Senior Advisor Justice & Community Engagement, East Asia

Payband: SMPL
Assignment Location: Singapore
Assignment Duration: 3 years

Role Purpose
The postholder will lead a regional portfolio of client/donor funded contracts in the justice sector, particularly in relation to access to justice, civic empowerment, rights-based approaches and youth and community engagement. This includes being Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) of two large EU-funded justice programmes in Myanmar and the Philippines, as well as providing technical design or delivery oversight for youth engagement research and/or programmes delivered across South-East Asia, ensuring the voices of under-represented groups and individuals, especially women and girls, are included.

The postholder will also lead specific business or partnership development exercises, including wider client engagement and positioning, and thought leadership as agreed. This includes professional leadership in designing, writing of technical proposals, bidding for additional donor funded programmes.

The postholder will have strong knowledge or and experience managing EU funded contracts, strong technical knowledge of justice, governance, civic and youth empowerment agendas, rights-based approaches, peace and social cohesion, the courts systems, rule of law institutions traditional and customary justice systems, and understanding of the role of civil society, with specific experience in fragile and conflict-affected states.

A key function of the role will also be accountability for financial management and compliance with all British Council and client policies and standards, including quality and business assurance for the contracts s/he is SRO for (total value minimum 25m Euros).

The postholder will also be responsible for ensuring appropriate strategic engagement and partnerships with the UK sector.

Challenges & Accountabilities
Opportunities:

• To work across dynamic teams in the region and globally, and through the matrix
• To contribute to emerging strategic thinking around youth and community empowerment across the wider region
• In Myanmar the MyJustice programme has established itself since 2015 as a leading and influential voice in using arts and community-based approaches to justice sector reform and is widely recognized for taking a multi-dimensional and politically astute approach
• In the Philippines GoJust 2 will allow the postholder to shape community-based approaches to justice across the country and influence a wide spectrum of political partners and stakeholders active in the justice field

Challenges:

• To deliver to high quality in a challenging operating environment where Covid-19 is impacting delivery mechanisms and approaches
• In all countries in the region complex socio-cultural realities and notions of justice at community level underpinned by different understandings, practices and interactions with the state, with state representatives and access to justice for ordinary people

Main Accountabilities:

• Strategy and Direction
• Business Delivery and Management
• Financial management
• Business and Partnership Development
• People Management
• Building Organisational Capability and Continuous Improvement
• Key Stakeholder & account management
• Content/thought leadership
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Requirements

• A Master’s of higher level PG Degree in the area of law, international development, human rights, justice, conflict & peace studies, political science, social sciences, or other relevant area; or equivant experience.
• Significant proven strategic-, advisory- and team leadership experience in the access to justice/legal empowerment/ rule of law sector in developing country contexts.
• Extensive experience of managing programmes with EU and other multi/bilaterals in the relevant sectors
• Experience of working in a matrix team (globally)
• Strong profile and technical credibility, including proven thought leader abilities, and a clear understanding of legal pluralism and the role of the law and justice in development.
• Knowledge and experience of the informal justice sector: access to justice programmes, working with civil society, community justice approaches, particularly with vulnerable groups.
• Knowledge and experience in the formal justice sector: policy advice, design and implementation of rule of law programmes, institutional development and capacity building.
• Knowledge of interventions around conflict prevention and, peacebuilding particularly in fragile and conflict affected communities.
• Knowledge of security sector and interventions around conflict prevention and stabilisation
• An in depth understanding of the various roles and responsibilities of rule of law- and security sector institutions and of their interface with civil society organisations and local communities.
• Proven experience of large scale programme coordination and management during all stages of the project cycle in developing country contexts.
• Experience of working with major development partners, including EU and other bilateral and multi-lateral partners.
• Proven ability to manage flexible and adaptive programme delivery and track record in managing a diverse team, shaping a cohesive, supportive and sensitive multi-cultural team environment.
• Credibility to engage with a wide range of programme stakeholders incl. civil society, the formal justice system, development partners and the legal profession.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking, excellent English writing skills with the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and concise fashion.
• Communication skills
• Financial management experience, managing large scale multi-million pound, multi-year programming

Benefits

The British Council provides a range of excellent benefits to assignees which include housing and schooling for accompanying dependent children, plus comprehensive relocation support to the host location. In some locations a cost of living allowance and/or a hardship allowance is provided.
*These allowances are provided if you are required to move from your contractual home location to take up this assignment.

Additional Information
Due to local immigration policies, for foreign candidates applying for this role in Singapore, the offer of employment will be subject to the ability of British Council securing an Employment Pass on the candidate’s behalf.

Candidates are expected to have researched the relevant Employment Pass requirement here.