Full-Time Campaigner – Surveillance
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 Surveillance Campaigner leads on Access Now’s global campaign efforts in the fight against rights-abusing surveillance laws, technologies, and practices, with a particular focus on spyware and targeted surveillance tech, along with biometric surveillance.
This is both an implementer and coordinator role. The Surveillance Campaigner leads on developing and executing advocacy actions focused on holding global and cross-border actors to account, works closely with Access Now’s regional teams and grassroots partners to support and mobilize resources around local campaigns, and will facilitate coordination among Access Now colleagues to ensure alignment on policy positioning, tactics, and strategy.
The Surveillance Campaigner reports through the Director – Campaigns & Rapid Response and sits within the Advocacy Arm. The Campaigner works closely with other subject matter experts across the organization, including policy analysts, legal counsel, technologists, and communications leads. Within the global Campaigns team, the Surveillance Campaigner works closely with the Business & Human Rights Lead and Investor Advocate.
What you will do
- Develop and coordinate high-impact campaign actions to advance human rights protections and address harms to people most at risk carried out through surveillance technologies. This includes, for example:
- Private sector engagement and investor advocacy targeting the financing and governance of surveillance tech suppliers
- Policymaker engagement focused on the sale and distribution of surveillance technologies, as well as their use by law enforcement and other public sector actors
- Collaboration with technologists and researchers investigating the proliferation and impact of surveillance technologies, and developing strategies for mitigating their harm
- Coordinate surveillance-related campaign efforts, both internally within Access Now and through the engagement and development of global coalitions (including, for example, working to strengthen the emerging #BanBS coalition, the MENA Surveillance Coalition, CAUSE, and others)
- Develop and execute a well-rounded engagement strategy for connecting directly with the at-risk individuals we aim to serve, the grassroots organizations who support them, and media and other key stakeholders who can help advance our advocacy goals
- Produce engaging and dynamic content for a range of audiences, including articles, op-eds, speeches, campaign materials, press releases, blog posts, social media, and multimedia content
- Collaborate with Access Now team members and partner organizations to keep track of relevant developments as they unfold and prepare our timely response, including on related issues like data protection, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in the context of surveillance
- Expand our reach beyond the digital rights community, building an intersectional partner network, developing communities of action to impact decision makers, and coordinating with the Communications & Engagement team to get our resources into the right hands
- Participate in and organize events that facilitate coalition building, strategic partnerships, and direct connection with relevant decision makers
- Coordinate cross-team work by setting clear plans and priorities for the campaign, monitoring progress, and proactively communicating as conditions change
- Assist in global implementation of the annual RightsCon summit series
- Perform other duties as assigned
Skills, education, and mindset you will bring
- Clear understanding of the unique challenges at-risk and marginalized communities are confronting, and experience utilizing advocacy best practices that avoid putting affected individuals further at risk
- Excellent persuasive writing and speaking skills, and the ability to distill complex issues into simple, compelling messages
- Experience in advocacy, journalism, communications, campaigning, organizing, or another relevant field — including a strong track record of collaboration with diverse partners and the capacity to design effective strategies for meaningful change
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, respond quickly to breaking news items, and effectively balance competing priorities
- Ability to work as a member of a globally distributed team, bringing cultural sensitivity, effective and clear project management, and internal communication in that context
- Basic knowledge of digital security best practices, or a comfort with learning new technologies and technical concepts
- Familiarity with some key technical and/or policy issues surrounding surveillance is highly preferred (for example, privacy, encryption and anonymity, or chilling effects on expression)
- Knowledge of some key stakeholders in the surveillance technologies landscape (for example, international and regional organizations, vendors, investors, governments and their implementing agencies) and/or relevant legislative, policy, and legal mechanisms (including the Wassenaar Arrangement and other dual-use regulations, oversight bodies, or sanctions regimes) is valuable
- Past experience with a CRM system or management of a contact database (useful, not required)
- Comfort with social media management tools, and a track record of success in using digital platforms to reach specific audiences (useful, not required)
- Fluency in English required; working proficiency in another language relevant for impacted communities — for example, Arabic, Cantonese, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, or Spanish — is valuable
- Appropriate education and work preparation for the role, with bachelor or master degree equivalent in human rights, communications, journalism, law, or other relevant field preferred
The Details
Location
This is a full-time position, with preference for Africa, Asia-Pacific/Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe (Belgium, Germany, UK). 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 – in line with skills, preparation, and depth of experience – and benefits packages that align with our regional and office presences. While skills, experience, and the specific region/location drive compensation, examples of anticipated, initial placement within the salary range for this role include:
- between €4,000 and €4,800 EUR gross monthly (Belgium)
- between K325,000 and K500,000 KES gross monthly (Kenya)
- between $5,800 and $6,800 SGD gross monthly (Singapore)
- between £3,400 and £4,100 GBP gross monthly (United Kingdom)
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)
How to Apply
How to Apply Please submit the following documents:- 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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