Senior Lead, Advocacy At International Justice Mission

IJM is seeking a technical specialist to provide leadership to IJM’s forced labor slavery (FLS) programs in Southeast Asia in the areas of government engagement and policy advocacy. The Senior Lead, Advocacy will equip IJM teams and civil society partners to develop and execute advocacy strategies that aim to strengthen justice system responses to FLS, protecting the most vulnerable workers. The Senior Lead, Advocacy will guide and support IJM teams in conducting supporting research, mapping and connecting with key stakeholders, leveraging new and existing advocacy partners, positioning IJM as a solutions-provider in building worker protection systems, and building coalitions with the aim of making demonstrated worker protection through justice system strengthening a high priority. She or he will represent IJM in strategic regional forums, produce quality reports and products, deliver best practices trainings for IJM and partners, and also engage in knowledge sharing with IJM’s global teams and colleagues from collaborating organizations. This position reports to the Regional Vice President, Forced Labor Programs, Asia Pacific, and is based in Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila or Cebu with regular travel across the Southeast Asia region. IJM will consider remote working arrangements for qualified candidates based elsewhere in the region.

The success of this role is measured by the following Key Result Areas (KRAs):

1. Country Advocacy Strategy Development and Execution. Lead and engage IJM country teams to develop, build out, and execute short- and long-term government engagement and advocacy strategies that result in stronger government prioritization of worker protection efforts and higher levels of government investment in justice system strengthening. Strategies should identify IJM staffing and resource requirements, measurement plans and work plans that align with IJM’s regional forced labor program strategy and will leverage both field-level casework learnings and IJM’s global activation efforts.

2. Strengthen Regional-Level Engagement. Raise the profile of IJM and the effectiveness of IJM’s worker protection solutions through direct engagement in strategic forums and public presentations through key regional platforms.

3. Partnership Development. Identify organizations, businesses, associations and individuals with high capacity to influence government prioritization of worker protection issues, and lead (at the regional level) or support (at the country level) efforts to develop strategic advocacy partnerships and/or coalitions.

4. Resources and Products. Together with other FLS Hub team members, develop tools, guidance documents, templates and learning resources that: (1) provide tangible value and guidance to IJM’s FLS teams and partners in the Asia Pacific region in their government engagement and advocacy work; (2) position IJM as a regional thought leader in increasing protection for the region’s most vulnerable workers through justice system strengthening; and (3) equip colleagues from IJM global, regional and advancement offices with FLS program advocacy goals and key messages to facilitate effective advocacy by strategic global and regional actors.

5. People Development. Strengthen effectiveness of FLS government engagement staff and contribute to development of leadership pipelines, including identification of vetted consultants.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Strategy, Knowledge Development, & Implementation:

1. In collaboration with FLS Hub colleagues and country level advocacy focal points, facilitate a process of developing and updating advocacy aspects of the regional program strategy for Forced Labor Slavery (FLS) Hub.
2. Ensure that the design, development, and implementation of regional and country level advocacy strategies are aligned with IJM’s 2030 vision and IJM’s Global and Hub strategies.
3. Conduct direct in-country government and civil society engagement as needed and in coordination with country teams, particularly with newer and smaller IJM teams.
4. Develop knowledge products and tools, or portions of broader tools, to support capacity building for IJM teams and NGO partners regarding government engagement and advocacy.
5. Remain up-to-date on the domestic political situation and relevant trends as well as regional and global geopolitical developments that may impact the prioritization of worker protection issues in program countries; propose corresponding adjustments to advocacy and government engagement strategies as needed.
6. Study, compile, analyze, and synthesize key worker protection initiatives and theories of change adopted by or being proposed to Southeast Asian country governments to reduce forced labor slavery, and map IJM’s theory of change and program approach to identify potential areas of synergy and collaboration.
7. Develop and regularly update a mapping of regional level actors with capacity to influence worker protection policies and implementation in program countries.
8. Support expansion assessments and subsequent design and development of new country projects in alignment with IJM’s Asia Pacific FLS Hub strategy.
9. Participate in IJM’s global and/or regional relationship management teams for selected key stakeholders, and advocacy related communities of practice.

