Anti-Slavery International - Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes December 2021

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Background Anti-Slavery International is the world’s oldest human rights organisation. Our vision is freedom from slavery for everyone, everywhere, always.

We believe that modern slavery is a contemporary issue of the highest importance, and we are determined to work with others to make sure people can be free from slavery across the world.

Within the wider Advocacy and Programmes Team, the newly formed Regional Advocacy Programmes Team is currently working with local partner organisations in Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Tanzania, focusing on eradicating the practice of descent-based slavery and exploitation in child domestic work.

With so many challenges facing the world - from COVID to climate change and the associated drivers of slavery, such as forced migration and social and economic insecurity - our work has never been more necessary. We have ambitions, therefore, to develop and expand our work in Africa,

as well as re-evaluate and re-develop our work in South Asia and beyond.

As we expand our work geographically, the Regional Advocacy Programmes Team will provide invaluable insights and learning to help drive credible and effective advocacy strategies through their understanding of the distinct political and economic environments and prevailing social, cultural and religious norms in different country contexts, as well as developing partner relationships in those settings.

The Team’s work will be complemented by the soon-to-be formed Thematic Advocacy Programmes Team, who will develop and deliver effective advocacy strategies to eradicate modern slavery through a thematic lens (climate change, responsible business, trafficking and migration and child slavery).

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Anti-Slavery International

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Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

The Role Job Title:

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Estimated Salary Range:

£50-55,000

Duration:

Permanent position

Responsible to:

Director of Advocacy and Programmes

Responsible for:

Programme Officers & Managers, & Consultants as applicable

Location:

UK (ideally London) with travel to programme countries

This is an exciting new role for a dynamic advocate and leader that will make a critical contribution to achieving AntiSlavery International’s five-year strategy.

The Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes will be central to driving systemic change in some of the most challenging contexts globally.

The successful candidate will initially cover our active work in sub-Saharan Africa and then will broaden to Asia, providing specialist regional expertise on slavery within the wider Advocacy and Programmes Team.

Using considerable advocacy and management expertise, the Head of

Regional Advocacy Programmes will motivate and lead a small team of dedicated professionals to develop and deliver national advocacy strategies, as well as cutting edge research and programming to help eradicate slavery.

The team will work closely with partners and allies to address the drivers that make people particularly vulnerable to slavery and slavery-like practices in varying local contexts.

Anti-Slavery International is a small INGO based primarily in the UK, working internationally through partners on the ground. This means that we often have to be flexible, creative and dynamic in our approaches and with our resources.

Overall Purpose • Starting initially with our Africa work, develop and deliver an integrated body of strategic advocacy programming and research that will contribute demonstrably to the reduction of slavery in key parts of the world where we operate.

• Provide leadership and line management to Regional Advocacy Programmes Team staff, and to collaborate closely with colleagues internally and local partners, allies and key stakeholders externally.

• Ensure quality systems and standards are followed by the team and mitigate

risks and trouble-shoot any problems that may arise as relevant in preparing and delivering advocacy projects: from developing strategic project ideas to project planning, budgeting, delivery, reporting, monitoring, evaluation and learning.

• Provide expertise on slavery issues and the regional political context of those issues through regular engagement with partners and other key actors, monitoring and research.

• Advise and assist in the overall direction and management of the Advocacy and Programmes Team.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Main Tasks Strategic leadership • To oversee and guide the development and delivery of an integrated body of strategic advocacy, research and programming work.

• To lead the identification, scoping and development of new areas of work designed to eradicate slavery and slavery-like practices.

• To ensure that the Regional Advocacy Programmes Team’s work is coherent and in line with Anti-Slavery International’s organisational strategy’s key themes (child slavery, responsible business, trafficking and migration and climate and modern slavery) and priorities (systemic change, survivor voice and participation, framing the issues, movement-building and legal protection).

Advocacy and research project management • To oversee the scoping and design of strategic advocacy projects, through a detailed understanding and analysis of the country contexts and the most prevalent drivers of slavery in these settings and including national advocacy strategies and policy positions in coordination with the International Advocacy Manager, local partners and stakeholders.

• To ensure quality standards are met across advocacy, research and programme cycles by the team, including the preparation and delivery of advocacy strategies, project concepts and proposals, budgeting, and programme management, evaluation and learning.

• To work closely with colleagues working across the Regional Advocacy Programmes Team, notably to ensure that: our work incorporates the voice and participation of survivors and those at risk of slavery, in particular, and is conducted in a safe environment and sensitively to their needs; we and our partners are able to meet donor compliance requirements; we and our partners and consultants operate within our security policies and guidelines; and to monitor and evaluate the projects.

• To ensure close collaboration with the Fundraising and Communications Team on project funding and reporting and external engagement and the Finance Team on budgeting, monitoring project expenditure, and providing expenditure forecasts and reports.

