ESCR-Net Strategic Litigation Working Group Coordinator (NYC)

[gcma...@escr-net.org]

ESCR-Net Program Coordinator:

Strategic Litigation Working Group

 

ESCR-Net is a collaborative initiative of more than 280 members—social movements, indigenous peoples’ groups, NGOs and advocates—from over 75 countries around the world working to secure economic and social justice through human rights. ESCR-Net seeks to strengthen the field of all human rights, with a special focus on economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR), and further develop the tools for achieving their promotion, protection and fulfillment. Through ESCR-Net, groups and individuals exchange information, develop a collective voice, amplify their actions, and develop new tools and strategies. By facilitating joint actions, enhancing communications and building solidarity across regions, the Network seeks to build a global movement to make human rights and social justice a reality for all. The member-led collective work of ESCR-Net is guided by core principles of gender and regional balance in leadership, intersectional gender analysis, and centrality of grassroots groups and social movements.

ESCR-Net is excited to be seeking a new Program Coordinator to serve as a key part of our program and wider secretariat team, with primary responsibility for coordinating the activities of ESCR-Net’s Strategic Litigation Working Group (SLWG). ESCR-Net’s work in this area focuses on strategic litigation, where members work collectively to facilitate litigation openings and use litigation as a key tool to highlight structural and systemic ESCR issues, enforce human rights through law and achieve progressive jurisprudence which contributes to a strong international human rights framework. It also covers work on strengthening an enabling environment for justice, with a primary focus on collective action to encourage the evolution of robust implementation practices at the international and regional levels. Through both streams of work, the SLWG aims to encourage transformative change by facilitating a participatory approach responsive to current common global conditions and the lived experiences of affected communities, and by connecting the expertise and experience of members with current and emerging projects and activities across ESCR-Net for deepened shared analysis and collective action.

For a complete overview of ESCR-Net’s activities, please visit our website at www.escr-net.org.

Specific Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities for this role include:

• Coordinate the member-led, strategic development and realization of SLWG litigation and access to justice activities, in collaboration with other colleagues in the secretariat and Network members more broadly. Major activities include:
  
• coordinating member engagement in leveraging litigation openings, and through strategic case support and/or third party interventions, as guided by litigation strategy workshops and evolving discussions across the Network;
• managing the ESCR-Net caselaw database and ESCR-Justice newsletter; and
• coordinating member collective action to influence institutional development at the international and regional levels, primarily in relation to implementation practices.
• Maintain a diverse and member-led working group, in line with ESCR-Net’s core principles, by facilitating continued engagement and thought-leadership of existing SLWG members and through outreach to new members;
  
• Develop and maintain clear internal and external communication strategies for the SLWG, including maintenance of the SLWG webpage, newsletters and social media in collaboration with the secretariat’s communications team, and by facilitating liaisons between the SLWG and the broader Network and with other allies;
  
• Through engagement with members, collaboration with secretariat colleagues, and via continued personal learning, keep informed of key developments in ESCR issues and associated jurisprudence and decision-making institutions and practices, to enable strategic facilitation of the SLWG activities;
  
• Travel internationally during the year in connection with SLWG activities and to represent ESCR-Net’s work, mission and principles in a range of forums;
  
• Support fundraising activities, including engaging with funders and drafting or reviewing proposals, in collaboration with the secretariat’s development team;
  
• Perform necessary budgetary, administrative and logistical tasks;
  
• As required, recruit, orient and supervise interns, consultants, and potentially junior staff; and
  
• Engage constructively and consistently with other colleagues, based in multiple locations, and report to the Executive Director, in close coordination with the Legal Director.
  

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role is someone with a substantial knowledge of the human rights field (particularly ESCR), and significant experience in facilitating collective work to achieve change using the human rights framework and legal strategies. The candidate should have strong analytical and interpersonal skills, work well in collaborative processes with a diverse range of organizations, and be eager to learn and engage with a wide range of issues.

Required qualifications:

Candidates must have:

• A relevant graduate degree, with a strong preference for law and international human rights, and at least four years of experience working to advance human rights;
  
• Strong understanding of international human rights law, institutions, strategic litigation and implementation practices, including an understanding of the application of the human rights framework in domestic systems, and experience applying gender and intersectional analysis;
  
• Experience litigating ESCR cases and/or incorporating legal strategies into wider campaigning and advocacy on ESCR issues, ideally as part of or in close collaboration with grassroots groups or social movements;
  
• Good political judgment and strong facilitation skills to work with a wide range of civil society groups and interests internationally, including the capacity to creatively and strategically outreach and facilitate collective advocacy with diverse human rights organizations, grassroots groups, social movements, labor organizations, environmental organizations, academics and government officials;
  
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, with experience managing competing deadlines and planning and implementing collaborative workshops, litigation surgeries and/or strategy meetings;
  
• Ability to represent ESCR-Net and liaise with people at all levels, including effective public speaking skills and clear written communication;
  
• Ability to quickly grasp new issues through research and in dialogue with members; and
  
• Fluency in oral and written English and Spanish.
  

Desired qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications for this role, as noted above, the following skills and experiences are highly desirable and would support a successful performance in this role:

• Fluency or strong working knowledge, both oral and written, of Arabic and/or French;
  
• Experience at the intersection of human rights and corporate accountability, economic policy, substantive equality, conflict, and/or land and broader resource and environmental issues;
  
• Experience engaging with UN and/or other intergovernmental bodies;
  
• Experience managing caselaw databases, and other online tools for communication and collaboration;
  
• Experience living and working in multiple regions, or strong network of connections in one or more regions with diverse civil society organizations; and
  
• Experience with fundraising.
  

Hours and Location

The main office of the ESCR-Net secretariat is in New York City, where this candidate would ideally be located. However, in certain circumstances, we will consider a remote working arrangement. The normal working hours of the secretariat office are from 9am – 5pm EST, Monday through Friday.

Salary and Benefits

The position is a full-time, exempt position with benefits, including medical coverage and generous vacation and paid leave. Pay is commensurate with experience and comparable to similar NGOs.  

Start Date

As soon as possible.

Inclusive Hiring and Workplace

ESCR-Net is committed to inclusive hiring practices and strives for a secretariat staff that represents the diversity of its members. ESCR-Net is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, persons with disabilities and people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, ethnicity, gender identity, medical condition (cancer-related), the conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS Related Conditions or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified persons with disabilities may participate in application processes. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

 

To Apply

Please send a curriculum vitae, a letter of interest, and contact information for three references to ESCR-Net by email (escr-net (at) escr-net.org), with the subject line “Strategic Litigation Working Group Search – [your initials]”. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning 9 February 2018. Due to the need to focus our resources on Network activities, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Thank you for your understanding during this process.

 

View full job description at https://www.escr-net.org/sites/default/files/job_announcement_slwg_coordinator.pdf