Legal, Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Vacancy: Legal, Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Location: UK-based, split between remote work and occasional travel to London office.

Hours: 32 hours

Salary: £40-45,000

Holiday: 22 days pro rata (for a 32 hour full-time working week), plus additional paid days off between Christmas and New Years 

Period: 12-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension subject to funding.

Application deadline: 12 September 2024

Start date: As soon as possible.

About CRIN

This is who we are and what we’re fighting for

CRIN is a creative human rights organisation focused on children’s rights. We press for rights - not charity - and campaign for a genuine shift in how governments and societies view and treat children. Our goal is a world where the human rights of children and young people are recognised, respected and enforced, and where every rights violation has a remedy.

We work on many issues, from the survival of the planet, to sexual violence, to civil and political rights, to the right to bodily integrity, privacy, expression and information, to how children’s rights are affected by new technology. 

We advocate for international institutions like the UN, as well as governments and professionals, to adopt strong children’s rights policies. We undertake legal research and analysis and propose better policies where these are lacking. Through critical thinking, artwork and our vision for the future, we encourage people to think differently about the world we live in.

About the role

This is why we need you

Guided by our CRIN Code, we are committed to building a team that represents a wide range of experiences, locations, backgrounds, heritage and perspectives. We understand that the world and its problems cannot be looked at in isolation and that everything is connected.

Achieving change for children’s rights - and addressing the root causes that allow violations to occur in the first place - requires a variety of approaches and voices. How CRIN works on each issue varies depending on the need and our ability to bring about change. However, a bedrock of our work is using the law to uphold stronger standards for children’s rights.

The international human rights framework, including the UN system, has been under strain - and while we think it’s important to simultaneously focus on other channels for change, we also want to continue to be a critical friend at the global level.

This is who we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who can lead our work on national security and armed conflict. We need someone who has a strong understanding of the children’s rights and human rights legal framework and who has experience conducting advocacy at the global level. This person must be skilled at building relationships with key stakeholders - both allies and targets at different levels.

In particular, you would provide leadership on how children’s rights are impacted by counter-terrorism measures, including working on UK-based and international campaigning. You would also be responsible for exploring the expansion of CRIN’s work on children and armed conflict internationally.

You would work closely and collaboratively with numerous members of the CRIN team, including the Co-Directors and the Children’s Rights and National Security Coordinator. Your responsibilities would include:

• Leading CRIN’s work on children’s rights and national security and armed conflict;

• Building relationships and conducting advocacy with relevant decision-makers, including government and UN policymakers;

• Building and developing relationships with relevant organisations and individuals at all levels, including grassroots, national, regional and global;

• Working with other staff/consultants to conduct research and draft resources, e.g. research reports, briefings for decision-makers, submissions to relevant bodies;

• Helping with coordination on various issue areas related to national security and armed conflict: planning; formulating strategy; carrying out activities; and monitoring, evaluating, and reporting;

• Advising on and incorporating an anti-oppressive approach within our work on armed conflict and national security;

• Monitoring relevant news and policy developments, identifying opportunities for advocacy;

• Working with CRIN communications staff to create content for the website, social media, and newsletter;

• Supporting and working closely with other CRIN policy team members, providing legal and advocacy advice for their work;

• Representing CRIN in relevant coalitions/networks and at external events/meetings related to the issue area;

• Contributing to seeking media coverage for the issues, e.g. pitching stories, liaising with journalists, responding to interview requests.

We are looking for someone with the following attributes:

• Knowledge of and passion for children’s rights;

• Knowledge of the impact of counter-terrorism laws on children’s rights;

• Excellent legal research skills and experience utilising knowledge of comparative law and human rights law;

• Ability to think strategically and analytically, in particular the ability to develop effective strategies for social change; 

• Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with diverse stakeholders, including in writing, and to cultivate relationships with a variety of people;

• An understanding of how oppression can manifest in the issues we work on (and how we work as an international NGO) and a keen interest in how we can implement an anti-oppression approach;

• Knowledge of the UN framework and experience conducting effective advocacy in this context; 

• Motivated, with strong organisational skills and an ability to manage own work (including while remote-working);

• Fluency in English;

• Ability to thrive in a small (and mostly remote) team.

The following would also be an advantage:

• Fluency in another UN language;

• Experience coordinating various projects or strands of work;

• Experience of media work.

We know that we may sometimes be overcome with feelings of self-doubt when reading job descriptions. Even if you feel you may not hold all of the qualifications and experience listed here, we strongly encourage you to apply if you are excited by our vision and the contribution you could make to the role. 

What it is like working with us

We are a small team of around 15 staff. We take pride in our CRIN Code and try to approach our work and relationships with open minds, humility and respect. This helps us foster greater creativity, breadth of experience, and personal growth among our staff, and it’s essential to our success as an organisation. 

Our staff and consultants work remotely and are located mainly in Europe at the moment. While we have lines of accountability, we also aim to have a relatively flat structure whereby everyone receives support from and is accountable to each other in a number of ways. 

To help maintain a healthy work and home balance, CRIN has a 32-hour full-time working week (which can be spread over 4 or 5 days). We are committed to continuing to build a team that reflects the world’s diversity of skills, experiences, cultures and perspectives.

To find out more about who works at CRIN visit our website. 

Application process

CRIN is committed to building a diverse team, and we encourage applications from underrepresented groups and consider candidates who are suitably qualified and eligible regardless of sex, gender identity, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, education or professional experience. 

How to apply

We are not big fans of formulaic responses. We want to know who you are, how you think, what your principles are and why you want to work with us.  

Please send a CV (no more than 2 pages) and complete the following statements in no more than 250 words each:

• “One of the biggest threats facing the international human rights framework is…”

• “Effective work on children’s rights in the context of armed conflict must…”

These can be sent via email to us with the subject line “Legal, Policy and Advocacy Adviser”. Only those applications which send in all materials will be considered. Please bear with us, as we are a small team :) 

If you have any questions, or if you are a job seeker with a disability and would like someone to contact you about individualised application support please contact us.