Partnerships Director at Validity Foundation

Validity Foundation (formerly the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre – MDAC) is looking for a Partnerships Director to join the team.

The Partnerships Director shall be responsible for managing and growing Validity’s networks, coalitions and partnerships across the organisation. This includes direct management of international and regional engagement, as well as providing support and guidance to other staff members in their engagement with national networks, coalitions and movements.

Working closely with colleagues, the incumbent will manage engagement with movements and coalitions in the disability rights field to promote change in, and enhance the development of, regional and international legal standards and policies at the UN, Council of Europe, European Union, African Union (together with the Africa Programmes Director) and other bodies as relevant. The post-holder will also be responsible for maintaining and increasing our presence in other networks of relevance, such as in the fields of anti-torture work, child rights, women’s rights and others.

Role Description

• Responsible for coordinating and expanding Validity’s networks, coalitions and partnerships internationally, prioritising those with leaders with disabilities.
• Support to Validity’s Litigation and Advocacy Managers to grow engagement with diverse networks at national, regional and international levels across Validity’s litigation and programmes.
• Leadership of complex network, coalition and partnership development processes, including high-impact global networks such as the Global Coalition on Deinstitutionalisation.
• Responsibility for enhancing Validity’s inclusive co-production of all aspects of our strategy, and embedding our activities within a range of international networks.
• Devises innovative processes for identifying and contributing to the advancement of strategic priorities within the wider disability rights field and provides substantive inputs into the development and implementation of Validity’s Strategic Framework
• Generates innovative, rapid responses to partners’ requests for support

Note: Preference will be given to people who self-identify as having a disability. This position may be based at Validity’s headquarters in Budapest but remote working is a possibility (if based remotely, minimum six months physical presence in Budapest, Hungary in first 18 months employment required).

Qualifications and experience

• A minimum of ten years’ relevant experience in disability rights, human rights, etc., with evidence of experience in policy, strategic litigation, coalition and partnerships experience, etc.
• Previous extensive experience of advocacy and high-level leadership on cutting edge, international-level campaigning initiatives.
• Knowledge of research and social / public policy, or development and public financing an asset
• Experience working in a multicultural, international environment

Knowledge and skills

• The highest commitment to Validity’s mission and campaign goals, with a clear understanding of the need to end discrimination and promote equality for persons with mental disabilities.
• Outstanding written and spoken English. Knowledge of a Central or Eastern European language an asset.
• Strong understanding of international disability rights, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with sound knowledge of key modern human rights issues facing persons with disabilities (national and regional level).
• A confident, charismatic and inspirational catalyser of change, with the ability to speak confidently with persons with disabilities, Government Ministers, leading donors, among others, with the ability to adapt and communicate sensitively with children, and journalists.
• Knowledge of key strategies for pursuing concrete, strategic impact in the field of human rights.
• Understanding and significant experience of leading inclusive collective decision-making processes, with sensitivity to privilege, hierarchies and individual/collective experiences of oppression.
• Well-organised, with the ability to successfully coordinate complex and conflicting workloads and competing demands, while producing a wide range of superior-quality advocacy, research and communicational outputs.
• Brings own existing network(s) of human rights activists, lawyers, policy advocates, disability activists or similar to the position

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Downloadable information and further open positions on our website: Vacancy – Partnership Director – Validity Foundation – Mental Disability Advocacy Centre – Validity Foundation – Mental Disability Advocacy Centre