Crossborder Forum Manager

Job Description

OVERVIEW

The Crossborder Forum (CBF) is a network of over 50 civil society organisations and activists working in the Belgium-France-UK cross-border space for migrant justice. The Crossborder Forum was set up in late 2020 in response to bilateral talks and agreements by governments on both sides of the Channel, to provide civil society with the space and infrastructure for transnational dialogue and solidarity. The Crossborder Forum is an independent project, currently hosted by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) – a leading migrants’ rights charity based in London. The Advisory Committee, composed of individual and organisational members of the CBF from across the three countries, provides strategic advice and support for the Manager.

The aims of the Crossborder Forum are:

1. To provide a space for civil society organisations concerned with the UK-France-Belgium border, for exchanging information and expertise of ongoing cross-border migration and asylum issues.
2. To construct a shared analysis of cross-border policies and their impact, building on work already done by actors in the respective countries.
3. To facilitate cross-border collaboration on advocacy and policy work relating to bilateral issues between UK-France and UK-Belgium and reinforce existing projects by combining forces (e.g. on juxtaposed border controls, post-Brexit bilateral agreements, funding accords, safer routes for people who wish to seek asylum in the UK, etc).
4. To meaningfully engage with and enable the participation of experts-by-experience (lived experience of cross-border migration issues, the shared border, and immigration systems) in the CBF.

 

ROLE SUMMARY

The Crossborder Forum is seeking an enthusiastic, organised, and self-driven Manager to lead the coordination of our growing transnational and multicultural network and deliver the CBF’s work according to the aims and activity plan developed by CBF members. 

It is an exciting time to join the Forum. As well as leading on organising CBF activities, the Manager will have the opportunity to develop the Forum’s governance processes and implement its new Lived Experience Strategy. Alongside managing the day-to-day operations and external and internal communications of the Forum, the Manager leads the budget management and fundraising work of the CBF, supported by the Advisory Committee and JCWI. The Manager is line-managed by JCWI as part of JCWI’s Advocacy Team, supported by the CBF Advisory Committee, and accountable to the CBF membership. The Manager will have significant independence and autonomy in how they organise their time and plan the CBF’s work on a day-to-day basis.  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Network development and management

●        Manage day-to-day bilingual (English and French) internal communications with and between CBF members to facilitate joint work and collective decision making 

●        Build and maintain relationships with existing and new CBF members

●        Maintain momentum and energy in the network and amongst members who have varying capacity to engage with the CBF

●        Organise and facilitate online CBF meetings every two months, with effective follow-up through minutes and action points in English and French

●        Oversee and lead the implementation of agreed project activities e.g. learning sessions, joint actions and statements, production of resources

●        Support the work of member-led thematic working groups of the CBF

●        Organise the CBF’s first in-person conference, in collaboration with CBF members

●        Represent the CBF to external stakeholders, including sector partners and funders Knowledge and information sharing

●        Remain up to date on field, policy, and legislative developments relating to migration and borders in Belgium, France and the UK

●        Compile and share monthly news digests with news, resources, and reports on relevant developments in the three countries

●        Identify and respond to gaps in knowledge and training within the network, in relation to field, policy and legislative developments in the three countries

●        Update and maintain the CBF website and social media accounts Strategy and governance development and implementation

●        Facilitate the development of an overall strategy for the Crossborder Forum in collaboration with CBF members and the Advisory Committee, building on the four overarching aims of the CBF, the lived experience strategy, and funder commitments

●        Oversee the implementation of the overall strategy and lived experience strategy 

●        Identify areas for governance and internal policy development and lead on co-developing these with the CBF’s members and Advisory Committee Budget management and financial sustainability With support from the Advisory Committee and JCWI (in line with hosting agreement):

●        Prepare funder reports to demonstrate achievement of grant requirements

●        Draft grant applications and identify new sources of funding to ensure financial sustainability of the CBF

●        Manage and oversee the CBF budget, ensuring it is monitored and up to date, with spending in-line with agreed budget lines

Person Specification

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

 Required Experience

●        Working or volunteering in the migration sector in Belgium, France or the UK

●        Minimum two years’ experience of project or programme management 

●        Demonstrable experience in building effective professional relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, e.g. civil society organisations, international NGOs, grassroots organisations and collectives, funders, academic researchers, consultants/freelancers

●        Demonstrable experience in events planning for a diverse range of audiences 

●        Strong experience in facilitation, coordinating networks, coalition-building and/or collective initiatives

●        Experience of budget management and narrative and financial funding reporting

Required skills

●        Effective communication and interpersonal skills, and a strong ability to build positive working relationships across different cultural, political, and national contexts, and remotely

●        Strong knowledge of the migration political context and civil society landscape in one of the three countries and awareness of issues relating to the UK-France-Belgium border

●        Fluency in English and French – written and spoken

Required values

●        Demonstrable commitment to the rights of people on the move regardless of their immigration status, country of origin, or way of migrating

●        Strong commitment to wider anti-oppressive values and practices, including anti-racism, queer and trans liberation, gender justice, and the importance of an intersectional approach to social justice and solidarity

●        Strong commitment to collective decision making and enabling equitable participation as a tool for achieving shared goals

Desired experience, skills, and values

●        Experience conducting monitoring, evaluations, and learning work

●        Experience working or volunteering on the ground in border spaces (e.g. Northern France)

●        Knowledge of Dutch, or any additional language considered an asset

●        Expertise by experience of the UK, France, or Belgian immigration systems (for more information on this, see our Lived Experience Strategy)

●        Experience with using Squarespace with website development and content management 

About JCWI:

The Crossborder Forum is hosted by JCWI, which provides line management, operational, and financial administrative support. JCWI is a founding member of the Forum, and has been the host organisation of the CBF since 2022, when the CBF first became a full-time independent programme. JCWI is a leading UK migrants’ rights organisation, which has been campaigning for migrants’ rights for over 50 years. JCWI challenges laws and policies that lead to discrimination, destitution, and the denial of rights of migrant communities and provides award-winning legal aid immigration advice and representation to people at the sharpest end of the UK’s immigration and asylum system. For more information, 

 HOW TO APPLY

• Please click "Apply" below and complete the application form
• Your application must include an up-to-date CV and a Cover letter (max. 2 A4 pages) outlining how you meet each criteria in the person specification. Candidates who meet some but not all the required person specifications are encouraged to apply.
• You can submit your application in English or French.
• We encourage applicants to also submit an Equality and Diversity monitoring 
• Must have right to work in the UK

Deadline: Sunday 15th September, 23:59pm 

Interviews: Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd October, online.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus additional discretionary days at Christmas.
• 5% employer pension contributions
• Ride to Work Scheme
• Discounted Gym Group membership
• Membership in JCWI’s staff union