JOB TITLE: Program Officer, North Americas

REPORTS TO: Global Lead, Legal Equality

LOCATION:  Washington, DC or New York

CONTRACT TYPE / HOURS: Employee / 3 days per week

REMUNERATION: $63, 768 - $79,710 (Band 2 US metro) - will be pro-rated for 3 days. The salary is set using a UN Cost of Living calculator that endeavors to generate a local salary that offers the same standard of living reflected by the NYC salary. The salary is subject to change at the time of hiring as the cost of living indicator changes and FX rates stabilize.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: April 30, 2024

ABOUT EQUALITY NOW

At Equality Now, we aspire to create a world in which women and men have equal rights under the law, and full enjoyment of their human rights. Our mission is gender equality. And how we get there matters.

Founded in 1992, Equality Now is an international human rights organization that works to protect and promote the rights of all women and girls around the world. Our campaigns are centered on four program areas: Legal Equality, End Sexual Violence, End Harmful Practices, and End Sexual Exploitation, with a cross-cutting focus on the unique needs of adolescent girls.  Equality Now combines grassroots activism with international, regional, and national legal advocacy to achieve legal and systemic change to benefit all women and girls and works to ensure that governments enact and enforce laws and policies that uphold their rights. Equality Now is a global organization with partners and members all around the world.  You’ll find our 80+ team across the world in places such as Beirut, London, Geneva, San Jose, New York, Nairobi, Tbilisi, Washington DC among others.

We offer a great experience for talented people who are passionate about equality. To work here, you’ll need to share our core values which are: integrity, tenaciousness, perseverance and inclusivity. For more information, visit equalitynow.org.

POSITION / ROLE SUMMARY
As a member of the Program Team you will have a portfolio of campaigns and be responsible, with your other campaign team members, for delivering against agreed campaign outcomes in North America, predominantly in the USA.  In this instance we are particularly interested in someone that is well networked in the US gender policy space and has a deep understanding of systemic discrimination against women and girls and the intersections with other forms of discrimination in North America.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a member of the Program Team you will have a portfolio of campaigns and be responsible, with your other campaign team members, for delivering against agreed campaign outcomes in North America, predominantly in the USA. 

A typical campaign team is built around the four pathways in our theory of change (ToC) - legal, advocacy, collaboration and resourcing - and draws on skills of thematic legal specialists, legal advisors, advocacy strategists and networkers. Each campaign is supported by the Communications Team in communications strategy development, production and media and social media advocacy, and the Development team who support in raising funds, proposal development, reporting and managing donor relations.  

There are 4 types of campaigns that could make up your portfolio:

• Proactive live campaigns
• Emerging campaigns (in the design and development phase) 
• Reactive campaigns (where we monitor and engage on the issue on an ongoing basis and escalate to a rapid response state as needed) 
• Rapid response campaigns (where we have to respond urgently to an unexpected human rights abuse - staff assigned to such a campaign will be asked to take on additional responsibilities in the short term).

• Contribute to the successful achievement of anticipated campaign outcomes through the four ToC pathways
• Elicit support from the organization to make things happen
• Facilitate learning within the campaign team 
• Work with the Global Leads to develop strategic insights and recommendations in response to learning and lead any resultant change process
• Work with the Global Leads and Impact Team to ensure we are capturing learning
• Work closely with the Global Leads and Communications on developing thought leadership

• Manage and report on any key deliverables for specific grants as needed - ensure activities deliver the agreed outputs and are well evidenced and documented
• Ensure the quarterly milestone reporting is completed
• Ensure the organization is regularly updated on the status of campaigns and that documents /reporting are in order
• Ensure any campaign you lead is operating within budget

• Provide oversight to the development and delivery of campaign advocacy strategies and develop strategic linkages for campaigns in the North America region, particularly the USA:
• Map out clear advocacy pathways and strategies (local, national, regional and international as necessary), monitor progress and advise on adaptation
• Map context and key stakeholders, including those most affected  
• Identify a diversity of key allies and design and implement strategies to engage them
• Identify potential opposition and design and implement strategies to manage them
• Identify key relationships and develop strategies for engagement
• Facilitate the building of momentum with key influencers at local, national, regional and international levels, and map movement development 
• Develop effective mutually respectful partnerships with clearly articulated change aspirations, roles and mutual accountability  

• Provide legal research, analysis and recommendations on strategy
• Provide legal input on cases (strategic litigation, class actions, regional court submission etc.)
• Support case development  
• Manage pro bono lawyer research and inputs 
• Deliver training on law and gender implications
• Facilitate litigation surgeries
• Overseeing the drafting and preparation of legal documents (e.g. amicus briefs) 
• Generate key messages for communications, Actions and Alerts and letters to key influencers and governments
• Identify opportunities to lever change through international and regional law 
• Prepare and make submissions to regional and international human rights bodies
• Document the legal process and ensure excellent record keeping

• Contribution to the successful achievement of anticipated campaign outcomes for North America through the four ToC pathways
• Timely, well-evidenced reporting on key deliverables, within budget, for grants as needed
• Effective oversight to the development and delivery of campaign advocacy strategies and development of strategic linkages for campaigns in the North America region, particularly the USA
• Effective collaboration and communication with team members to facilitate and capture learning; develop thought leadership
• Effective mutually respectful partnerships with clearly articulated change aspirations, roles and mutual accountability  

• A degree in law, international human rights, gender or other a relevant discipline OR equivalent experience in gender or human rights advocacy
• Experience in one or more of our program areas

• A demonstrable understanding of systemic gender inequality and its intersections with other systemic exclusions
• Experience in human rights, women’s rights, international advocacy or international law 
• Confident networker, with existing networks in the USA policy space 
• Proven experience of building and maintaining networks and partnerships, and facilitating coalitions and movements
• Professional experience in analysis and strategy development
• Experience in advocacy at the national level, and knowledge of regional and international advocacy

• Strong analytical skills and excellent written and oral communication
• Evidence of skills in communications for change 
• Strong organization and planning skills with a drive for results, outcomes and impact

• Demonstrable commitment to human rights with a focus on women’s human rights and gender equality
• Ability to work as part of a team and across teams and collaborate respectfully to achieve shared goals
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work under pressure in a multicultural environment
• Willingness and ability to travel 

• An understanding of the experiences and needs of adolescent girls
• Experience in proposal development and grants delivery
• Experience in impact articulation

HOW TO APPLY

Please visit: https://equalitynow.applytojob.com/ and submit a resume/CV, cover letter and a writing sample.

The deadline for applications is April 30th, 2024. Interviews may be held on a rolling basis for exceptional candidates.

Due to the volume of applicants anticipated for this role, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

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