Anti-Slavery International - Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes

Anti-Slavery International

Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes

Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes March 2022

© Olivia Acland

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Thematic 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.

Based in London, we work in the UK and globally with NGO partners and a range of international and national allies and stakeholders, including civil society, parliamentarians, academics, business and the media to end slavery. Our thematic work encompasses advocacy, research and campaigning to address slavery in business supply chains, child slavery, trafficking and migration and highlighting the links between slavery and climate change and environmental degradation.

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 it further. For the newly formed Thematic Advocacy Programmes Team this means, above all, taking forward our emergent

© Olivia Acland

work highlighting the links between slavery and climate change, and building on existing work and campaigns aimed at addressingslavery in the contexts of migration and in business supply chains, and promoting decent work.

The Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes will lead the Team to drive effective advocacy strategies and campaigns to eradicate slavery and slavery-like practices through a thematic lens (climate change, business and human rights, migration and child rights) and by usingtheir knowledge of the relevant sectors and stakeholders, as well as the challenges and opportunities these sectors present.

The Team’s work will be complemented by the soon-to-be formed Regional Advocacy Programmes Team, who will develop and deliver effective advocacy strategies to eradicate modern slavery through a deep understanding of the distinct political and economic environments, and prevailing social, cultural and religious norms in a number of different countries in Africa, Asia, as well as in the UK and Europe.

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Anti-Slavery International

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Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes

Anti-Slavery International

Head of Regional Advocacy Programmes

The Role Job Title:

Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes

Salary:

£50,048 - £55,557

Duration:

Permanent position

Responsible to:

Director of Advocacy and Programmes

Responsible for:

Programme Officers & Managers, & Consultants as applicable

Location:

Preferably UK, 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 (2020-2025).

Having considerable strategic advocacy and campaigns expertise, political nous and team leadership experience, the Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes will lead and motivate a team of talented and dedicated professionals. You will help the Team to develop and deliver international and national advocacy strategies and campaigns, supported by cutting edge research and programmes, to help eradicate slavery and slavery-like practices globally through the lens of our

© Olivia Acland

Overall Purpose •

key strategic areas (Responsible Business, Child Slavery, Trafficking & Migration, and Climate Change & Modern Slavery).

In addition, the Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes will consolidate our emergent advocacy work on climate change and slavery to take it to the next level: Since we started exploring this issue in early 2021, we have established ourselves as a credible actor in the climate change space, highlighting the links to modern slavery and identifying important steps for its eradication in this area, including through publishing innovative research and demonstrating leadership in our work towards COP26 and the G7 last year.

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Together with the Thematic Advocacy Programmes Team members, develop and deliver an integrated body of strategic advocacy and campaigns, navigating sometimes complex political contexts and stakeholder relationships, and supported by innovative research and programming that will contribute demonstrably to the reduction of slavery in our areas of strategic focus (climate change and modern slavery, responsible business, child slavery and trafficking and migration). ·Take the lead on and drive forwards our emergent work on slavery and climate change and environmental degradation.

Provide leadership and line management to Thematic Advocacy Programmes Team staff, and to collaborate closely with colleagues internally within the wider Advocacy and Programmes Team and organisation, and local partners, allies and key stakeholders externally.

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Ensure quality systems and standards are followed by the team and help them to mitigate risks and troubleshoot any problems that may arise as relevant in preparing and delivering advocacy strategies and projects: from developing ideas to strategy and project development, budgeting, delivery, reporting, monitoring, evaluation and learning and financial, security and reputational risk management.

Be a lead spokesperson and provide expertise on slavery issues in relation to our key thematic areas (modern slavery and climate change, responsible business, child slavery and trafficking and migration) at events and in the media, as well as 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 Thematic Advocacy Programmes

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

• To lead the continued development of our work on slavery and climate change, as well as identification, scoping and development of new areas of work designed to eradicate slavery and slavery-like practices.

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

Advocacy and project planning and delivery • To oversee the scoping and design of strategic and innovative advocacy plans and projects, through a detailed analysis of the thematic issues and the relevant drivers of slavery, as well as an understanding of the need to navigate and adapt to dynamic political and policy

contexts. This includes supporting the team to develop and lead impactful international and national advocacy and campaign strategies and innovative policy positions in coordination with the team’s International Advocacy Manager, local partners and stakeholders.

• To ensure the advocacy and campaign work takes account of relevant financial, security and reputational risks, and quality standards are met by the Team, including the preparation and delivery of advocacy strategies, project concepts and proposals, budgeting, and programme management, evaluation and learning.

• To ensure Thematic Advocacy Programmes Team members work closely with colleagues across the wider Advocacy and Programmes Team, notably: to ensure that our work upholds our safeguarding standards, including incorporating the voice and participation of survivors and those at risk of slavery, in particular, and ensuring this is conducted in a secure environment and sensitively to their needs; that we and our partners meet due diligence standards, including donor compliance requirements; that we and our partners and consultants operate within our security policies and guidelines; and to monitor, evaluate and learn from our work.

• To ensure the team’s 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 Thematic Advocacy Programmes Team members in their advocacy 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 thematic advocacy work 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. Further to ensure due diligence and programme quality requirements are met by Anti-Slavery International and its partners, as well as the co-identification 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 on Anti-Slavery International business, where travel restrictions, for example in relation to COVID, allow.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Thematic 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.

• Specialist expertise and/or demonstrable experience of successful advocacy in the climate change sector or related.

• Experience of developing and delivering effective, dynamic and collaborative advocacy strategies and campaigns to achieve systemic change, including a demonstrable ability to analyse and navigate sometimes complex political contexts and relationships and adopt a combination of insider and outsider approaches for campaign success, as well as support team members to do the same.

• 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 among a wide range of stakeholders, including politicians, parliamentarians, the corporate sector and at the grassroots and in the media.

• Adept influencer and networker, including in a diverse range of coalitions and cultural settings.

• Experience of managing cutting edge research, as well as writing, editing, © Nicole Hill

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proofing and approving research and policy documents (briefings, reports etc) for publication.

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

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.

An ability and willingness to travel regularly on behalf of Anti-Slavery International, where travel restrictions, for example in relation to COVID, allow.

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

• An understanding of our areas of strategic focus beyond climate change, notably responsible business, child slavery and trafficking and migration.

• Experience of working in one or more region in which we work, notably sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Latin America, the Gulf and the UK & Europe.

• Proficiency in languages other than English.

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Thematic 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-CV032022AntiSlaveryInternational.

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, the government’s new regulations will apply. For further information visit the Home Office website.

Timeline

Closing Date: First Interviews: Final Interviews:

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.

Tuesday, 19th April Week of 2nd May Week of 9th May

© Olivia Acland

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Thematic 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

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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 Thematic 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.

© Simon Buxton

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Anti-Slavery International

Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes

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