Legal/Policy Advisor At Amnesty International

Are you a senior legal or policy advisor looking to utilise your skills to support Amnesty International in achieving our human rights strategic goals?

JOB PURPOSE

The Legal/Policy Adviser will be part of the International Law and International Justice Team, which leads on Amnesty International’s work on international justice and accountability, focusing on standard-setting for crimes under international law and the strengthening of domestic and international accountability frameworks and mechanisms.

This person will work under the direct supervision of the Law and Policy Deputy Programme Director who heads the International Law and International Justice Team.

Please note this is a fixed-term contract role through to 31st December 2023.

ABOUT YOU

You will have substantial knowledge of human rights law and international humanitarian law, with experience working with the legal profession and/or in inter-governmental organizations, human rights NGOs or social movements. You will excellent advisory, advocacy and communication skills, able to write clearly and concisely for a variety of audiences in English. Fluency in another language, such as Arabic, Spanish or French, is desirable.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide legal and policy advice and analysis to the International Secretariat including its various Regional Offices, and the broader movement on specified areas of human rights and related positions of the organization.
• Lead, help develop and/or support research, drafting, advocacy, policy, training and standard-setting activities as part of a project team leading Amnesty’s work on international justice, international criminal law and international humanitarian law.
• Keep abreast of developments at inter-governmental organizations and in other relevant international and national forums of relevant standards, policies and practices and identifying opportunities for strategically important pro-active advocacy, in collaboration with the relevant Amnesty Programmes, Regional Offices and Sections, and lead or support on such advocacy where appropriate.
• Support the organization’s strategic litigation on the aforementioned areas. This could include helping to identify areas and forums for strategic litigation, to draft third party interventions and to liaise with external counsel.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Substantial knowledge of and experience in the application of international human rights law; expertise and experience in international humanitarian law, international criminal law and international justice mechanisms is essential.
• Good knowledge of the bases for extraterritorial jurisdiction and the application of human rights obligations, including of non-state actors, under international law is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in research and advocacy on human rights issues.
• Excellent ability to analyse accurately complex legal issues and apply legal reasoning in pursuit of developing a strategic response.

Please see the attached job description for more information on responsibilities, skills and experience required.

ABOUT US

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. We reach almost every country in the world.

Our aim is simple: an end to human rights abuses. Independent, international and influential, we campaign for justice, fairness, freedom and truth wherever they’re denied. And whether we’re applying pressure through powerful research or direct lobbying, mass demonstrations or online campaigning, we’re all inspired by hope for a better world. One where human rights are respected and protected by everyone, everywhere.

At Amnesty International, we are passionate about what we do and we are proud of our achievements as a movement. To compensate our employees for the critical work they do, we reward them through a combination of an attractive and sector competitive salary and benefits package, high levels of engagement and involvement, and a commitment to employee development.

Benefits include 37 days annual leave (inclusive of public holidays and grace days), pension scheme, employee assistance programme, life assurance and many more benefits designed to suit your own personal lifestyle. All of this, in a professional, engaging environment.

For further information on our benefits, please visit https://www.amnesty.org/en/careers/benefits/

WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO NEXT

If you are talented, passionate about human rights and want to use your skills, knowledge and experience to change the world then we would encourage you to click ‘Apply for this Role’ below.

Freedom, Justice, Equality. Let’s get to work.

N.B. We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the closing date in the event of an overwhelming response or a change in business priorities.**

Amnesty International is committed to being an inclusive employer and providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or would like us to do anything differently to help you apply for our roles, please get in touch with the team by emailingrecruitment@amnesty.org