Home-based: Expert Advisor on Crimes Against and Affecting Children

Our goal is to empower victims and survivors to identify and articulate their rights and their justice needs, reduce impunity and increase accountability, supporting victims to advocate for victim-centred truth seeking and justice and assist them to select the appropriate mechanisms; as well as set the standard for a creative, inclusive and responsive justice approaches in addressing sexual violence against the most vulnerable in fragile and conflict affected contexts.

The work will be diverse and challenging but if you are looking for your next challenge and the opportunity to make a real difference, then this position is right for you.

The ideal Expert Advisor will be a demonstrated self-starter that can help deliver the highest quality services to some of the most marginalised victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). They will help develop and implement an integrated approach to legal aid and empowerment for children, with a focus on boys and LGBTQI+ youth, that combines legal representation, high level advocacy and strong referral pathways encompassing holistic care services and child protection. They will help produce hard hitting evidence-based reports and increase visibility and advocacy on complex issues as well as work closely with LAW’s Executive Director, Head of Litigation and Technical Lead, taking advice from programme managers and partners as well as other stakeholders and community groups.

BACKGROUND ABOUT LAW: 

LAW is an independent, non-profit organisation comprised of human rights lawyers and jurists working in fragile and conflict affected areas in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. LAW has a particular focus on gender equality and sexual and gender-based violence, the rule of law and accountability and transformative justice - working to bring justice to those who need it most.

LAW’s portfolio includes multiple ground-breaking cases, which utilise creative legal strategies on behalf of victims and survivors from some of the most challenging contexts, representing more than 1000 clients.

LAW’s ground-breaking work has received international media coverage, including in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, BBC News, France24, The Independent, Voice of America, Huffington Post and Foreign Policy.

MORE ABOUT THIS WORK: 

Where? The role will be based in Geneva Preferably but flexible to consider other Europe-based countries (working remotely) or from one of LAW’s hub office (subject to right to work eligibility in the respective country). Travel throughout the world will be required.

Duration: Specific assignments will be commissioned under a Framework Agreement. Flexible, specific ToR to be agreed over weeks or months (exact dates to be agreed). .

Salary: Competitive consultancy rates will be offered.

Programmatic: 

• Support with development and implementation of LAW’s strategy to increase access to justice for marginalized victims of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), with a focus on children and LGBTQI+ youth;
• Conduct fieldwork including taking high quality statements from child victims in line with a victim-centred, trauma-informed and child-sensitive approach;
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key actors including; governments, partners, community groups, INGO’s and the UN;
• Coordinate and/or conduct policy, research, and advocacy initiatives and help identify cases for strategic litigation and other legal interventions;
• Develop outputs that can be shared with both internal and external stakeholders, based on information generated by the programme;
• Deliver technical assistance to local partners in client and case methodologies and evidence collection, child protection and safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation, and risk analysis and management;
• Coordinate with LAW’s Senior Management Team, and other programme managers as needed.

Advocacy and Communications:

• Develop the profile and visibility of the programme and represent LAW on national and regional platforms;
• Establish networks with local NGO and Government bodies and participate in coordination mechanisms at a regional level to influence legislation and policy changes;
• Coordinate and ensure that website and social media content related to the programmes is up to-date and engaging audiences;
• Contribute to LAW’s advocacy tools, including factsheets and the LAW Annual Report;
• Develop and implement a high-level advocacy strategy in line with global priorities that engages national, regional institutions and the international community.

About You: 

• The right to work in respective country where you will be based.
• A degree in law and preferably bar membership, with 4 years’ post-graduate experience in human rights law, criminal law or refugee law;
• Five years’ demonstrated experience in a similar role, involving children’s rights, child protection, crimes against children, and/or information, counselling and legal assistance to marginalised victims such as children and LGBTQI+ individuals;
• Minimum one years’ experience interviewing survivors and witnesses of international crimes and human rights abuses;
• Qualification or relevant PSEA Investigation training and/ or child protections training;
• Demonstrated knowledge of human rights law, international criminal law, humanitarian law and public international law;
• Excellent organisational skills, with ability to effectively manage individual and project workplan in a fast-paced environment and to effectively problem solve and troubleshoot;
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English;
• Flexibility and ability to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects; ability to prioritise tasks, particularly under pressure, and to meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent observation, active listening and analytical skills with ability to make sound judgment;

Preferred Requirements:

• Demonstrated knowledge or experience of working with survivors of sexual violence;
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising for international donor funded legal projects in complex or conflict affected environment and liaising with donors preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in programme management, including budget management;

Child Safeguarding Statement: 

LAW will uphold the highest consideration for the safety and protection of children and vulnerable adults. Policies are in place whereby all applicants will be required to undergo relevant vetting processes (which may include police criminal background checks, subject to local jurisdiction). When starting employment with LAW, staff members must sign a declaration stating there are no reasons or events that would render them unsuitable for the post and declaring any criminal conviction or ongoing criminal prosecutions against them.

LAW reserves the right to follow up on references with any previous employer to seek their considered views and opinion on the candidate’s suitability to be in contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. The successful applicant will only be offered a position subject to: (a) satisfactory and suitable references; (b) proof of qualifications; (c) relevant vetting/clearance procedures; and (d) proof of identification.

All staff joining LAW agree to familiarise themselves with the safeguarding policies and comply fully with its standards and the code of conduct. Staff are required to be vigilant and aware of potential risks to children and/or vulnerable adults. Staff are also responsible to report any suspected or known concerns and to participate fully in any safeguarding investigation if requested. Furthermore, staff are required to participate in annual trainings on safeguarding/child protection.

To learn more about LAW please visit our website: www.legalactionworldwide.org

How to Apply: 

If you have a legal background and experience in child rights or protection issues with the passion to support our work on a variety of assignments, we would like to hear from you. The closing date for applications is 17:00 hours (Geneva time) on 17 February 2024.

Please submit your CV, covering letter, outlining how your experience and skills match this consultancy and expected daily rate (neither exceeding 2 pages of A4) to: recruitment@legalactionworldwide.org. The heading of the application should read ‘'Expert Advisor Children’'

At LAW we are strengthened by the diversity of our colleagues reflecting the people and communities that we represent and support. Our team includes many nationalities with diverse professional backgrounds, skills and knowledge. This enables us to deliver and understand the cultural and political contexts on the ground and to tailor our support effectively and appropriately. Women lawyers with experience representing at-risk clients are particularly encouraged to apply.