- JOB TITLE: Deputy Regional Director
- PROGRAMME: Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Office
- REPORTING TO: MENA Regional Director
- DIRECT REPORTS: Country teams including researchers, campaigners and research, campaigns and communications assistants. Additional regional roles.
- GRADE: 6
- Directorate: Deputy Secretary General
- Location: London
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Type: Fixed Term Contract
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Working Hours: 35
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Salary: £59,011 to £68,410 per annum + benefits
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Closing Date: 14 November 2019
JOB PURPOSE:
- Lead integrated, multi-functional teams to implement high-quality, strategic research, campaigning and communication strategies that deliver human rights impact in the designated subregion or country teams.
- Lead on effective project management of operational plans, ensuring equal emphasis on our research and campaigns functions (including online and offline activism as relevant), as well as advocacy and communications functions.
- Provide high level and strategic advice on major human rights trends, developments and key drivers of human rights violations in the region, including legal, political and socio -economic factors and adapting our research programming to external shifts.
- Design strategic campaigns designed to maximize impact, grow activism and attract members, oversee their implementation and adjust.
- Ensure the effective application of Amnesty International standards of work in areas of responsibility, including Amnesty International’s Quality Assurance Framework for research methodology, outputs and publications.
- Support the Regional Director and work collaboratively with other deputy directors to share the management of an integrated multifunctional Regional Office, ensure consistent management of staff and strategic allocation of the Regional Office’s resources.
- Represents AI, in the field and elsewhere, including with government officials and to the media.
- Contributes to the management of the International Secretariat and deputizes for the Regional Director.
DEPARTMENT PURPOSE:
The MENA Regional Office plays a critical role in the Amnesty International Secretariat, gathering and communicating accurate and action-oriented human rights information and delivering on the vision to end grave human rights abuses and build societies respectful of human rights. Across the region, Amnesty International campaigns for meaningful change, supports national entities, enables effective activism and growth, and works to persuade governments and other actors to uphold universal human rights standards.
The office provides strategic leadership and support and advice to the Amnesty International movement globally, fostering its contribution, presence and public accountability throughout the world.
INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT 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: MENA Regional Director
- Posts that this job manages: Research and campaigns staff, as well as regional roles such as ones with a communications or capacity building function, volunteers and/or consultants as appropriate
- Other key relationships: peer Deputy Regional Directors across MENA and in other Regional Offices; global campaigns, research and communications teams; Amnesty International sections in MENA and globally.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Location: London
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Leadership and strategic oversight
- Advise and support the Regional Director and broader management group on Amnesty International’s substantive human rights work on and strategy towards the subregion or relevant countries, including emerging issues, trends and crisis situations.
- Cultivate an environment conducive to innovation and change management, where ideas are encouraged, heard and shared; collaboration is valued; new projects, processes and team dynamics are explored; and experiential learning is the basis for adjustment and adaptation.
- Manage the development and implementation of action plans for human rights research, advocacy, communications and campaigning for the subregion or relevant countries.
- Ensure integration of research, campaigning, communications and advocacy in order to provide an effective, coherent programme of work that delivers tangible outcomes for human rights in conformity with Amnesty International’s mission and consistent with its priorities, strategies and standards.
- Represent Amnesty International with government officials, international organizations, civil society organizations, media and the public, developing and communicating messages crafted at influencing the appropriate audience.
- Research management
- Be responsible for the quality of team research and advocacy outputs, working closely with originators to ensure that research strategy is sound and focused; key methodology, legal and policy issues are addressed; and evidence, analysis and conclusions make a compelling case for change.
- Ensure that country teams address developing grave human rights situation promptly and that research plans are adjusted as needed for emerging crises.
- Represent Amnesty International, including in the field, with government officials, international organizations, civil society organizations, public events and the media, developing and communicating messages crafted at influencing the appropriate audience.
- Campaigns leadership
- Oversee integrated planning and delivery for all campaign projects in the subregion/relevant countries (global, regional, national, crisis, etc), including links to research and communications commissioning, ensuring the office delivers a coherent suite of campaigning projects that reflect organizational priorities.
- Work to increase public engagement in Amnesty International’s campaigns towards human rights impact and to convert followers into international supporters and members.
