Policy Associate

Accountability Counsel amplifies the voices of communities to protect their human rights and environment. As advocates for people harmed by internationally financed projects, we employ community driven and policy level strategies to access justice. Since our founding in 2009, our team has partnered with communities and advocates from more than 60 countries to defend their rights, demand justice, and achieve historic victories. We are seeking a motivated, mission-driven Policy Associate to help us secure accountability for the environmental and human rights impacts of international finance. This role would be ideal for an advocate who is passionate about human rights, environmental justice, and corporate accountability and who is eager to take on responsibility quickly and make an impact.

We work toward change through three programmatic approaches. Our Policy Advocacy program advocates for accountability offices that are accessible, transparent, and fair tools for justice; advocates in our Communities program provide grassroots legal support and assist communities to use accountability offices effectively; and our Research team delivers concrete research and tools for the movement for accountability more broadly. Our respect-based approach underlies all that we do: internally, it guides how our team treats one another, and externally, it ensures that marginalized people, particularly Indigenous Peoples, women and girls, are included as full participants in community-led strategies seeking accountability.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Accountability Counsel is seeking a talented advocate for its Policy program, reporting to the Policy Director. The Policy Associate will advocate to international financial institutions, including Chinese institutions, to increase their accountability to communities. For more information about the range of institutions on which we focus, please visit the Policy Advocacy page of our website. 

The Policy Associate’s primary responsibilities will be:

• Advancing our organizational strategy by advocating to: (1) shift policy and practice of existing accountability offices to be more effective for the communities who require them, and (2) close accountability gaps by arguing for the creation of new offices where no such accountability offices currently exist. 
• Conducting policy analysis and drafting technical submissions recommending improvements to existing accountability office and financial institution policies and procedures;
• Collaborating with, and supporting advocacy of, civil society organizations and rights defenders committed to advancing good governance for environmental and social safeguards through improved accountability;
• Attending meetings and conferences to advance the goals of the Policy program;
• Drafting written materials for internal and external use, including letters, memoranda, opinion pieces, policy analysis, and other materials; and 
• Depending on location, managing fellows and interns.

WHO YOU ARE

• Personally committed to Accountability Counsel’s mission and values and respect-based approach. You believe in the agency of communities around the world to protect their human rights and environment. You are committed to meaningfully partnering with those communities and disrupting the systems of power, privilege, and injustice that undermine their rights and interests.
• An advocate for social and/or environmental justice that is committed to centering the voices of communities in those struggles. You have a degree in law or a graduate degree in a related field, such as development studies, international finance, human rights, or public policy and at least 3 years of relevant professional or volunteer experience.  Ideally, you would have an interest or background in advocating for responsible Chinese overseas investment or compliance by Chinese companies with  environmental and social standards.
• Aware of key policy issues related to business and human rights, corporate accountability, environmental and climate justice, and/or non-judicial accountability mechanisms.
• A thoughtful relationship builder who develops rapport and trust, both internally and externally. You have a high degree of empathy, patience, and ability to work among diverse coalitions, including across different languages and timezones. We are seeking someone as equally talented at sensitively working with communities at the local level, as they are effective at international advocacy.
• A strong communicator who can convey complex issues in an accessible, compelling, way. 
• A critical, strategic thinker. You have excellent written, verbal, research, and analytical skills, including the ability to review and evaluate highly technical information related to international financing and related policies. You can craft and implement advocacy strategies alongside insightful research findings and recommendations.
• A self-directed, yet collaborative team member. You are comfortable working independently with remote supervision. You can organize and prioritize your workload. At the same time, you proactively, openly, and actively escalate issues to, and welcome feedback and direction from, the rest of Accountability Counsel’s team. You generously share knowledge and empower peers and partners.
• At home in a lean, fast-paced nonprofit environment working at the cutting edge of international environmental and human rights law, with the ability to stay both focused and nimble in the face of change.
• Fluent or have advanced language proficiency in English and Mandarin Chinese

HOURS AND LOCATION

This full-time opportunity will begin as soon as possible. Although we are open to candidates globally (subject to legal and security considerations), we have a strong preference for  candidates located near important advocacy targets or where we have team members and partners (including Washington D.C., London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Nairobi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, and São Paulo). This position will require close communication with a global team of advocates and occasional travel internationally. This is a remote position, though a candidate living near one of our offices would have access to them. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Accountability Counsel is committed to competitive, equitable, transparent, and progressive compensation and benefits for staff and consultants. The compensation and benefits for this role will be commensurate with experience and location and informed by our Compensation Equity and Transparency Framework. We expect the successful candidate will qualify for the Policy Associate II or Policy Associate III bands (with compensation between USD75,000 and USD95,000 if the candidate is located in Washington D.C. or a similar high cost of living setting). For lower cost of living settings, the salary range may be USD52,500 – USD85,500, inclusive of  a 13th- month bonus if required by the home country, contingent upon location. For candidates with significantly more experience, placement in a higher compensation band may be possible. Team members are encouraged to take every other Friday off (Wellness Fridays), as part of our commitment to team wellbeing.

TO APPLY

If this opportunity calls out to you, please click here to submit:  1) a tailored, authentic cover letter that explains why this mission calls to you and why this particular role is a fit, 2) your resume, and 3) a short writing sample (no more than 5 pages) reflecting your strengths as a compelling communicator, such as a blog or other public-facing piece of writing. Please address your cover letter to Stephanie Amoako. We will review applications on a rolling basis starting on April 29. Due to the volume of candidates anticipated and size of our organization, we regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted regarding further steps in the application process.

Accountability Counsel is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other prohibited category. We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and all qualified persons to apply for this position.