Senior Communities Associate, Asia At Accountability Counsel

Accountability Counsel amplifies the voices of communities to protect their human rights and environment. As advocates for people harmed by internationally financed projects, we employ community driven and policy level strategies to access justice. Since our founding in 2009, our team has partnered with communities and advocates from 50 countries to defend their rights, demand justice, and achieve historic victories. We are seeking a senior advocate to accompany communities in the Asia-Pacific region to secure their environmental and human rights when negatively impacted by international investments.

We work toward change through three programmatic approaches. Our Policy Advocacy program advocates for accountability offices that are accessible, transparent, and fair tools for justice; advocates in our Communities program provide grassroots legal support and assist communities to use accountability offices effectively; and our Research team delivers concrete research and tools for the movement for accountability more broadly. Our respect-based approach underlies all that we do: internally, it guides how our team treats one another, and externally, it ensures that marginalized people, particularly Indigenous Peoples, women and girls, are included as full participants in community-led strategies seeking accountability.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Accountability Counsel is seeking an experienced advocate based in the Asia-Pacific region to support its Communities program, which works to ensure that communities can access justice for human rights and environmental violations using accountability offices tied to international finance.

The Senior Communities Associate’s primary responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring that communities and local and regional advocates know how to trace international financing and use accountability offices to seek accountability and remedy for human rights and environmental abuses. This may include holding workshops, documenting abuses through field investigations, interviews, document reviews, legal and technical analysis, consultation with experts, and other research and advice;
• Advocating for case-specific and systemic outcomes at development finance institutions, corporations, government agencies, complaint offices, and other relevant authorities;
• Creating and participating in strategic information exchange, network building, and capacity building opportunities to contribute to the development of an ‘accountability ecosystem’ in the Asia-Pacific region (a network of civil society advocates for accountability, justice, and remedy for the negative impacts of international financial flows);
• Contributing, in a leadership role, to the development of Accountability Counsel’s strategy and programming in the Asia-Pacific region (and beyond); and
• Supervising and mentoring team members and student fellows in the Communities program.

WHO YOU ARE

• Personally committed to Accountability Counsel’s mission and values and respect-based approach. You believe in the agency of communities around the world to protect their human rights and environment. You are committed to meaningfully partnering with those communities and disrupting the systems of power, privilege, and injustice that undermine their rights and interests.
• An experienced advocate for social and/or environmental justice that is committed to centering the voices of communities in those struggles. You have a degree in a related field, such as law, development studies, international finance, or human rights and at least seven (7) years advocacy experience in a relevant field (e.g. human rights, environmental law, environmental and social justice campaigns, international development, corporate accountability, community organizing). We are seeking someone as equally talented at sensitively working with communities at the local level, as they are effective at international advocacy.
• Deeply grounded in the Asia-Pacific region. You have in-depth knowledge of the socio-political and economic context of the particular Asia-Pacific location in which you are based, and more broadly across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Enthusiastic about a non-traditional style of advocacy. We are seeking an advocate who prepares and empowers communities to advocate for themselves rather than speaking for them.
• A thoughtful relationship builder who develops rapport and trust across lines of difference, both internally and externally. You have a high degree of empathy, patience, and ability to work among diverse coalitions, including across different languages and timezones.
• A critical, strategic thinker. You have excellent written, verbal, research, and analytical skills, including the ability to review and evaluate highly technical information related to international financing and related policies. You have sound judgment and the ability to think strategically in a fast-paced environment.
• A self-directed team member who welcomes advice. You are comfortable working independently with remote supervision. You can organize and prioritize your workload. At the same time, you proactively, openly, and actively escalate issues to, and welcome feedback and direction from, the rest of Accountability Counsel’s team.
• A transparent and empowering leader. You generously share knowledge and empower peers and partners to build their own advocacy and leadership skills, while also supporting their wellbeing.
• At home in a lean, but collaborative nonprofit environment working at the cutting edge of international environmental and human rights law, with the ability to stay both focused and nimble in the face of change.
• Fluent in a language commonly used in the Asia-Pacific region, and fluency or advanced language proficiency in English.

HOURS AND LOCATION

This full-time employment opportunity will begin around 1 June 2022. In order to facilitate communication and collaboration with existing Accountability Counsel team members and regional partners, we have a preference for candidates located in Bangkok, Thailand, but we will consider candidates based elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. This position will require close communication with Communities team members in Thailand, the US and Africa, and regular communication with the rest of our global team. This position will require travel within the region and internationally.

COMPENSATION

Accountability Counsel is committed to competitive, equitable, transparent, and progressive compensation and benefits for staff and consultants. The compensation and benefits for this role will be commensurate with experience and location and informed by our Compensation Equity and Transparency Framework. We expect the successful candidates will qualify for the Senior Program Associate I or Senior Program Associate II bands (with compensation between USD59,500 and USD73,500 if the candidate is located in Bangkok or a similar cost of living setting). In addition to paid time off, team members are encouraged to take every other Friday off (Wellness Fridays), as part of our commitment to team wellbeing.