Head of Protection Grants
Front Line Defenders are recruiting a Head of Protection Grants to join our team. This is a permanent role based in Dublin reporting to the Director of Protection Grants and Consortium Engagement.
Overview
The purpose of the Protection Grants team is to provide fast, flexible and effective responses to the protection needs of HRDs at immediate risk who are requesting practical security measures such as legal support, medical support, emergency relocation support and other expressed needs for themselves and their families, organisations and movements. The team consists of Director of Protection Grants and regional and thematic Protection Grants Coordinators.
The Head of Protection Grants will be a leader who can balance the urgent needs of human rights defenders with the rigorous demands of donor compliance and financial management. Providing management and leadership to the Protection Grants team, ensuring the development and delivery of an operational and strategic plan that aligns with Front Line Defenders’ core values, policies, and procedures. This role will be responsible for financial stewardship, overseeing the protection grants budget, expenditure monitoring, and resource allocation to ensure fiscal integrity and donor compliance. The role requires overseeing the protection grants components of audits to guarantee that all grant disbursements comply with organisational procedures and relevant donor compliance rules, internal governance standards, and safeguarding protocols.
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:
- Daily coordination of protection grants team to ensure timely delivery of protection grants.
- Ensuring adherence to FLD processes and procedures in relation to assessment and verification of incoming grant applications from Front Line Defenders, mandate eligibility and mentioned threats/ risks.
- Support coordination between Grants Coordinators and regional teams and protection programmes.
- Work with the Heads of Regions to ensure shared oversight and learning across the region’s protection programming.
- Management of protection grants programme budget and commitments to donors.
- Liaison with development and finance teams on budget spend, allocation and audits.
- Management of a fluid grant portfolio to integrate new donor streams, ensuring alignment with evolving funding agreements while maintaining strict fiscal oversight and 12-month budget management.
- Reporting on protection grant spend per donor.
- Managing and ensuring complete and accurate recording of all protection grants activity in the FLD database.
- Design and implement robust cross-referencing protocols to systematically reconcile data between the grants management database and financial accounting systems, ensuring alignment and eliminating discrepancies for balanced records.
- Compiling trend analysis as required.
- Nurturing an inclusive, values-driven, supportive organisational culture with a focus on delivering impact for human rights defenders in line with the organisation’s mission;
- Contributing to the effective collective management of the organisation, under the guidance of the Directors, through developing and communicating common policies, procedures and management approaches, and supporting relationship building, problem solving and effective cooperation across teams;
- Providing leadership and strategic guidance on well-being, learning, staff development, effective communications and ensuring the organisation’s vision, mission, ethos and values are widely known and embedded within the team.
- Leading the team to develop team objectives and plans to support the delivery of FLD’s strategic plan in accordance with organisational procedures and policies. Ensuring that all team and programme responsibilities, deliverables and reporting requirements are met within the approved budget and agreed time frames.
- Supporting the implementation of organisational systems, procedures and policies to support the efficient functioning of the organisation.
- Championing best practice with regards to health and safety and safeguarding.
- With support from the Human Resources team and the Director of Protection Grants ensure successful recruitment, induction, appraisals, development, retention and security and well-being of the protection grants team.
For further information, please view:
Salary & Benefits
- €73,327 – €91,382 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:
- At least 10 years’ experience working at a senior level in the protection of human rights defenders, or equivalent experience in a human-rights based organisation in a leadership role.
- Experience of working in an international context in the protection of human rights and/or human rights defenders, ideally within an international or regional human rights organisation.
- Significant management experience in a relevant field, people management, staff well-being, strategic planning, and evaluation.
- Experience of building and working effectively with teams of people from diverse professional and/or cultural backgrounds, including managing remote staff and working across multiple time zones, especially in emergency settings.
- Experience of managing budgets and delivering organisational objectives, including fundraising experience.
- Experience of driving innovation and developing programming in a relevant field
- Experience with managing collaborative projects inside organisations and with external partners.
- Experience working with spreadsheets, databases and other information management tools.
- Fluency (written & oral) in English.
- Comprehensive knowledge of key human rights trends and their impact on human rights defenders and their movements; ability to demonstrate a nuanced understanding of contexts in which local HRD communities operate and protection principles applied;
- Familiarity with internal audit processes, external audit requirements, and risk management frameworks specifically tailored to the non-profit sector;
- Proficiency in tracking expenditures against budgets, identifying variances, and implementing corrective actions to ensure fiscal integrity;
- Ability to lead the team through emerging and protracted country crises, making difficult decisions under pressure while adhering to compliance standards.
- Ability to work well with a wide range of people from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, with empathy and clear boundaries, including when unfavourable decisions need to be delivered to applicants;
- Proven ability to work in fast paced environment handling emergencies
- Master’s degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent.
- Demonstrated strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify and resolve potential issues before they arise.
- Sound decision making, particularly in high-pressure and high-risk situations.
- Ability to supervise, mentor, and provide guidance to a diverse team, some HQ based and some remote, while contributing effectively within multi-level team environments.
- Capacity to plan, prioritise and manage multiple, sometimes competing demands efficiently in a challenging, fast-paced environment.
- Strong organisational skills including an ability to prioritise initiatives across several countries in multiple time zones.
How to apply
Applicants must submit their applications (CV & cover letter) by 4pm (local Irish time) on Wednesday, 1st July 2026 via the ‘Apply Now’ button as per FLD vacancies page: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/recruitment-volunteering
It is anticipated first round interviews will be held on 6th and 7th July 2026