MENA Program Officer At RCN Justice and Democracy

DESCRIPTION OF THE NGO

RCN Justice & Democracy (RCN J&D) is a Belgian NGO specializing in access to justice and conflict prevention. RCN J&D’s mission is to promote a truly inclusive, plural and transformative justice, centered on the needs and rights of individuals and communities, in order to build more inclusive, resilient and peaceful societies. This vision of justice pushes us to value, beyond the judicial response, all the mechanisms capable of sustainably resolving conflicts and meeting the reparation needs of victims and societies. As part of its 2025-2034 strategy, RCN J&D has set itself 4 priority objectives:

• OS1 “Judicial Justice”: support and encourage more balanced judicial and police responses, respectful of the rule of law and human rights
• OS2 “Alternative methods of conflict resolution and customary justice”: promoting the development of plural justice systems that respect human rights and are recognized by States
• OS3 “Transformative Justice”: making visible, collectively and holistically addressing systemic violence and in particular gender-based violence
• OS4 “Transitional Justice”: addressing past wounds and injustices at all levels in societies that have been marked by mass violence, in order to promote reconciliation, living together and non-repetition. The NGO is currently active in 5 countries: Belgium, Burundi, Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

POSITION AND MISSIONS

The association’s headquarters, based in Brussels, is made up of around ten employees supported by interns and volunteers. To meet the need to strengthen the Programs team , RCN J&D is looking for a Program Officer – Middle East and North Africa Region . They work in collaboration with the Programs team and the Administration, Finance and Logistics (AFL) team. They report to the General Coordinator.

Current challenges and priorities of the position:

The MENA Program Officer is responsible for the Morocco country program. In this capacity, they supervise a project to prevent and combat gender-based violence in the Oriental region, for which they provide remote monitoring and support to a national partner as well as regular visits to Oujda. A significant part of the position (around 50%) is dedicated to the development of new projects, with priority given to Morocco and Syria in 2025, but other countries in the MENA region may be considered later depending on contextual developments and opportunities. This position therefore requires an excellent understanding of justice issues and conflict dynamics in the MENA region, ideally with a focus on Morocco and/or Syria, as well as a strong appetite for fundraising and project development.

Main activities:

• Supervises the execution of the country program(s) for which he/she is responsible, in compliance with the mission, values ​​and management framework of RCN J&D
• Develops expertise on the general context, justice and its issues in the country(ies) of intervention which falls within its remit
• Proposes the country strategy(ies) for which he/she is responsible and supervises their operational deployment
• Develops, based on the needs identified within the Programs team, thematic expertise
• Carries out regular field missions (4 times per year on average)
• Monitors and ensures compliance with financing contracts, working closely with the AFL team
• Ensures, in co-responsibility with the AFL team, the administrative, financial and logistical monitoring of the country program(s) for which he/she is responsible.
• Ensures the search for funding and the proactive development of new projects in the countries identified under his responsibility
• Represents RCN J&D with technical and financial partners, NGOs, media and other institutional contacts
• Ensures regular and transparent communication regarding the issues of the country programs for which he/she is responsible
• Participate in the strategic thinking and institutional development of RCN J&D.

REQUIRED PROFILE

• A university degree in law, political science, international relations, or any equivalent master’s degree
• At least 3 years of experience in project management in the human rights and/or justice and/or peacebuilding sector
• Field experience in one or more countries in the MENA region
• Successful experiences in seeking institutional funding
• Expertise in one of RCN J&D’s 4 strategic axes is a serious asset
• Professional experience in Syria is a serious asset
• Availability for missions abroad (4 times per year)
• Sense of responsibility and resistance to stress
• Perfect command of French and English

Duration : Permanent contract, full-time or 4/5ths

When : Take up office as soon as possible

Assignment : Brussels, Belgium

Conditions : Gross salary in line with the sector, meal vouchers, end-of-year bonus, fixed professional expenses, 30 days of leave per year, health insurance and supplementary hospitalization.