Senior Legal Advisor At DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture

Do you want to work in a human rights organization that makes a concrete and positive difference for vulnerable people around the world? And do you have master’s degree in law and a focus on accountability for human rights violations and international crimes?

Then DIGNITY can offer you an exciting opportunity, as we have a vacant position as senior legal advisor in our department for Prevention and Accountability (P&A).

The position is temporary and terminates on September 30, 2026.

Since 1982, DIGNITY has worked for a world free of torture and violence. We are a human rights and development organization that also runs a rehabilitation clinic in Denmark. We prevent torture and violence, treat traumatized victims, and document serious human rights violations so that those responsible can be held accountable.

In our P&A department, we have gathered our work on advisory and advocacy on torture and human rights. Here, we have a particular focus on strategic and knowledge development as well as consultancy and capacity building of DIGNITY’s international partners within torture prevention, documentation, accountability, and advocacy. The department has approx. 15 legal and healthcare employees and a smaller number of associated consultants. The department is managed by the director of the department and her deputy head.

The position is placed within our International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB) which is a part of our P&A department. You can read more about the work within the IAPB-platform on our website.

About the position

The work on the platform is carried out by approx. 15 consultants and employees, who work closely with Belarusian and international human rights organisations in the implementation of their mandate. The platform is managed daily by a head of platform who resides in Austria and the consultants, and one other employee also reside in other countries. You will therefore work closely together with colleagues who – like you – are working from our head office in Denmark as well as with colleagues abroad. The director of the P&A department works from our head office in Denmark.

As senior legal advisor your focus will be on collecting, verifiying and analyzing information and evidence of human rights violations and international crimes. All tasks are carried out with reference to the head of the IAPB platform.

The position does not include staff management but will include a large degree of professional quality assurance and coordination.

Your primary tasks are:

• to oversee the consolidation of information and evidence collected by the IAPB partners and secretariat team.
• structure, review, and edit analytical briefs and legal memos for submission to criminal justice authorities and/or other accountability bodies, whether in response to requests for access to information and evidence or otherwise.
• coordinate the work of the Lead Analyst and Junior Analysts, determine investigative and analytical priorities, identify evidentiary gaps, and facilitate the collection and verification of information and evidence of crimes under international law where possible, ensuring investigative activities are carried out in accordance with international best practice standards.
• establish and maintain cooperation with criminal justice authorities who are or may exercise jurisdiction over crimes under international law, with a view to promoting and instigating the commencement of criminal investigations and prosecutions in States exercising universal or other forms of jurisdiction.
• participate in discussions with civil society bodies who are seeking accountability for crimes under international law allegedly committed in Belarus.
• support the IAPB partner documentation teams, including by participating in weekly meetings and providing guidance on interviewing techniques and evidence gathering.
• where necessary, represent the IAPB in dialogues with donor states and third parties, in conjunction with the Head of the Platform.

We offer you:

• A job in a dynamic organization with a global outlook and a strong professional focus, where all activities are driven by the desire to make a positive difference for victims of human rights violations.
• An opportunity to become part of an international team of committed and highly skilled colleagues with a focus on setting the best framework for collaboration and joint learning.
• Flexible working hours and an emphasis on a good balance between work and private life.

Skills

We expect you to have a master’s degree in law, preferably with a specialization in international human rights law (IHRL), international humanitarian law (IHL) or international criminal law (ICL).

We also expect that you have:

• A minimum of 10 years of demonstrated practical legal experience investigating or prosecuting international crimes, ideally within a national or international criminal justice authority.
• Demonstrated knowledge of advising on cases involving international criminal law and international human rights law, substantial and procedural.
• Experience coordinating tasks within a team at a senior level.
• Demonstrated experience liaising with senior stakeholders, and confidence in public speaking.
• Experience in capacity building and overseeing the documentation of human rights violations and international crimes.
• Demonstrated legal drafting and analytical skills, including experience in drafting submissions to national, regional, and international human rights and accountability bodies.
• Professional experience of relevance to Belarus is a distinctive asset.
• Fluency in English with proven writing skills.
• Competency in written and oral Belarusian and/or Russian will be considered a distinctive asset.
• Fluency in English with proven writing skills.

It is also important that you have:

• Excellent strategic thinking and with strong organizational and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in an inter-disciplinary environment and across different cultures.
• Excellent oral communication skills, and ability to communicate effectively with different target audiences.
• Ability to work across a broad portfolio, manage complex workload and be responsive to evolving demands.
• Cultural and context sensitivity, high ethical standards, and diplomatic skills.
• and that you are resourceful, creative, collegial, empathic, and respectful.

Terms of employment

The position is placed in DIGNITY’s Prevention and Accountability Department with reference to the head of the IAPB-platform.

Your place of employment is Copenhagen at our main address at Bryggervangen 55, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

The position is placed in our head office in Copenhagen and we expect you to have a civil registry address in Denmark during the full employment. Alternatively we offer an employer of record (EoR) solution in Germany or Austria. Please note we do not offer EoR-soultions in other countries. Also note, that the position will not be filled on a consultancy basis.

Expected entry is September 1, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter (depending on whether a residence and working permit in Denmark must be obtained).

The position terminates on September 30, 2026.

Your working hours are 37 hours per week.

The employment is based on the Danish collective agreement for academics in the state. The salary level is based on skills and relevant. Please note that we do not offer coverage of cost in connection to a move to Denmark.