Irish Council for Civil Liberties: Policy Officer (Civil Society Freedom) – closing date 31 January 2020

Duration: 21 months, with 6 months’ probation

Level: Full-Time Post

About the Role

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) is recruiting a Policy Officer to work as part of its team of human rights activists, leading a programme of work on democratic rights and civil society freedom. The Policy Officer will work as part of the ICCL team, and will also work with the Coalition for Civil Society Freedom, a coalition of civil society organisations working on issues related to freedom of association.

About ICCL

ICCL is the foremost civil liberties organisation in Ireland with a long and successful track record of defending human rights and civil liberties, including at times when the political climate was often hostile to their protection. Fully independent of government and fearless in its advocacy for human rights, it has been at the forefront of all the key human rights debates in Irish society, making a significant impact on law, policy and public opinion.

About the Coalition for Civil Society Freedom

In 2018, ICCL formed a coalition of civil society organisations working on human rights issues related to the role of civil society organisations in Irish society, named the Coalition for Civil Society Freedom. This Coalition, comprising of 6 civil society organisations, is committed to developing and leading a programme of work in the area of democratic freedoms and civil society freedom between January 2020 and end October 2021. The Programme Officer will be the principal lead on this programme of work. The members of the Coalition are: ICCL, Amnesty International (Irish Section), Transparency International (Ireland), The Wheel, Uplift, and Front Line Defenders.

Role Purpose

• Lead the growth and development of the Coalition for Civil Society Freedom
• Develop and implement the Programme of Work of the Coalition
• Develop and maintain high-level relationships with government and statutory bodies, academia, the legal community, media and civil society organisations
• Contribute to the wider work of ICCL on freedom of association and freedom of expression
• Participate as a member of the ICCL staff team

Specific Objectives of the Role

• Conduct research in the field of civil society freedom in Ireland
• Research and develop policy submissions on matters concerning civil society freedom in Ireland
• Represent the ICCL and the Coalition nationally and internationally
• Engage in advocacy and representational work that effectively promotes the ICCL’s objectives in this area

Person Specification

The ICCL offers a dynamic and flexible working environment and the chance to use your skills and knowledge to make a genuine difference. Applicants will be assessed against the following essential / desirable requirements and are encouraged to use their applications to provide examples of the manner in which they meet these criteria.

Essential requirements

• Qualification in human rights, or a related discipline
• Good working knowledge of international (global/European) and domestic (Irish) human rights and equality standards
• At least 3 years’ experience in a research, policy or advocacy role
• First rate legal research, drafting and writing skills and the proven capacity to produce high-quality work to tight deadlines
• Experience of lobbying and advocacy work at a national or international level
• Capacity to integrate into a small high-performance staff team
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills, including experience of project management and strong computer literacy
• Excellent communication skills
• Commitment to the values of ICCL

Desirable requirements

• Knowledge of EU law
• Experience of media engagement
• Direct professional experience of engagement with international human rights mechanisms
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills, and experience of project management

Salary range: €30,000-€40,000 depending on experience.

Further Information

The ICCL welcomes applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. This role requires applicants to have the right to work in Ireland.

Application Process:

Please submit a (i) completed application form and (ii) a cover letter to liam.herrick@iccl.ie before 5pm on 31^st January 2020.

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