Job Purpose: To provide strategic leadership and vision for AI South Africa’s research, campaigns, advocacy and media activities centred on human rights work in South Africa. To develop an integrated strategy on the country’s human rights agenda, overseeing its application, and ensuring consistency between AI’s policies and strategies for work in South Africa with those in other global regions;
AI South Africa Purpose: Amnesty International South Africa (AISA) is a national human rights entity that is part of a global human rights movement, established to address national human rights priorities as well as create the possibility for people in South Africa to join Amnesty International’s global human rights campaigns. Our mission in South Africa is to address pertinent national human rights issues through research and campaigning, and to empower South Africans to take action on issues that matter to them through AI’s international human rights movement; and to leverage South Africa’s influence regionally and globally to promote human rights domestically, bilaterally and internationally.
Amnesty International Purpose: We campaign for meaningful human rights change; enable effective human rights activism and work to persuade governments and other actors to uphold universal rights standards.
Working Relationships:
Reporting to: Executive Director Posts that this job manages: programme staff, fixed term contract staff and consultants.
Other key relationships: Southern Africa regional office programme staff
Main Responsibilities:
- As a key member of the senior management team, contribute to the development of an effective strategic plan to deliver AISA’s vision in line with the Strategic Goals of Amnesty International.
- Exercise strategic leadership and provide sound political judgment and expertise in relation to AI’s work in South Africa in order to lead the development of integrated and coherent country, regional, and thematic strategies, operational plans and responses to crisis situations which deliver tangible human rights impact. Such a strategy is undertaken in collaboration with other key stakeholders within and outside Amnesty International, and ensures coherence with global strategies and priorities;
- To develop and implement of a State Monitoring programme strategy and associated campaigning 2 strategies to deliver impact, managing and coordinating actions on Foreign policy and state accountability concerns in South Africa and programme thematic areas aimed at effecting change in the State Monitoring human rights situation
- Scan the external world for opportunities, threats and trends, maintain an overview of political, civil society, human rights and other relevant developments in the country and region, and undertake/lead fieldwork in order to ensure informed direction and risk management of the department’s work;
- Provide sound, timely political advice including on emerging issues and trends, particularly crisis situations and political/economic trends that impact human rights, in order to ensure a continued strategic focus at the country level and contribute a relevant regional perspective to the setting of AI’s overall directions for human rights work at the global level;
- Lead the development of an effective operational plan for AISA’s advocacy work, based on the organisation’s strategic plans, to ensure effective advocacy on the full range of human rights and effective response to human rights crises and situations, and to report regularly on the implementation of the operational plan;
- Build strong relationships with relevant external actors (including government, intergovernmental fora, civil society organisations) who play a relevant role at national and regional level in human rights promotion and protection, strengthening AI’s reputation as an authority on human rights analysis and effective intervention;
- Ensure integration at the national level of research and action in order to provide an effective, coherent programme of work which delivers tangible outcomes for human rights in conformity with AI’s mission and consistent with its priorities, strategies and standards;
- Oversee quality assurance for all related outputs at country level, ensuring accurate and ethical research aimed at effective human rights action, and strategic coherence, consistency and alignment with global standards. To this end review research plans and mission proposals. Maintain oversight of, and have responsibility for, approval of reports and high-profile and/or sensitive research outputs delivered through AISA;
- Deliver impactful and fully integrated campaigns (national/regional/global) including overseeing integrated planning and delivery for all campaign projects, ensuring that the national section delivers a coherent suite of campaigning projects that reflect organisational priorities;
- Work with the campaigns, movement building and media to increase activist and public engagement in AI’s campaigns and support both growth and human rights impact;
- Promote innovation in campaigning and activism including trying new tactics, techniques and methodologies to deliver effective campaigning strategies;
- Represent AI at a senior level, including in the field, with government officials, international organizations, civil society organizations, at public events and in the media, ensuring that AI’s position is communicated effectively including through developing and communicating messages crafted at influencing the appropriate audience;
- Manage the staff and other resources of the department, including remote management, to ensure their most effective use, in line with agreed priorities and policies. Manages risk assessments and oversees the implementation of security procedures for programme staff;
- Build and maintains effective working relationships with AI’s sections and structures in order to identify and exploit opportunities for co-operation, information-sharing and problem solving;
- Set, monitor, manage and report on budget and expenditure for the work undertaken by the team;
- The ability, knowledge and skills to be able to support the Executive Director in engagement around justice and accountability.
What Does Success Look Like In This Job?
A successful Programmes Manager will have overseen the management and implementation of all programmes within Amnesty South Africa within the framework agreed norms, plans, budget, and timeline and in line with Amnesty’s Strategic Goals. S/he will have ensured the effective implementation of the project and the project team, and enhanced its contributions to the overall Project goals and Amnesty International mission, and upheld Amnesty International’s values at all times.
Skills and Experience:
- First-hand expert knowledge of, and ability to analyze, political, civil society and human rights issues in South Africa;
- At least 7-10 years experience working in the field of human rights and development with at least 3-5 of these at a senior management level.
- Excellent understanding of human rights work, including the international legal framework, human rights architecture and the requirements of campaigning work, with a proven record of success in using these tools to change policy;
- Strategic thinker with a developed capacity to build and convey the “big picture” while enabling others to identify the implications of this for their daily work;
- Experience of research for campaigning and advocacy purposes, including field research, and a demonstrated ability to assess human rights research;
- Excellent political judgment and the ability to spot both risks and opportunities;
- Proven ability to negotiate, challenge and confront conflict, brokering solutions to achieve goals;
- Proven ability to develop strategies and plans, and review/adapt them to fast changing political situations, exercising and promoting creative thinking;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and other relevant local languages preferred;
- Ability to represent AISA in difficult and high-profile environments;
- Experience of working in a team and understanding of the importance of efficient communications for the coordination and effective functioning of teams; Ability to inspire and motivate a wide range of people;
- Well-developed communication, presentation, spokesperson, advocacy and representational skills appropriate for diverse audiences and the media, including the ability to make and win arguments;
- Proven ability to work under pressure including the ability to cope with and manage conflicting demands, meeting deadlines, managing budgets and adjusting priorities;
- Demonstrated willingness to be accountable for actions and decisions, and to receive and give performance related feedback;
- Ability to lead and manage staff and financial resources;
- Able and willing to work in a manner that is consistent with the organisation’s core behaviours and 4 competencies.
- Personally credible, with a professional demeanor that generates the trust and confidence of managers, staff and external stakeholders;
- Committed to collaborative working in matrix relationships and in an interdisciplinary team;
- Leads by example and possesses a high degree of integrity;
- Possess a high level of resilience, initiative and drive, able to be flexible and change orientation as required;
- Set themselves and others challenging but achievable targets;
- Use new approaches, theory and technologies to develop innovative solutions;
- Apply concepts and learning from outside own field/environment, looking ahead over the long-term to deliver improvements and avoid problems;
- Able to engage and influence, utilizing a challenging but respectful approach;
- Politically aware and emotionally intelligent;
Conflict of Interest:
Public or other activity, affiliation to or support for any group or organization, personal association or other factor which may generate a real or perceived conflict of interest with Amnesty International’s principles (specifically independence and impartiality), or raise a security concern, or otherwise prevent the candidate from carrying out key functions of the specific post and would therefore disqualify the candidate from being appointed.