Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (the Resource Centre), an international non-profit human rights organization, is seeking a highly motivated person to be its South America (except Brazil) Regional Researcher & Representative.

Location: South America (must already have work authorization in the country)
Salary: GBP 14,000-15,000 per year (commensurate with experience)
Contract type: 3 days per week, contractor status
Closing date: 31 January 2023 at 23:59:59
To Apply: Complete and return this application form 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 Giulia Vinzi at vinzi@business-humanrights.org

About the organization

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre works to put human rights at the core of companies’ business models; to empower communities and workers to secure their rights and gain accountability for abuse; and to encourage governments to create the right regulation and incentives to facilitate these outcomes. Our Global Team, based in more than 20 countries around the world, work with a rich network of activists, unions, human rights groups, and investors. Our website and publications are available in ten languages. We work across all sectors and issues related to business and human rights, with strategic focus on the rights of workers in global supply chains, the rights of communities seeking responsible natural resource use and a just transition to zero carbon economies, and the rights of people to accountable digital technologies. We are currently officially registered in five countries: UK, Germany, USA, Australia, and Colombia.

The Resource Centre has helped define the growing field of business & human rights. It has put companies in all regions on notice that their human rights conduct is being watched. It has drawn attention to corporate abuses in all countries and provided increased recognition to those companies taking positive steps to promote human rights. The Resource Centre is widely respected for being fair, objective, and constructive in its approach to make change happen.

The Position

The Researcher will work closely with a variety of stakeholders in the Americas region to advance human rights in business and work towards eradicating abuse, with a particular emphasis on issues related to labour rights, responsible natural resource use, and technology and human rights. In our South America work, we seek to bring enhanced transparency to the conduct of business in the region; build and expand effective networks and interactions among groups that are interested in confronting the human rights impacts of business; empower local communities, NGOs, and human rights defenders, particularly indigenous peoples, afro-descendants, rural farmers and women, to engage with companies to improve human rights protections; promote improved labour conditions and living wages in the highest-risk sectors such as construction, mining, oil, gas and coal and agribusiness, and identify and addressing risks to the most vulnerable groups, including rural and migrant workers.

Key competencies and attributes

Values: Strong, demonstrated commitment to promoting human rights in business. Shared values and ethos of the Resource Centre.
Human rights experience: 3-5 years’ work experience in the field of social responsibility, labour rights, development, environment, or related work in human rights or social justice.
Subject matter expertise: Knowledge and understanding of the business and human rights field in general, including standards and developments in international human rights law, and of the relevant South America and Colombia context in particular.
Strategic insight: Able to identify new opportunities to increase the Resource Centre’s impact and role in the Americas region and Colombia.
Research & analytical skills: Able to search and identify relevant information online; persistent in seeking out difficult-to-find information; creative in identifying new sources of information.
Existing networks: Established networks and contacts with relevant stakeholders in one or more countries in South America.
Outreach and networking: Able to foster productive, professional relationships with a broad range of contacts, including advocates, company representatives, and government officials.
Representation skills: Able to represent the organization effectively in the region, including at meetings, conferences, and on regional missions.
Initiative and motivation: Able to take initiative and drive work forward independently within agreed frameworks, motivated by achieving results and completing tasks.
Teamwork: Able to operate effectively and constructively as part of a multicultural and diverse global team and ensure effective communication despite geographical distances between team members. Experience with remote teams desirable.
Communications: Strong writing skills in Spanish (preferable as a mother tongue) and English; Portuguese and French can be a plus, including succinct writing for the web, and strong public speaking skills.
Languages: Fluent in Spanish and English and strong English skills (reading, writing, speaking).
Organization and prioritization: Strong organizational and prioritization skills, enabling efficient and effective work.

Roles and Responsibilities

Online research & input/categorisation: Research and share materials on business and human rights – e.g., news reports, NGO/civil society/trade union statements and reports, company statements and reports, and other materials – with actors in the region, in English and Spanish, via the Resource Centre’s website, social media channels, and e-newsletters, and in external publications. Serve as one of the developers of content for the Resource Centre’s Spanish website and contribute to the Resource Centre’s Spanish and English weekly updates.

Strategy Development: Work with the Americas team to develop and implement strategies and priorities for Resource Centre’s engagement in Latin America.

Developing contacts and representing the organization: Build contacts, in Latin America, with a broad range of people working on relevant issues in NGOs/civil society/trade unions, companies & business organizations, media, development agencies, investment firms, universities, governments, etc. Introduce the Resource Centre and the website; invite contacts to send information & reports that could be added to the website or Weekly Update. Distribute relevant Resource Centre bulletins and briefings to contacts. Represent the Resource Centre at meetings & conferences. Update contacts database for the countries covered.

Company responses: Invite companies to respond to concerns raised by civil society about their conduct, so that the allegations and their responses can be included on our website and in our Weekly Updates, sent to over 20,000 people worldwide.

Represent the Resource Centre at key events and with the media: Participate in key events; assist in the design and organization of events that drive constructive debate on business and human rights in Latin America; act as spokesperson to the media on region-wide issues.

Spreading the word about the Resource Centre: Help inform individuals & organizations in the countries covered about the Resource Centre and its Weekly Updates. Increase sign-ups for Weekly Updates and traffic to our website.

Research missions: Prepare and undertake missions to particular localities in order to:
gain a clearer picture of the business & human rights situation on the ground;
build contacts with local NGOs, to better understand their concerns and to explain how the Resource Centre can draw global attention to their concerns; and
build contacts with local business representatives, to introduce the Resource Centre and to encourage them to send information about their positive initiatives that promote human rights.

Fund-raising: Work with the Development Team, Americas Regional Manager, and Colombia Office Country Director to develop and draft proposals for new work and report on outcomes of ongoing work in Latin America.

Other responsibilities: Participate in regularly schedule Global Team and the Americas team calls and ad-hoc calls and meetings as needed.

Terms and conditions

This is a part-time consultancy position. Payment will be made on the researcher’s presentation of a monthly invoice showing the number of hours worked. The researcher will be responsible for paying from the fees his/her own taxes, health insurance, pension, etc., and those costs are taken into account in calculating the fees. The Resource Centre will reimburse necessary work-related expenses such as for travel.

Period: The consultancy contract will be a twelve-month contract, which can be extended by mutual agreement.

3 days (21 hours) per week. The hours worked are flexible, provided that there are effective communications with team members in other regions, and that the hours are spread reasonably throughout a week. The consultant will have the freedom to organize paid days off from doing consulting work for the Resource Centre, in an amount expected to be 14.4 days during the year (100.8 hours) – i.e., equivalent to 24 days per year for full-time work. The consultant will not be expected to work on public holidays of the country where the Research is based.

Reports to: Americas Regional Manager, based in Mexico.

Work location: From home, unless the consultant is able to secure an alternative workspace at no cost or at his/her own expense. Applicants must already have the right to work in one of the countries in South America.