Position type: Full-time

Location: Vilnius, Lithuania/Minsk, Belarus

Work starts: February 1, 2020

Organization: The Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House

About the organization: The Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House (BHRH) was founded by the Belarusian human rights organizations in 2006 and is registered in Lithuania. It is a member of the network of Human Rights Houses, which brings together over 90 human rights NGOs in 16 Houses in different countries. BHRH mission is support and development of the human rights movement in Belarus. BHRH works towards its mission via four strategic directions: human rights education, capacity building for human rights defenders and their organizations, protection and support of human rights defenders and human rights advocacy.

Position summary: BHRH Executive Director is responsible for the planning, development, overall coordination/implementation, and supervision of strategic areas of the BHRH activities; for fundraising, liaising with donors and partners; for overseeing staff and ensuring smooth operations of the organization. The Executive Director reports to the BHRH Board.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee the planning, implementation and evaluation of the BHRH programs, projects and services and ensure that they are in line with the organization’s strategy;
  • Oversee the implementation of the BHRH policies and procedures;
  • Develop and help program staff develop project and program proposals, write reports, analyze budgets and financial reports and submit applications and reports to donors and partners;
  • Identify and communicate with potential and current donors and ensure that the organization has sufficient funding for its operations;
  • Liaise with the BHRH Belarusian and international partners about project planning, implementation, reporting and fundraising;
  • Identify, assess, and inform the Board and the General Meeting of BHRH stakeholders of internal and external issues that affect the organization;
  • Act as a professional advisor to the Board and the General Meeting of BHRH stakeholders on all aspects of the organization’s activities;
  • Establish a positive, healthy and safe work environment in accordance with all appropriate legislation and regulations; coach and mentor staff as appropriate to improve performance;
  • Identify staffing requirements for organizational management and strategy implementation;
  • Approve expenditures within the authority delegated by the General Meeting of BHRH stakeholders;
  • Ensure that sound bookkeeping and accounting procedures are followed;
  • Travel to Belarus/Lithuania when required;
  • Translate from/into English, Russian, and Belarusian when required;
  • Coordinate and facilitate advocacy activities on behalf of BHRH at the national and international level;
  • Perform other duties delegated by the Board of the organization.

Requirements

Education

 

The candidate should preferably have a university degree, desirably in non-profit sector management, social sciences or humanities.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Knowledge of leadership and management principles in so far as they relate to non-profit organizations;
  • Knowledge/ understanding of the legislation applicable to the work of NGOs in Belarus and in the Republic of Lithuania;
  • Knowledge of the situation of human rights in Belarus in general, and that of the rights to freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and in particular the right to be human rights defenders, as well as the existing restrictions on civil society organizations’ work;
  • Knowledge of human resources management principles;
  • Knowledge of project and program management principles;
  • Organizational skills – planning, delegating, program development;
  • Excellent management skills and understanding of the budget, including the budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and reporting;
  • Excellent knowledge of Belarusian, Russian and English.

Technical skills

  • Excellent skills in using the MS Office/LibreOffice products, email-clients, popular Internet browsers;
  • Messengers;
  • Preferably: fast typing, understanding of the principles of secure communication.

Experience

  • At least three years of experience in managerial or administrative work in a civic organization whose activities are related to Belarus, with a team of at least 5 people;
  • Liaisons with the human rights community and/or civil society organizations in Belarus;
  • Confirmed successful experience in fundraising, understanding of fundraising processes;
  • Experience in the implementation of organizational strategies, preferably in an organization’s strategy development.

How to apply

Please submit your CV along with a motivation letter in English to belarus@humanrightshouse.org, indicating in the subject line that this is an application for the position of Executive Director, no later than January 6, 2020. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview in January.

For any questions related to the position, please only contact us via the email indicated above.