Front Line Defenders is seeking an exceptional candidate for the post of Deputy Director, a critical role within the management and leadership of the organisation, reporting to and working together with the Executive Director. She/he should have management experience, at least five years of working at a senior level for the international protection of human rights defenders, sound political judgement and experience of working with gender-focused initiatives, teamwork, and excellent communication skills. The salary scale for the Deputy Director starts at €76,510 per annum and progresses through annual increments. The contract is based on a 35 hour week, Monday to Friday, based in the organisation’s headquarters in Dublin.
Full details are available at www.frontlinedefenders.org/DeputyDirector and the deadline for applications is 25th May 2020.
Job Purpose
The Deputy Director reports to the Executive Director and contributes to the leadership and management of the organization as specified in this job specification and as directed by the Executive Director. The Deputy Director will be the line manager of a number of Front Line Defenders teams and staff (details to be confirmed after appointment).
In this management role the key responsibilities are:
- Management of staff and the implementation of the Front Line Defenders strategic plan;
- Management of Front Line Defenders protection work including advocacy, grants, capacity building, visibility & legitimacy;
- Ensuring that fundraising applications are consistent with the Front Line Defenders’ strategic plan and that any commitments made are deliverable;
- Supporting the financial and operational management of the organization when the Executive Director is absent;
- Representing the organization as directed by the Executive Director;
- Ensuring the vision, mission and core values of the organisation are upheld.
Person Specification
Required Competencies
She/he should have at least five years of working at a senior level for the protection of human rights defenders /or equivalent experience in a human rights based activity/organisation in a leadership role and have experience of management, budgeting, planning and evaluation. The Deputy Director will have strong communication and analytical skills. She/he will have a very good understanding of the political environment for human rights defenders and an understanding of international human rights law and the relevant parts of the UN system. She/ he will have a high level of interpersonal skills and will lead by example to motivate staff and ensure the values and culture of the organisation are maintained.
Experience of working in an international context for the protection of human rights/human rights defenders, ideally experience of working in an international or regional human rights/human rights defenders NGO.
Experience of working with gender-focused initiatives, including but not limited to gender policies and gender-sensitive programming. Proven understanding of how gender intersects with race, disability, class and sexuality in human rights defenders' lived experiences and their protection needs.
Excellent political judgement, including the ability to make strategic choices based on sound analysis of potential costs and benefits.
Management experience in a relevant field that includes financial management, people management, staff well-being, strategic planning and evaluation.
Experience of building and working successfully with teams of people with different professional or cultural backgrounds.
A third level qualification, ideally in the area of human rights, law, politics, international relations or other relevant discipline.
Personal leadership, initiative and proactivity. Capable of identifying and resolving potential problems before they arise. Sound decision making, extremely well organised and structured in approach.
Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English is essential and working knowledge of one of Front Line Defenders other working languages (Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish) is desirable.
How to apply:
Applications should be sent by email to recruit@frontlinedefenders.org with the job title “Deputy Director” in the subject heading. Applications should contain a CV and cover letter with two references in one pdf format document that should not be more than five pages. Please do not include additional attachments. The deadline for applications is 25th May 2020.
During a recruitment process we do not generally review applications received until after the closing date. Shortlisting can take some time given the volume of applications we receive. We expect to organize a first round of interviews online in early June.