Project Manager - Corporate Accountability, Resilience and Participation for an Equitable Transition Project - Home office in Brussels

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is looking for an experienced and high-performing individual to join our team in the role of Project Manager. As Project Manager, you will lead an exciting project funded by the European Commission to support a transition to a green, rights-based economy in Africa and Asia.

Details:

• Location: Remote within Brussels, Belgium. Applicants must already have the right to work in the country.

• Salary: Euro 43,126 - 48,404 per annum pro rata, based on experience

• Contract Type: 12-month long consultancy contract, with the possibility of extension by mutual agreement, full time (35 hours a week)

• Closing Date: 20 January 2025 at at 23:59:59 GMT

• Interview dates: Week of 3 February 2025 (candidates should be available for an online interview during these dates in case they are short-listed for interview)

• Start date: 15 March 2025

TO APPLY: Complete and return this application form in English via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo at Ocampo@business-humanrights.org

About The Organisation

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (the Resource Centre) works with diverse allies and partners to put human rights at the core of companies’ business models and end abuse; to support communities and workers in securing their rights and accountability for corporate abuse; and to encourage governments to create the right regulation and incentives to uphold human rights in business. We are a global organisation rooted in five continental regions, comprised of a Global Team of 80. Global Team members work with a rich network of human rights advocates in ten languages, and place strong emphasis on our alliances with grassroots organisations facing often profound inequalities of power in protecting their rights. The efforts inform our ability to influence responsible business, investors, and governments for transformative change.

Our work covers the full gamut of human rights in business, with particular focus on four thematic programmes: just energy transition and natural resources; civic freedoms and human rights defenders; accountable digital technologies; and workers’ rights in global supply chains. These are strengthened by two cross cutting themes: corporate legal accountability and racial and gender justice.

About The Position

The Project Manager will lead the implementation of a new cross-regional project to support a transition to a green, rights-based economy in Africa and Asia, grounded in robust corporate human rights and environmental due diligence, shared prosperity, and fair negotiations. This will be achieved by empowering rights holders and grassroots civil society to influence the design and delivery of green economic initiatives; engaging key businesses and investors to transform their business models; and advocating for government policies that promote a rights-respecting business environment. All of this will be strengthened through advocacy in Europe, particularly in Brussels.

Under the guidance of the Director of Regional Programmes, the Project Manager will play a key role in ensuring the successful implementation of the project, including ensuring compliance with donor regulations, managing contracts, overseeing financial tracking and forecasting, preparing reports, and handling administrative tasks related to project implementation. The Project Manager will engage directly with companies and government officials, represent the organisation at events and meetings, and undertake other activities necessary to achieve the project's objectives. Collaboration will be central to the role, involving close coordination with the Resource Centre's Global Team - particularly team members in Asia, Africa, Germany, and the UK - and with project partners based in Asia and Africa.

Responsibilities:

Lead on project operations management – key objectives of this role are:

• Manage all operational aspects of the project including frequent coordination with on-ground partners and networks, delivery of project activities, and leading on desk-based research and outputs.

• Manage the budget by adjusting forecasts and plans as necessary, overseeing sub-grants to grassroots organisations, and manage the implementation of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) strategies for the project. This includes providing regular updates to OPSYS and conducting strategic reviews.

• Be first point of liaison with donor on both programmatic and operational aspects and assist the Development Manager with other donor-related requests.

• Ensure the Resource Centre complies with the donor’s specific terms and conditions.

• Prepare, update and monitor finances including the financial and narrative reporting in compliance with donor terms and conditions.

• Be self-servicing in terms of administrative tasks, e.g. financial record-keeping, filing, ordering supplies, printing & distribution of materials, taking notes in meetings, etc.

Collaborate with team members to drive effective, strategic and accurate communication: create, develop, and implement communications strategies in support of rights holders.  Provide support to the Global Team members as necessary, share admin jobs and assist with the management, and training of interns and other staff members where appropriate.

