Project Manager for Eastern Europe (Berlin, Warsaw or Ukraine. Home-office negotiable)

European Prison Litigation Network (EPLN) was founded in 2013 by law practitioners, prisoners’ rights defenders and researchers active in the prison field with the aim to enhance the protection of fundamental rights of the detained persons in Europe. The network federates 25 national NGOs and bar associations from 18 countries.

EPLN operates through different forms: analytical and comparative research in law and social sciences; monitoring and documentation of violation of fundamental rights in prison, coordination at the European level of litigation action before national courts, the European Court of Human Rights, and UN quasi-judicial bodies, advocacy towards national authorities and international bodies. For more information: www.prisonlitigation.org

European Prison Litigation Network is looking for a project manager in charge of supervising the implementation of EPLN projects in Eastern Europe.

Currently EPLN is implementing projects in Eastern Europe in two key areas:

• The documentation of violation of fundamental rights in places of detention in Ukraine in war time as well as the judicial protection at national and international level of prisoners victims of violations. This project, based on monitoring, litigation and advocacy activities is implemented in partnership with Ukrainian NGOs
• The promotion of access to health care in detention in 4countries of Eastern Europe. This project is part of a 3-years framework programme of the Prison Health & Rights Consortium, together with the NGO UnMode – Community Movement for Access to Justice, the NGO Harm Reduction International, and the European Federation for Prison Health – Health Without Barriers. The action of the Consortium consist in supporting communities of (former) prisoners, people who use drugs with experience of incarceration and human right defenders in monitoring violations of prisoners’ rights and enhancing the judicial protection of prisoners who use drugs and who live with HIV. It also advocates at the European and international level for the independency of prison medicine and for reductionist penal policies and prison transformation towards strengthening the rights of prisoners, , in particular people who use drugs.

The project manager will be in charge of coordinating and supervising the implementation of activities of the two projects in close cooperation with EPLN partners in the countries, under the supervision of EPLN director of programes and director of advocacy and litigation.

Responsibilities :

Project implementation:

• Ensure the implementation of projects’ activities and their follow-up
• Monitor the achievements of the projects, continuously assess the needs and evolution of context & propose adjustments of projects activities accordingly
• Elaborate monthly coordination report on the progress of the projects
• In direct link with EPLN financial coordinator, monitor the use of budget and ensure that financial needs are well planned according to activities workplan
• Contribute to the definition / revision of EPLN strategy in Eastern Europe, draft proposals and support the budget creation/revision for future activities

Partnership coordination:

• Organise and facilitate continuous communication with all project partners and ensure the participative coordination of activities by all project partners.
• In close link with EPLN co-directors, develop and implement appropriate digital coordination tools with the national partners, including a database for the monitoring of violations in places of detention and continuous analysis of collected data.
• Conduct field visits to meet with partners, identify needs, assess and analyse the situation in the countries and assess results of the projects.
• Organise and facilitate capacity building sessions with partners where needed.

Logistics and administration of activities:

• Organise logistics of project events –
• Set-up and follow up all project contracts (partnership agreements, consultancy contracts etc) in compliance with EPLN procurement rules and subgranting policy.

Relation with stakeholders, donors and reporting:

• Build relations with other NGOs and all relevant stakeholders, including donors
• Participate to all relevant meetings to the key themes of the project
• Coordinate funding proposal writing, and reporting to donors
• In direct link with EPLN communication officer, ensure the dissemination of deliverables of the projects and the visibility of results of the project.

Your profile:

• Minimum 3 years experience in a similar position in an NGO, preferably in the human rights or health sector
• Previous experience of project planning and budget holding, proposal and report writing
• Experience in an international NGO or with international funding is a strong asset
• Ability to work with strict deadlines, excellent organizational skills and autonomy essential for this position, especially if home office is considered.
• Ability to work with a team and in a multicultural environment
• Proficiency in computing – Availability to travel regularly
• Languages: o English, Ukrainian and Russian: fluent written and spoken required.
• You adhere to the mission of EPLN

Employment conditions:

• One year fixed term employment contract; 80%FTE
• Position starting as soon as possible
• Based in Berlin, Warsaw or Ukraine. Home-office is negotiable.
• Approx. 4 in-person team meetings per year in a European capital city
• The reference salary for a person based in Berlin is between 2200 and 2600 euros gross/month/80%FTE depending on education and experience. The reference salary will be adapted to the place of employment.