Asia Programme Officer to Civil Rights Defenders

Are you passionate about human rights in Asia and want to be part of a global movement of human rights defenders? Do you want to work in an international environment with colleagues all over the world? Then you might be the one we are looking for.

About the role

The Programme Officer is responsible to carry out and follow up on the programme and long-term partnerships with human rights organisations in the Southeast Asian countries assigned for the role. The Programme Officer will also have the possibility to identify, assess, and propose new activities and partnerships relevant for the local and regional context. Monitoring and analysing the human rights situation in Southeast Asia constitute one of your key roles. The work should be carried out in line with Civil Rights Defenders Strategy, working methods and the Yearly Plans of Action, including the budget.

The Programme Officer reports to the Asia Department Director.

The role offers a variety of tasks:

• Monitor and analyse developments relevant for human rights and civil society in Southeast Asia
• Conduct human rights activities with local and international partners
• Implement grant management routines in collaboration with partners
• Initiate and/or support advocacy, communications, and media activities
• Design and develop proposals, and write concept notes to mobilise resources and support for human rights issues
• Establish and maintain constructive relationship with partners and stakeholders
• Travel for trainings, events, and partner visits

About you

As a person, you are confident, stable and have self-insight. You see relationships in their proper perspective and distinguish between the personal and the professional, yet you can put yourself in someone else’s situation when needed and have the ability to listen, communicate and resolve conflicts in a constructive way.

You take responsibility for your tasks, structure your own approach and independently drive your processes further. You rely on your analytical ability to find solutions to emerging challenges and remain motivated despite setbacks and disappointments.

Furthermore, you have proved to make correct trade-offs and priorities by weighing complex information and different types of considerations in statements, actions, and decisions. To be successful in this role you have in-depth knowledge from the region. Candidates from the region are strongly encouraged to apply.

We assume that you share our values.

To be suitable for this role you have:

• Master’s degree in Law, Political Science, International Relations, or similar fields, including education on international human rights mechanisms
• 3-5 years of relevant working experience in human rights in several countries in Asia
• Experience in monitoring and analyzing the human rights situation in Asia
• Experience in working for civil society organisations in the region, and with human rights defenders at risk, local groups, and communities
• Skills in project designing, drafting reports and project applications
• Documented experience in project management and/or human rights advocacy
• Knowledge about and full commitment to promote universal human rights
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, level C1
• Knowledge of a Southeast Asian language is a strong asset
• Basic skills to use Microsoft tools, especially Word, Excel, and Teams effectively

Merits for the position are:

• Experience in organising and conducting human rights trainings
• Experience in working with international human rights mechanisms

About the employment

This is a full-time permanent employment with a 6-month probationary period, starting as soon as possible. As an organisation, we strive for diversity, and we see your background, experience and personality as a contribution to the organisation.

The position will be based either in Stockholm, Sweden, at our Headquarters, or in the Asia region depending on the applicants profile.

Please apply as soon as possible as we recruit on an ongoing basis, but no later than 5 June 2023.

For more information about the position, please contact recruiting manager Rosanna Ocampo, [email protected].

Local union representative: [email protected] (Unionen).

About us

Civil Rights Defenders is a politically and religiously independent international human rights organisation. We defend people’s civil and political rights in some of the world’s most repressive regions. We partner with and support human rights defenders in more than 300 organisations in 50 countries on four continents. Together with our partners, we hold those in power accountable when people’s civil or political rights are violated.
We also act as Sweden’s civil rights watchdog. Civil Rights Defenders has around 100 staff members working in various functions towards our vision – a world of democratic societies in which we all enjoy our civil and political rights. Our headquarter is located in Stockholm, and we have eight branch offices around the world. Learn more about our work at crd.org.