Senior Social & Legal Advocacy Officer

This role is open for national Ukrainian staff only!
JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Social and Legal Advocacy Officer is responsible for developing and implementing IRC’s advocacy strategies aimed at protecting the rights of IDPs and other vulnerable groups. The role involves working at local, regional, and national levels to strengthen the impact of IRC’s protection programming, ensuring legal and policy monitoring, engagement with governmental stakeholders, and promotion of legal initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement advocacy initiatives to improve vulnerable groups' access to justice, social protection, and rights restoration.
• Analyze legal and policy frameworks, assess their impact on target groups, and prepare analytical reports and recommendations.
• Develop advocacy materials, including policy briefs, legal reviews, and recommendations for partners and government stakeholders.
• Engage with governments, NGO, and civil society organizations to advocate for stronger protectionsrights
• Develop and draft public advocacy efforts, including statements, reports, and open letters.

• Represent IRC in relevant working groups (Legal PWG, Protection Clustergroups, etc.).
• Participate in policy discussions with government representatives, donors, and international organizations, proposing improvements to legislation and policies.
• Establish partnerships with local authorities, policymakers, the Ministry of Social Policy, the Ministry of Justice, and other key governmental institutions.

• Advocate at the national level to improve the protection of IDPs, conflict-affected populations.
• Prepare materials for international advocacy platforms and contribute to human rights reports aligned with international standards.
• Coordinate IRC’s advocacy efforts with national and international NGOs, human rights organizations, and professional legal associations.

• Monitor the government’s compliance with obligations related to IDP and vulnerable group protection, preparing periodic reports.
• Collect and analyze data on human rights violations and coordinate documentation efforts.
• Develop recommendations for improving law enforcement and judicial practices based on collected evidence.

• Design and deliver training sessions for IRC staff, partner organizations, and government institutions on human rights protection, advocacy, and legal monitoring.
• Support capacity building for lawyers, social workers, and other professionals engaged in the protection of vulnerable populations.

Requirements

Education and Experience

• University degree in law, political science, or social sciences.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in advocacy, human rights protection, or government engagement.
• Experience working with international or humanitarian organizations is an advantage.
• Knowledge of legal protection mechanisms for IDPs, conflict-affected populationsis an asset.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong understanding of advocacy and human rights processes in Ukraine.
• Experience in developing and implementing advocacy strategies.
• Excellent analytical skills, including the ability to draft legal opinions and policy recommendations.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with government entities, NGOs, and international actors.
• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian, English.
• Experience in delivering training and public speaking.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

·This role requires office work (approximately 30%) and field work (approximately 70%).

·This role may require travel to other locations (sub-offices).

·The organization cares about staff and provides flexible working options (start early-finish early, start later- finish later, remote work)

IRC employees are eligible to the following benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Purposeful job and development opportunities

• English classes and unlimited online training courses
• Life Insurance
• Medical insurance for staff and family members
• Free psychological support to employees and their family members
• 30 calendar days of annual vacation with flexibility beyond the legally set minimum requirements
• Up to 10 days of paid medical leave