Junior Programme Assistant (Turkey project) At ProtectDefenders.eu

Based at the Secretariat’s office in Brussels, the Junior Programme Assistant will provide support to the Turkey Programme, working closely with the Programme Officer and the Finance Officer, under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat. The terms of reference for this position are available for download.

The Junior Programme Assistant will carry out a variety of tasks related to the coordination of the organization’s programme for at-risk human rights defenders. This is an excellent opportunity for learning and achieving relevant work experience in the field of human rights at global and EU levels.

Tasks & General Responsibilities:

• Monitor the grant programmes inboxes and assist the programme officer in replying to requests, questions, and issues;
• Assist the Programme Officer and the Finance Officer in their engagements with the applicants, human rights defenders, partners and other stakeholders in relation to the grant programmes;
• Follow up on the grants awarded, monitoring the status of progress of grants and liaising with stakeholders, both internal and external, to receive intermediate and final narrative and financial reports;
• Maintain up to date information on the server and in the database, including preparing datasets for analysis as needed;
• Support the programme teams in the administration of the grant programmes; organising the grant payments and following up on payments, among other administrative tasks.
• Support the finance team in cross-checking of guidelines, review of simple reports and other ad hoc tasks in preparation of the audits;
• Support the preparation of meetings, including planning and drafting of meeting notes among other tasks ;
• Work collaboratively with the ProtectDefenders.eu team and undertake other relevant tasks specified by the Head of the Secretariat.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Relevant studies in law, international relations, social sciences, or related fields.
• First professional experience in the human rights sector, and in the programme implementation is requested.
• First experience with project management, and/or project development.
• Experience, professional or volunteering, with human rights organisations and human rights defenders.
• Understanding of the needs of human rights defenders at risk.
• Knowledge of EU institutions, UN procedures and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights would be an asset.
• Excellent drafting and editing skills.
• Database management skills.
• Fluency in Turkish is required and knowledge of French would be appreciated.
• Excellent written and oral skills in English are mandatory.

PERSONAL SKILLS

• Committed to the defence of human rights and values of ProtectDefenders.eu. A strong desire to support human rights defenders at risk.
• Ability to work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to adapt to multidisciplinary work in the environment of a multicultural team.
• Good organisational skills, detail–oriented. Ability to plan and prioritize work in an efficient manner.

STARTING DATE & CONDITIONS

• Preferable starting date: As soon as possible
• Duration and conditions: the candidate will be offered a CIP contract for a period of 6 months which could be extended depending on funding.
• ProtectDefenders.eu also provides work insurance, meal vouchers and monthly local transportation.
• Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, please be aware that the ProtectDefenders.eu staff work from home until further notice.
• The candidate should be willing to be based in Belgium and have a valid work permit.