politics, international relations or other fields related to human rights.
3. Ability to develop coherent policies based on a detailed understanding of human rights principles and AI’s core values.
4. Demonstrated ability to lead policy development work in a complex political environment.
5. Recognized expertise in one of the specified fields of human rights – in order to balance skills and expertise across the team.
6. Demonstrated excellent research, analytical and writing skills, including recent relevant publication.
7. Outstanding written and verbal English is essential and the ability to work to a high professional level in another language, particularly Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian, or Spanish, is strongly preferred.
8. Excellent advisory, influencing and communication skills.
9. Significant experience of managing people and resources.
10. A) Ability to lead, manage and motivate a culturally diverse, professional staff within a large organizational structure. B) Excellent team skills.
11. Demonstrated ability to take decisions.
12. Excellent organizational skills.
Terms and ConditionsSalary: Full time salary of £50,100 (London) or $97,800 (New York) per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: London or New York
Contract duration: Permanent
Holidays: Full time staff receive 27 days per annum plus two Amnesty International grace day and statuatory and national public holidays.
Office hours: 09.30 - 17.30 or 10.00 - 18.00 by arrangement
Life insurance: Amnesty International provide a Death in Service benefit of 4 x gross salary.
Pension: After six consecutive months of service staff are automatically enrolled in the Amnesty International Superannuation Scheme. This is a defined contribution to which Amnesty International contributes 7.5% of gross salary and will match individual employee contributions up to an additional 3%.
Probation: A six month probation period will be included in the contract for this position.
Relocation: A generous relocation assistance package will be available for staff members (and their dependents) recruited from over 80km/50 miles from the International Secretariat office in which the post is based.
Work Permit: Should it be possible to obtain a work permit for this post? Individuals should ascertain their eligibility to work in the UK or New York in this post before applying for a London based job with Amnesty International by using the points based calculator at http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/pointscalculator.
Health and Safety: All staff are required to comply with Amnesty International's policy and rules relating to Health and Safety and its security regulations at work.Equality StatementEquality and diversity is at the core of our values and staff, volunteers and interns are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.Conflict of InterestPublic or other activity, affiliation to or support for any group or organization, personal association or other factor which may generate a real or perceived conflict of interest with AI's principles (specifically independence and impartiality), or raise a security concern, or otherwise prevent the candidate from carrying out key functions of the specific post and would therefore disqualify the candidate from being appointed.External Advert Closing Date22-Jun-2011