- Promote innovation in campaigning and activism, including trying new tactics, techniques and methodologies.
- Foster relationships between country teams and Amnesty International sections in the region and internationally, regularly share information about projects and actions to maintain a shared plan for campaigns and related activities. Where relevant, lead work with MENA sections to deliver campaign, activism, communications and human rights educations plans in-country.
- Identify opportunities to partner with human rights and activist groups in our campaigning. Ensure that engaging with nascent activist and youth groups is reflected wherever possible throughout our campaigning work in the region. Identify opportunities for co-operation and partnership with external organizations and rights holders through Amnesty International campaigns; ensure processes enable active participation of key stakeholders in campaign development.
- Quality Assurance and reporting
- Responsible for the quality of the country team’s research and advocacy outputs, working closely with originators to ensure that research strategy is sound and focused, key methodology, legal and policy issues are addressed, and that the evidence, analysis and conclusions make a compelling case for change.
- Accountable for quality of campaign plans and campaigning outputs from the country team, using the range of campaign tools strategically and co-ordinating with or seeking input from global teams as required.
- Approve, review and/or advise on internal/external campaign materials, ensuring products deliver on campaign strategy and communicate clear, actionable messages to target audiences.
- Ensure that the team report with sufficient clarity and detail on the impact of their work on their Sharepoint project sites but also to external actors as relevant.
- Management of teams and projects
- Promote an organizational culture of integration within the Regional Office and between the Regional Office and global programmes.
- Ensure the identification and promotion of best practice, encouraging and leading learning and skill development among the Regional Office’s staff.
- Manage staff and other resources to ensure their most effective use, in line with agreed priorities and policies.
- Ensure the timely delivery of agreed plans and that the team report with sufficient clarity and detail on the impact of their work, including to funders.
- Manage risk assessments, manage security of field missions and oversees the implementation of security procedures for office staff where relevant.
- Working closely with the Regional Director as budget holder, set, monitor, manage and report on budget and expenditure for the work undertaken by their team.
- Manage risk assessments and oversee the implementation of security procedures for staff undertaking missions and travel and other instances involving high risk.
- Be accountable for duty of care to staff, including, where necessary, by contributing to internal security, health and safety, and human resources polices and standards, supported by the Finance and Office manager.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with Amnesty International’s sections and structures in order to identify and exploit opportunities for co-operation, information-sharing and problem solving.
- Participate in the corporate management of the International Secretariat, including by contributing to the development of strategic and operational plans; identification and solution of corporate management issues; ensuring effective communications across departments.
This is not an exhaustive list of duties. The need for flexibility is required and the post holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee’s skills and capabilities whenever reasonably instructed.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE IN THIS JOB?
- Amnesty International publishes timely, authoritative reports on agreed human rights priorities in the subregion/in relevant countries.
- Governments and international organizations reply to Amnesty International findings and invite us to expert meetings.
- Governments are held accountable for human rights violations documented in Amnesty International’s reports.
- Amnesty International issues regular outputs about important human rights development in the subregion/relevant countries, which are regularly reported in international and domestic media.
- Amnesty International delivers on campaigning that helps mobilize people in the region or in targeted countries of influence to take action for human rights. That mobilization helps convert people into Amnesty supporters or International Members.
- Amnesty International’s research is integrated with campaigns, communication and growth strategies to deliver human rights impact.
- Amnesty International’s research is used as a basis for engaging duty-bearers, and relevant to stakeholders and victims.
- Researchers grow their expertise, competencies, writing skills and representation skills.
HOW YOU WORK – COMPETENCIES:
The IS Behaviour Framework focuses on how we work rather than what our job is designed to do. It articulates the behaviours that are expected from a group of professionals who are working effectively together.
- Competency: Level: (A, B or C)
- Delivering results: B
- Working with others: C
- Developing oneself and others: B
- Contributing to a dynamic and effective International Secretariat: B
- Making decisions: B
- Taking the initiative: B
- Communicating and influencing: C
EQUALITY STATEMENT
Equality and diversity is at the core of our values and staff 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 INTEREST
Public 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 Amnesty International’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.