Front Line Defenders is recruiting an Americas Officer to join our team. This is a one-year fixed term contract based in the region reporting to the Head of Americas.
Overview
The Regional Team leads Front Line Defenders’ work in the Region, with responsibility for defining priorities, directing organisational protection responses, and ensuring that resources are deployed where they have the greatest impact for human rights defenders (HRDs). Grounded in sustained engagement with HRDs and regional ecosystems, the team determines where the organisation acts, who and how it supports, and how it responds to evolving risks. The Regional Team plays a central role in shaping organisational direction by ensuring that strategies, approaches and interventions are driven by regional priorities, while contributing directly to global strategy and positioning.
The Americas Officer will support the Protection Team’s direct response to human rights defenders at risk in the Americas. This position will involve collaboration with all colleagues working in the region, and in particular close coordination with Americas Protection Coordinators, Head of Protection, Senior Advocacy Lead, and HRD Memorial Coordinator, offering assistance with documentation, research, administrative and logistic duties in relation to Front Line Defender’s work with human rights defenders in the Americas. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, documentation, verification and research on risks faced by defenders, drafting various briefing papers, reports and appeals, regular update of the Front Line Defenders’ database, taking minutes of meetings, direct communication with defenders, coordination with other civil society organizations as well as providing occasional language support through in-house translation of sensitive documents, as well as in online and in person meetings.
Background
Front Line Defenders is an international organisation based in Ireland that works exclusively for the protection of human rights defenders at risk. Human rights defenders are people who are persecuted because of their peaceful work for the rights of others. Front Line Defenders provides practical help through protection grants, physical and digital protection training, lobbying, advocacy and campaigning.
Role responsibilities
Key duties include:
- Provide support to the Protection Coordinators in outreach and correspondence with defenders, incl. responding to defenders’ queries and following-up on their requests with different FLD program areas
- Input HRD-related and case information (case updates, outcomes) to the Front Line Defenders’ database and ensure that it is kept up to date
- Provide regional coverage on behalf of Protection Coordinators when they are on mission, or not available for other reasons, including attending meetings with various stakeholders and allies
- Gathering documentation for work with human rights defenders cases;
- Support Human rights defenders at risk connecting and liasing with other organizations with specific expertise relevant for their protection needs
- Undertake desk research on cases of defenders, situation of HRDs at risk in the region; assist with gathering and verification of information
- Compile and draft as requested briefings, reports, urgent appeals/updates, statements, or other materials;
- Taking notes at meetings with defenders, other organisations representatives and at internal FLD meetings;
- Close daily collaboration with the regional team (staff working in the Americas from different
- FLD program areas, including Advocacy, HRD Memorial, Grants, Digital Protection,
- Communications and Capacity Building);
For further information, please view:
https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/americas_officer_jd_october_2026.pdf
Salary & Benefits
- €34,128 – €55,094 per annum
- 26 annual leave days
- Pension
- Paid Health Insurance
- Income Protection & Life Assurance
- Employee Assistance Scheme (EAP)
- Monthly Well-Being Provisions
Requirements
Interested applicants must have:
- Solid knowledge of the situation facing human rights defenders in the Americas
- At least 4 years of experience working directly with human rights defenders and/or civil society in the region
- Experience working with human rights defenders in the context of land, environmental, indigenous, campesino and/or black communities rights
- Analytical skills, ability to search for information throughout different sources, verify it and organise into advocacy documents
- Good writing skills, including ability to produce high-quality reports and correspondence.
- Fluent written and spoken Spanish;
- High level of written and spoken English;
- Good time management, ability to plan and prioritise work on the tasks, and ability to accommodate emergency tasks within the workplan
- Ability to work independently and as part of the team
- Good level of political judgment, especially in the context of casework, e.g. ability to defend the case based on the analysis of the context and FLD mandate.
- Self drive, initiative and capacity to pro actively support HRDs;
- Ability to manage high-pressure situations while maintaining professionalism and responding to emotionally demanding challenges.
How to apply
Closing Date
Applicants must submit their applications (CV & cover letter) by 5pm (local Irish time) on Thursday, 29th October 2026 via the ‘Apply Now’ button as per FLD vacancies page: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/recruitment-volunteering.