Conduct outreach and maintain networks: Sustain and build our active network of contacts in Europe, including civil society organisations, companies and business associations, investors, media, universities, and governments.

Track policy and legislation in Europe: Working with our EU team to keep abreast of, and in some cases participate in, relevant legal and policy developments, including current movements on supply chain transparency and mandatory human rights due diligence.

**Represent the organisation:**Represent the Resource Centre at meetings, conferences, and in the media.

**Manage publications:**With the project team members, write compelling content for our website and outreach, including reports, blog posts, briefing notes and papers, and articles to be submitted to relevant media outlets.

Take on other responsibilities: Proactively manage other responsibilities as necessary for the health and development of the organisation.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• At least 6-8 years’ work in the field of human rights, business and human rights, labour rights, development, environmental or social justice.

• At least 3 years’ experience working in high performing multi-cultural and international teams, playing a leadership role working with colleagues to deliver high impact programs. Ability to train and nurture talent. Experience with remote, inter-disciplinary, and culturally diverse teams.

• A track record of developing successful program strategies to effect change. Experience tailoring outputs for diverse international audiences and advocacy experience an asset.

• Commitment to advancing human rights in the business sector.

• Strong ability to work constructively with a range of stakeholders (civil society, business, government).

• Experience managing an EU/UN/USAID funded project in a timely manner including budget and impact tracking.

• Experience with sub-granting instruments (as FSTP).

• Familiarity with MEAL strategies, including OPSYS.

• Excellent English-language skills, proficiency in Microsoft 365 tools.

• The right to work in Belgium.

Key competencies:

• Values: Strong, demonstrated commitment to human rights. Shares the values and ethos of the Resource Centre.

• **Project management experience:**Demonstrated project management skills and ability to deliver complex projects on time. Experience in implementing project funded by EU/UN/USAID (required).

• Subject matter expertise: Knowledge and understanding of international human rights standards, including the UNGPs and CSDDD.

• **Strategic thinking:**Demonstrated experience thinking critically about approach and impact; ability to identify new areas of opportunity and risk.

• Research & analytical skills: Able to analyse and identify relevant information online and offline; adept at undertaking systematic data collection to a high level of detail and accuracy; ability to synthesise research and data from different geographies for effective communication.

• Organisation and initiative: Able to work efficiently and methodically to support achievement of deliverables; strong prioritization skills; self-motivated and comfortable working independently within agreed framework while maintaining communication with a global team in different time zones and geographies.

• Communications and web-savvy: Strong writing skills, including succinct writing for the web; experience in external communications, social media platforms and web management a plus.

• **Supervisory experience or skills:**Experience of formally supervising staff or demonstrated ability to guide and manage the work of others.

• Languages: Fluency in English is required, with strong writing and communications skills.

Terms and conditions

• This is equivalent to a full-time consultancy position. Payment will be made upon submission of a monthly invoice by the Project Manager detailing the number of hours worked. The Project Manager will be responsible for paying his/her own taxes, health insurance, pension, etc. out of the fees and these costs will be taken into account when calculating the fees. The Resource Centre will reimburse necessary work-related expenses such as travel.

• 5 days (35 hours) per week. Working hours are flexible, provided that there is effective communication with other Global Team members involved in the project, that the hours are reasonably spread over the week, and that the Project Manager is able to respond as quickly as possible to issues as they arise.

• The Project Manager will be trained and supported by the Director of Regional Programmes, the EU Senior Researcher, and other Global Team members. The Project Manager will attend one-hour team meetings held virtually every two weeks with our entire Global Team.

• The Project Manager is entitled to paid time off from consulting for the Resource Centre, which is expected to be 24 days per full year for full-time work. The Project Manager is not expected to work on national holidays of the country where the Project Manager is based.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background and we acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in this area of work and seek to directly address that through our hiring practices. We particularly encourage applications from women, BAME applicants, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQ+.

TO APPLY: Complete and return this application form in English via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo at Ocampo@business-humanrights.org

Keywords

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