Africa Legal and Policy Associate at Inclusive Development International

Position Announcement: Africa Legal and Policy Associate

Location: Remote in Africa

Status: Full-Time/Contract with Flexible Schedule

Supervisor: Senior Legal and Policy Associate

About Inclusive Development International:

Inclusive Development International (IDI) supports communities around the world to defend their human rights and environment in the face of harmful corporate activities and works to build a more just and equitable global economy. Through research, case work and policy advocacy, we hold corporations and development finance institutions accountable to their human rights and environmental responsibilities. We also provide training and resources for fellow human rights defenders to strengthen the global movement for corporate accountability. Our strategy revolves around investigations that unravel the investment and supply chains behind harmful industries to help affected communities and social movements pursue winning advocacy strategies. We bring our knowledge--grounded in years of experience supporting communities to defend their rights--to global policy arenas where we advocate to close accountability gaps and make business and human rights standards enforceable. Learn more at: https://www.inclusivedevelopment.net.

Inclusive Development International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, or class.

We know that having diverse perspectives informed by different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, genders and other lived experiences on our team make us more effective advocates for human rights, and economic, social and environmental justice worldwide. As we grow, we aim to recruit and retain team members that increasingly reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

We strongly encourage people of color, Indigenous people, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, adults of all ages, people from the regions where Inclusive Development International works and all qualified persons to apply for our open options. 

About the Position

We are seeking a proactive, experienced advocate, who has deep experience working with communities in Africa to join our global legal and policy team. The Africa Legal and Policy Associate will play an instrumental role in accompanying and supporting civil society partners and communities in engaging effectively in accountability and grievance redress processes and advocating for their rights with a range of actors, including government officials, corporations, financiers, and investors. They will contribute to IDI's case work within the African region, including through supporting advocacy efforts and participating in ongoing accountability processes with companies and development finance institutions.

In particular, as part of IDI's work advocating for a just energy transition, this position will join IDI teams focused on stopping a major harmful fossil fuel project and supporting communities both at risk and already affected by a large-scale transition minerals mining project.

Based on the experience of the candidate, there may be opportunities to contribute to policy advocacy and campaigns, especially to advance a just energy transition by defending and promoting the rights of communities at risk of displacement by transition mineral mining.

The Legal and Policy Associate reports to the Senior Legal and Policy Associate.

French and English fluency (or at minimum, professional proficiency) is a requirement for this position in order to support both French-speaking and English-speaking groups.

Principle Responsibilities

Case Work

The Associate will support IDI's ongoing case work within the African continent, particularly in Guinea and Uganda. This includes:

• Working with the IDI case team and NGO and community partners to develop and implement holistic advocacy strategies to advance community rights and seek remedy, including by using non-judicial grievance mechanisms;
• Working with the IDI case team to accompany communities and NGO partners to prepare for and engage in community-company mediation processes to seek remedy for past harms and address ongoing impacts and human rights violations;
• Supporting communities at-risk of displacement by mining to defend their rights and interests, including by assisting them in obtaining the information and advice they need to advance their advocacy goals and accompanying them in advocacy.
• Supporting NGO and community partners to collect evidence of human rights risks and violations and adverse environmental impacts;
• Draft or review a range of advocacy materials, and participate in meetings with advocacy targets, such as companies, banks, and investors.

Strategic Support and Training

In addition to contributing to IDI's main case work, the Associate will also be involved in providing training and strategic support to our NGO partners. This includes:

• Contributing to IDI's training activities and tools intended to strengthen the capabilities of local NGO partners to support communities to defend their rights and hold corporations and financial institutions accountable;
• Contributing to fostering IDI's Follow The Money Community of Practice by providing ongoing support to NGO partners that have participated in IDI's Follow The Money training course;
• Providing short-term advice and strategic support to NGO partners on a request basis (This may entail, e.g., providing advice on advocacy strategy formulation, and reviewing partners' advocacy materials);
• Contributing to IDI's Follow the Money initiative by reviewing research into the investment and supply chains behind harmful projects and companies and identifying viable advocacy strategies; and
• Building and strengthening relationships with NGO partners across the African region.

Policy Advocacy

In addition to the above-mentioned responsibilities, the Associate will support IDI's policy work to advance a just energy transition, drawing on insights and lessons learned from case work. This may include:

• Representing IDI, and supporting community and NGO partners, in policy advocacy forums and civil society networking and strategy meetings.
• Drafting and reviewing policy submissions, articles and publications;
• Contributing to the development of policy advocacy and campaign strategies to advance a just transition and strengthen the human rights regulation and compliance of corporate and financial actors.

Essential Qualifications/Attributes:

• A bachelor's level degree or substantial professional experience in human rights;
• At least three years of experience in the field of corporate accountability, business and human rights, environmental justice, or a related field within sub-Saharan Africa;
• Fluency (or at minimum professional proficiency) in English and French;
• Experience working with and supporting grassroots NGOs and communities in the human rights context within sub-Saharan Africa;
• Experience facilitating community-led strategy development and decision-making, and engagement with decision-makers within companies, government and/or international organizations;
• Ability to work collaboratively with team members and partners, while possessing the confidence to lead projects and work independently;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to foster relationships with a range of stakeholders including local communities, NGO partners, and financial, governmental and institutional advocacy targets;
• Ability to manage time effectively, balance several priorities and maintain an achievable workload;
• Ability to travel periodically to remote locations in various countries across the African continent and elsewhere, as needed.

Desirable Qualifications/Attributes:

• Knowledge of business, finance, or development sectors;
• Excellent research and writing skills, including the ability to write clear and compelling legal and policy arguments, with high attention to detail and accuracy;
• Experience of collecting primary evidence of human rights or environmental abuses.
• Public speaking skills; and
• Project management skills.

Don't meet every single requirement? Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) are less likely to apply for opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, but you are excited about and believe you have the skills necessary to thrive in the role, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Compensation and Benefits:

Inclusive Development International is committed to providing competitive, equitable and transparent compensation for staff. The salary range for this role is commensurate with experience and adjusted for geographic cost of living in accordance with our Compensation Framework. The salary range is $37,200 - $54,900 USD for a Nairobi-based candidate. For candidates based in higher cost of living settings, the salary range may be $49,600 to $73,000. For candidates with significantly more experience, placement in a higher compensation band may be possible. Inclusive Development International provides generous paid time off, paid parental leave, comprehensive health insurance, wellness support, retirement contributions, professional development opportunities and other benefits.

Working Arrangement:

The majority of Inclusive Development International's team is globally dispersed and works on a fully remote basis. Our main office is located in North Carolina, USA. We have staff members in Conakry, Guinea and Nairobi, Kenya within the African continent. This position is open to applicants based in Africa, with a preference for Nairobi.

You must have obtained legal authorization to work and live in the country from which you wish to work. Inclusive Development International is unable to sponsor work visas.

Travel:

Some local and international travel is expected for this position, primarily within Africa.

Application Instructions:

Candidates will be required to submit each of the following with their application. English language applications only, please.

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Cover Letter

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Selected candidates will be asked to submit 1 - 2 Writing Samples.

We are committed to providing a supportive, inclusive, and accessible work environment. Please let us know if you require accommodations during the application process or interview.