Job Vacancy: Director of EIN

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Since it was established in December 2016, EIN has been at the cutting edge of addressing one of the key challenges to human rights in Europe: the non-implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

EIN is a non-governmental, member-based network. Our mission is to build and strengthen the ability of civil society to advocate for better implementation of ECtHR judgments; to act as a platform for civil society advocacy to promote ECtHR implementation; and to support more robust structures that facilitate implementation both nationally and at the Council of Europe (CoE). EIN carries out a range of activities to fulfil this mission, including providing legal guidance to civil society from across Europe, organising capacity-building events, publishing reports, convening advocacy events, and carrying out communications.

EIN has already made a significant impact on the ECtHR implementation issue. Its work with civil society has led to a tripling of the annual level of NGO engagement in the ECtHR implementation monitoring process. Advocacy at the Council of Europe has been followed by significant reforms to the institution’s work on judgment execution; whilst advocacy with the European Union has led the Commission to take into account the non-implementation of ECtHR judgments in its annual rule of law reviews. EIN works on the most important ECtHR cases is Europe, including the cases of Osman Kavala, Selahattin Demirtaş, and rule of law cases concerning Hungary and Poland. It works on cases covering the full range of ECHR rights, from torture, to gender-based violence, and the right to free speech. The network has 39 members across 25 states, as well as a three-person secretariat based in Strasbourg. It is governed by a board which is elected by its members.

The job

  • Contract Period: Indefinite.

  • Location: Strasbourg, France.

  • Salary: Between €4,167 per month gross (€50,000 per annum) and €4,583 per month gross (€55,000 per annum), depending on qualifications and experience.

  • Other Benefits: 25 days of annual leave per year, in addition to annual holiday between 24 December and 1 January, inclusive. Comprehensive health insurance package.

  • Remote working: EIN has a remote working policy of two days per week on an ongoing basis, as well as an allowance of one month per year to work remotely outside of Strasbourg (in periods when this does not affect our ongoing work).

  • Starting date: as soon as possible.

 The Director is responsible for ensuring that EIN is effective in pursuing its mission. In particular, it involves the following:

  • Devising and implementing the strategic direction of the organisation and its workplan.

  • Managing EIN staff.

  • Ensuring the effective financial management of the organisation, including overseeing the drafting of the annual budget.

  • Co-ordinating the organisation’s fundraising, including drafting fundraising applications and reports, and liaising with donors.

  • Representing EIN in public fora, including conferences and chairing quarterly briefings to the Committee of Ministers.Developing collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, including leaders of national civil society organisations from across Europe, permanent representations to the CoE, senior CoE staff, government agents, donors, and EU officials.

  • Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of ECtHR judgments on a national and thematic basis; coordinating the drafting of reports.

  • Coordinating the provision of advice to NGOs and lawyers working to promote the implementation of ECtHR judgments, including written submissions to the CoE monitoring process.

  • Devising and co-ordinating the drafting of resources to be used by lawyers, NGOs and NHRIs.

  • Devising and overseeing the implementation of training events for members of civil society.

  • Overseeing the organisation and preparation of Board meetings and general assemblies.

  • Conducting organisational visits to countries, including public roundtables, meetings with government officials, and capacity-building events.

The position will require modest amounts of international travel.

A transitional period of remote working is possible at the start of the new appointment before relocation to Strasbourg, lasting a maximum of two months.   

Essential Experience

At a minimum, the successful candidate must:

1.      Have a higher education degree or other qualification equivalent to a master’s degree in law.

2.      Have six years of relevant work experience, including four years on litigation at the ECtHR or the implementation of ECtHR judgments as an independent lawyer, in an NGO or National Human Rights Institution, at the Council of Europe or in a national government.

3.      Have experience of working for an NGO or a National Human Rights Institution.

4.      Have experience of carrying out advocacy in public events.

5.      Have a very strong knowledge of written and spoken English, including the ability to draft legal submissions and carry out high-level advocacy.

6.      Have a strong commitment to securing full implementation of ECtHR judgments, an understanding of the essential role that NGOs should play in the implementation process, and the drive to greatly increase the scale and effectiveness of their contribution.

Candidates must also have the right to live and work in France.

Desirable Experience

The following is not essential to the job, but it is desirable:

1.      Experience of project management.

2.      Experience of fundraising, particularly in the NGO sector.

 

Competencies

The competencies for the Director position reflect the full range of functions in the job description. For this recruitment we will work just with those which are most important at this stage of the organisation’s development. We will use these in deciding who to appoint to the post. However, we do not expect applicants to be strong in all of them. We are committed to developing our staff so that they can improve their performance and personal effectiveness.

The competencies for the position are as follows:

1.      Leadership: Demonstrates clear commitment and enthusiasm for organisational values, goals and policies. Motivates others to act in particular ways to achieve specific goals. Provides direction and has the authority or influence to persuade others to follow.

2.      Developing and Implementing Strategy. Translates and develops the vision, mission and values created by the board and membership into effective strategies. Translates strategic aims into practical and achievable plans. Understands the climate and culture in the wider political and social environment in which EIN operates. Understands political processes and how to operate within them.

3.      General Management: Manages operational processes to ensure the organization delivers outputs that meet stakeholder, organisational and legal requirements. Demonstrates good presentational and media skills. Is concise and persuasive orally and in writing. Delivers results on time, to budget and to a high quality.

4.      Project Management: Plans projects effectively. Co-ordinates activities, resources, and plans in order to complete projects to agreed timescale. Keeps key stakeholders informed and effectively communicates project outcomes. Contributes to the evaluation of project planning and implementation.

5.      Financial Management. Ensures: systems and procedures are in place for managing money efficiently; expenditure is continually monitored to ensure best value for money and prompt corrective action is taken where needed; reports of performance against budget are accurate, timely and presented to the Board and other relevant parties as required.

6.      Management of People and Relationships: Communicates effectively with the board and officers. Develops productive relationships with stakeholders. Identifies key partners and strategic partnership opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally; sets up partnerships to maximise mutual benefit. Develops productive relationships with colleagues; incorporates results of assessments into personal development plans. Promotes equality and diversity.

7.      Personal organisation: Manages own resources – own time, energy, knowledge and understanding and physical and mental skills – effectively in order to meet the requirements of the job. Agrees achievable objectives for self and gives a consistent and stable performance. Prioritises objectives and schedules work to make best use of time and resources. Develops self to improve own performance. Insists on openness and communication, motivated by values of inclusiveness and getting on with the job. Demonstrates high standards of honesty, integrity and fairness. Offers objective advice to board and officers without fear or favour. Shows respect for the views and actions of others.

How to Apply

Please complete the application form which can be downloaded below.

The closing date for applications is 5th April at 8 pm CET. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a short written task. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place between 3rd and 5th May in Strasbourg.

If you have any questions concerning this application, please contact aciccarone@einnetwork.org.