Team leadership and management • To recruit, supervise, manage and provide advice and support to Regional Advocacy Programmes Team members in their work.

• To monitor staff performance on an ongoing basis and provide feed-back as appropriate.

• To promote team working and staff development and training.

• To oversee the recruitment and deployment of consultants and volunteers to support the delivery of Anti-Slavery’s regional advocacy programmes.

Representation and relationshipbuilding • To represent Anti-Slavery International at senior levels, including with the media, politicians, and at public and private meetings as appropriate, as well as at the national and local levels with our partners and key stakeholders.

• To liaise regularly with academics, journalists, NGO actors, UN actors and other stakeholders, both to develop our analysis and to share our expertise and policy messages on slavery issues in regional contexts. Act as a reference for others on these issues.

• To build and maintain strong relationships with our local partner

organisations in Africa and Asia.

Further to ensure due diligence and programme quality requirements are met by Anti-Slavery International and its partners, as well as the coidentification and provision of capacity building, mentoring and technical support in close collaboration with the relevant Anti-Slavery staff as appropriate.

• To coordinate the preparation of regular team plans, as well as updates and reports for the wider organisation and Board and donor engagement and reporting.

• To ensure the CEO and Senior Management Team and the wider organisation are kept abreast as relevant on key geo-political developments, advocacy and project outcomes, and any urgent matters that may arise in the delivery of team projects.

Other • Undertake other tasks as agreed with the Director of Advocacy and Programmes.

• Frequent travel to the regions in question when safe in the context of COVID.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Person Specification Essential • Considerable knowledge of international human rights and relevant frameworks and experience of working in the human rights or rights-based development sectors.

• Experience of working in one or more region in which we work, particularly West Africa and South Asia.

• Experience of developing and delivering effective and collaborative advocacy strategies to achieve systemic change.

• Experience of programme development and management for an international human rights or development organisation, including developing project ideas, preparing proposals and reports for funders, and donor relations.

• Experience of leading, motivating and supporting a diverse team, including with geographically dispersed team members and consultants.

• Ability to represent the organisation, both at a senior level in national and international forums, and at the grassroots, as well as in the media and among a wide range of stakeholders.

• Adept influencer and networker, including in diverse cultural settings.

• Experience of managing research, as well as writing, editing and proofing documents for publication.

• Ability to work as part of a team and collaborate across teams throughout the organisation • Ability to work with attention to detail, under pressure and to deadlines.

• Ability to travel regularly on behalf of Anti-Slavery International, when safe to do so in the context of COVID-19.

• Fluency in written and spoken English and French.

Desirable • An understanding of modern slavery issues and associated drivers (eg caste-based discrimination, gender discrimination, social, cultural and religious norms etc).

• Experience of networking, developing and sustaining relationships with partner organisations and individuals delivering advocacy strategies and implementing programmes at international level and on the ground.

• Proficiency in languages other than English and French, which are likely to be used in Anti-Slavery’s work.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

How to Apply All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process.

The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The documents should be saved in MS Word in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document NameDate (mmyyyy) e.g., Malika-Cook-CV122021AntiSlaveryInternational.

Please note that all our clients recruiting in the UK are legally obliged to confirm that the appointee is eligible to work in the UK. As of 1 January 2021, government’s new regulations will apply. For further information visit the Home Office website.

Timeline

Closing Date: First Interviews: Final Interviews:

Sunday 13 February Week of 28 February Week of 7 March

Selection process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of Anti-Slavery International’s values. 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. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from survivors of modern slavery, and those from a diverse ethnic background.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at antislavery-international@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

Anti-Slavery International’s Policies

Anti-Slavery International particularly welcomes and encourages applications from survivors of modern slavery, people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, women, people who identify as LGBTQ+ or nonbinary, people with disabilities and people from other under-represented groups.

We are committed to safeguarding the children and adults that our staff and representatives encounter, virtually and in-person. As such, candidates are required to commit to and uphold our organisational safeguarding principles, practice and procedures. These organisational policies include, but are not limited to, the Safeguarding policy and the Code of Conduct.

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is: • To guarantee high standards of staff behaviour and integrity • To safeguard our staff’s, interns’ and volunteers’ welfare and that of external stakeholders with whom we work or come into contact • To protect our reputation and interests

We have a zero-tolerance policy on bribery and corruption, recognising that bribery undermines our fundamental values of integrity, transparency and accountability as well as organisational effectiveness.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying, harassment, sexual exploitation or abuse, of any form, perpetrated by any representative of the organisation.

This role may require background checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for traveling to projects where there is access to vulnerable groups. We undertake to treat all applicants for our positions fairly and not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. As an organisation assessing applicants’ suitability for positions which are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order using criminal record checks processed through the DBS, we comply fully with the Code of Practice.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

About Oxford HR Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world.

We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

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