We are hiring: Program Officer - location flexible

The Program Officer will make major contributions to CESR’s work around the Rights-Based Economy and on global economic governance - ensuring that we are able to expertly challenge the global financial architecture which perpetuates inequalities within and between countries, and propose bold, transformative, rights-based alternatives.

Who We Are

We are an international non-governmental organization that works to harness the power of human rights to inspire fairer and more sustainable economies. Our vision is of a world in which a just distribution of resources and power enables current and future generations to live with dignity, in full enjoyment of their economic and social rights.  A key component of our multi-year strategy is to envision a human rights-based economy and catalyze collective action towards it. This is an exciting opportunity for a researcher, advocate and/or activist to join a well-respected, high-impact international organization that is working to advance a more just, equitable and rights-based economy in the context of convergent crises. 

What You’ll Do

Reporting to CESR´s Director of Program, the Program Officer will devise and implement effective strategies for research, advocacy, skills-building and movement-bridging, aimed at fulfilling the objectives of CESR’s organizational strategy.  Specific responsibilities include:

Research and policy

• Conducting rigorous qualitative and quantitative research - with a political economy and human rights lens -  to identify trends in relevant policy areas (especially global tax policy, sovereign debt, climate finance, and corporate accountability) and document how they impact human rights enjoyment and affect structural inequalities within and between countries;


• Putting forward evidence-based and human rights-aligned policy proposals, which complement those of our partners and allies especially in the Global South, as well as with the demands of those communities who are most affected. 

Advocacy and relationship building

• Designing and executing collaborative advocacy strategies to highlight the negative human and environmental impacts of economic policies and hold powerful actors (e.g. governments, multinational corporations and international financial institutions) accountable for them;


• Expanding CESR’s network of allies and partners; building strategic, trusting and mutually strengthening relationships, particularly with groups and social movements working on global economic justice and progressive economic alternatives;

• Undertaking skill-sharing and learning activities with partners and allies (in a variety of countries) relating to the application of human rights in economic and environmental policy debates.

• Producing high quality and compelling outputs making the link between economic and climate justice and human rights, with a particular emphasis on clear, gender-responsive, accessible materials that can bridge the gaps between movements. 

Project management and strategy implementation

• Managing, overseeing and contributing to selected projects in fulfillment of these objectives. This includes: ensuring collaborations with external partners are strategic and meet high standards of transparency, trust and mutual learning; collaborating internally with other CESR staff to develop our organizational expertise and advocacy strategies; and contributing to monitoring, learning and evaluation efforts to assess and guide our progress.

Who you Are

To be successful in this position, you will have:

Essential

• Commitment to the values of CESR, to equity and justice in the workplace and in the wider world.

• At least 6 years of increasingly responsible professional experience working on economic issues from a human rights/social justice/environmental  justice perspective; 


• Solid research experience, ideally in more than one discipline; some familiarity with economic methods and frameworks (particularly feminist or heterodox economics);

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to summarize research findings and complex information (including quantitative data and statistical information) in powerful, concise forms;


• Familiarity with human rights standards and frameworks, and an understanding of how they relate to the economy and the environment;


• Knowledge of how global economic institutions, systems and rules affect domestic fiscal and policy space, particularly in the Global South;

• Strong project management experience, close attention to detail, and ability to juggle several different projects;


• Postgraduate qualification in economics, law, political science, development, human rights or similar field (or an exceptionally strong track record of work which shows equivalent expertise); 


Desirable

• A track record of advocacy on human rights, economic or environmental issues with governments and/or multilateral institutions such as the UN, OECD, IMF, World Bank, multilateral development banks;


• Experience in civil society / social movement coalitions, and excellent skills at building and maintaining respectful, trusting, horizontal, dynamic collaborations;


• Familiarity with quantitative research methods;

• Formal training in economics (ideally with a speciality in feminist or heterodox economics)

• A strong feminist perspective and track record of feminist analysis;

• Professional proficiency in other languages besides English (especially Spanish, French or Arabic)

What Else You Need to Know

We’re looking for someone to start relatively soon, ideally before the end of 2022.

CESR is registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the state of New York, USA. Since 2020, our team members work remotely from a variety of countries around the world (currently spread across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia). The location for this position is flexible, with a strong preference for individuals based in the Global South.  However, you will need to ensure some overlap of working hours with the rest of the team - most importantly, between roughly 12-3pm UTC or 2pm - 5pm SAST most days. Outside the US, typically, we can only consider applicants who are already legally able to work in the country in which they intend to be based. This is a full-time position, with a 1-year contract initially, which will be renewable based on funding and other factors. 

The salary range for this position will depend on the candidate’s experience and location, considering relative cost of living and the need to ensure equity and comparability within the team.  As an example, based on current rates, the gross salary range for an individual based in New York City, USA would be at USD 65,000 - 72,000 per year, for someone in Johannesburg, South Africa it would be ZAR825,000 - ZAR930,000 per year, and for someone based in Bogotá, Colombia it would be COP150,000,000 - COP176,000,000. (These are illustrative locations only.) 

We believe that our current economic model disproportionately hurts the most disadvantaged people in our societies, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, and those from working class backgrounds—particularly in the Global South. In line with our commitment to embodying equity and justice in our work and workplace, we aim to center these communities in the work we do, and therefore strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other disadvantaged communities.

How to Apply

Prospective candidates should fill out this form, and upload their CV and a writing sample (2 pages max) as instructed. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, October 12. Due to the volume of expected applications, we will not be able to respond to individual queries, but we expect to be in touch with shortlisted candidates by late October.