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15 Feb 2023
Full-Time Policy and Advocacy Manager – African Region
Job Description
The Organization and Role
About Access Now
Access Now is a growing international human rights organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, including issues of privacy, security, freedom of expression, and transparency. Our policy, advocacy, technology, and operations teams have staff presences in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa (MENA), North America, and South/Southeast Asia, to provide global support to our mission.
About this role
The Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager leads and guides regional efforts to follow and influence relevant policy developments, recognize campaign and strategic litigation opportunities, and advise on crafting appropriate communications. The Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager is first and foremost, a manager, supporting each regional Advocacy Team Member in delivering excellence and pursuing professional development, as well as charting strategic growth and stewarding all available resources. The regional manager provides strategic guidance toward achieving Access Now’s mission to defend and extend the digital rights of users at risk in the region.
The Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager works closely with other Advocacy Arm teams; ensures smooth collaboration with teams across the Helpline, Development and Grants Arms; and facilitates regional Advocacy team members’ participation in global team workflows. The position sits in the Policy and International Programs Team, within the Advocacy Arm, and reports through the Director – Policy and International Programs.
What you will do
Programmatic Management and Engagement
- Lead, oversee, and coordinate regional Advocacy Arm functions across communications and engagement, campaigning, policy analysis, and legal interventions – leveraging functions to achieve the greatest possible impact
- Coordinate and collaborate on global initiatives in conjunction with other regional managers, teams, and thematic working groups within the Advocacy Arm, and facilitate regional team members’ participation in those workflows
- Oversee development and execution of the regional team’s strategic and operational plans, as well as regional components of global or cross-team plans, in alignment with the organization’s Mission and Strategic Vision
- Provide strategic guidance, oversight and resource allocation to regional advocacy team members, ensuring relevant processes — including those set out by the by the Communications and Engagement, Campaigns, and Legal teams under their remit — are followed and appropriate team members across are consulted
- Identify opportunities to advance strategic goals through courts and other legal and remedial mechanisms, grow our network of regional jurists and litigators, and engage our Programmatic Legal Team and relevant Advocacy Team members on legal strategies and impact litigation relevant to digital rights in the region
- Support and advise the Executive Director and Senior Management Team on cross-team organizational, programmatic, and governance questions at their request
Stakeholder engagement
- Develop and manage regional partnerships with civil society organizations, coalitions, policymakers, investors and other relevant stakeholders; represent Access Now at high-level events, meetings, and gatherings before regional and international institutions
- Oversee the organization of regional convenings and stakeholder events to push Access Now’s priorities and advocacy actions in the region; e.g. apéros, side events, sessions, expert roundtables
- Oversee management of relevant Access Now regional coalitions
- Coordinate the regional response to queries from the media, the public, and colleagues in the digital rights community and take initiative to promote Access Now’s views in public discussion
Management (HR/People, finances, and fundraising)
- Lead timely and effective professional development, coaching, and performance management processes to grow and retain talent
- Partner closely with regional and global People/HR Team Members to address and manage behaviors and issues that may have Team and Organizational impacts
- Manage team culture and interpersonal/communication dynamics with respect to programmatic work involving regional advocacy staff and priorities
- Proactively coordinate and communicate internally across teams and regions to ensure transparency of work plans, proposed projects, needed tools, and upcoming processes
- Identify potential funding opportunities, and support funding proposals through program information that translates our priorities and outputs to funders
- Support regional operations and administrative tasks, including management of regional discretionary or dedicated budgets
- Assist in hiring selection and onboarding processes of Team Members across the Arm
- Assists in global implementation of the annual RightsCon summit series
- Performs other duties as assigned
Programmatic Contributions
- Act as an expert advisor and contributor to the organization’s plans, projects and initiatives in their particular areas of thematic expertise, focusing on high-priority initiatives and outputs.
Skills, education, and mindset you will bring
As a top candidate you will bring:
- 5+ years of practical experience, to allow you to manage dedicated staff and contribute to regional and international policy development, in particular on the policy areas listed above
- Passion for mission-driven work and senior educational or practical background in tech, policy, human rights, and/or regional legislative affairs
- Experience engaging national governments, legislatures, human rights institutions, and industry bodies/companies in the continent. Specific experience on regional institutions – like the African Union – is a plus
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and management skills, and proven ability to manage teams and projects in the tech policy or advocacy sphere
- Comfort communicating with people from different backgrounds and with different levels of expertise
- Respect for and desire to work with a dynamic, diverse and international team
- Capacity to work in a fast-paced and challenging environment. This means an ability to prioritize and juggle multiple deadlines with the help of your colleagues and manager.
- Creative and decisive leadership, to consider the best ways to pursue and implement goals in policy areas related to regional priorities.
- Clear understanding of the internet and technologies related to the mentioned policy priority areas
- Fluency in English; Swahili or French languages are a plus
- Appropriate education and work preparation for the role, with bachelor or master degree equivalent in law, public administration, computer science, political science, international relations, or a similar field
How to Apply
The Details Location This is a full-time position, to be filled in or around the African Region. The successful candidate must possess the right to work in the location in which they will be based. At this time most Access Now Team Members are working through hybrid office arrangements, combining remote at-home work with intermittent use of offices and/or co-working spaces. Remuneration Access Now offers competitive compensation and benefits packages that align competitively with locations and regions around the world. For illustrative purposes, if filled at the regional manager level in Nairobi, Kenya, initial placement within the salary range for this role is estimated around K700,000 Ksh gross monthly. Benefits for this specific role are tied to the location, and will vary. Regardless of location, all Team Members benefit from a strong global culture aligned around:- Work-life balance...including a generous paid time-off program between 36 and 40 days annually
- Access to supplemental health care insurance policies
- Professional development and growth opportunities
- Extensive workplace flexibility
- Organizational resilience and support for all team members, including paid family leave and employee assistance programs
- Connection to a diverse, global team of passionate, principled professionals
- Opportunities to recharge (including one month of paid refresher leave after 4 years)
- Résumé/CV (removing all personally identifying information such as age, gender, marital status, address, and photo)
- Thoughtful cover letter outlining your suitability for our role, with particular attention to your experience aligning to the core functions
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