Policies & Procedures:

1. Develop and contextualize guidelines, best practices, and other processes related to advocacy and government engagement to support stronger capacity and effectiveness by IJM teams and partner NGOs.
2. Ensure that best practices and lessons learned are well documented, and shared between IJM project teams.
3. Support the development of other IJM tools and products, ensuring that key best practices and guidance for advocacy and government engagement are well integrated.

Networking & Partnership:

1. Establish and nurture collaborative relationships with strategic regional level professionals, organizations, and coalitions.
2. Represent IJM in coalition and stakeholder meetings, conferences, and workshops.
3. Engage with new and existing government, NGO and private sector partners to further regional and country strategies.

Communication:

1. Act as a liaison between FLS teams, the Global Programs team, and Advancement Offices on advocacy-related projects, strategy, and resource development.
2. Collaborate with the Sr. Lead, Communications and Media and country teams in the development and execution of communications strategies to support country advocacy goals.
3. Prepare, contribute to and deliver speeches, presentations, media talking points, etc. for delivery yourself or by other IJM leaders on FLS-related matters in various international meetings, conferences, etc.
4. Collaborate with the Sr. Lead, Communications and Media in the development of briefs, fact sheets, and other communication resources as necessary that articulate IJM’s approach, strategy and impacts.
5. Ensure knowledge sharing and lessons learned among IJM country projects, promoting avenues for shared learnings and collaboration.

Training and Development:

1. In collaboration with FLS program leaders, identify internal capacity building needs for IJM public engagement, government engagement, advocacy related staff; develop resources and training or mentoring plans to equip staff with necessary knowledge and skills.
2. In collaboration with FLS program teams, develop or adapt external capacity building training resources and curricula for external NGO partners and service providers.
3. Facilitate trainings and coaching/mentoring for both internal IJM staff and external partners in necessary skills and capacities needed to effectively advocate for improved government policies and implementation.

Research, Program Management, and M&E:

1. Consult on the design of monitoring, evaluation, research and learning plans.
2. Support country teams in facilitating quarterly reviews of advocacy related goals and plans, including monitoring progress, evaluating changes in the external environment and adapting strategies as needed.
3. Support strategies to obtain needed government approvals for research studies.
4. Collaborate in the dissemination of research and other impact analysis to increase awareness among key government officials and influential stakeholders of the effectiveness of IJM’s theory of change.

Supervisory

This position does not directly supervise any other positions; but, provides guidance to country level government engagement, public engagement and advocacy leaders and focal points, in FLS program offices.

Education & Experience:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant discipline.
2. Master’s Degree in International Studies, Law, Human Rights or other relevant field preferred.
3. Minimum 7 years of experience successfully engaging with governments and civil society or private sector coalitions in SE Asia to improve policies and implementation structures that support human rights.
4. Minimum 3 years of experience in anti-trafficking or forced labor programs.

Technical Competencies:**

1. Familiarity with regional government and civil society networks involved in anti-FLS efforts.
2. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex technical concepts easy to understand and present to large audiences.
3. Prior experience living and working in Southeast Asia required.
4. Fluency in oral and written English.
5. Leadership, team-building, mentoring, coaching, consulting, and training skills.
6. Demonstrated interest in human rights and social justice.
7. International/cross-cultural experience in development, relief, legal, law enforcement, or other fields.
8. Proficient in Microsoft Office.

Non-Technical Competencies:

1. Strong service ethic and passion to help people suffering injustice.
2. Organized, detail-oriented, and disciplined with priorities.
3. Excellent interpersonal skills.
4. Patient, flexible, and persistent.
5. Unfailing integrity and honesty.
6. Professional, diplomatic, and mature in judgment and demeanor.
7. Able to work effectively and appropriately in a cross-cultural setting.
8. Able to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.