Associate Director, Legal Strategies, Innovation and Research at Center For Reproductive Rights

Job Description

The Associate Director in the Legal Strategies, Innovation and Research unit works with staff across the Center to ensure technical excellence and coherency in the Centre’s strategic litigation, innovation in legal strategies and research. The Associate Director will collaborate closely with the Center’s regional units on developing litigation strategies to build norms on sexual and reproductive health and rights and hold states accountable for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) violations. The Associate Director will also help facilitate the development of institutional legal principles on key SRHR issues; pioneer new legal theories on SRHR protections under international and regional human rights laws; and contribute to thought leadership on new and emerging issues.

The ideal candidate for this role will be a skilled human rights litigator with demonstrated senior level expertise working globally within multiple legal systems, extensive experience working in UN and/or regional human rights bodies and expertise on reproductive rights, gender justice, and/or health rights. Candidates must have significant experience developing and pursuing cases before regional and/or United Nations human rights bodies and working across several legal systems or regions.

Contingent on compliance with local labor laws, this position can be based in any of the Center’s offices or be fully remote.

Fluency In Spanish Or Other Languages Is a Plus.

The role will be based in a Center office (NYC, Washington D.C., Bogota, Geneva, or Nairobi). Covid-19 vaccination is required for all US-based employees of the Center.

Primary Responsibilities

Working closely with the Senior Director of Global Legal Strategies, this person will:

• Provide technical support to regional teams in the development of legal strategies and new legal theories for defensive and proactive litigation.
• Scope potential new innovations in how the Center enhances legal accountability for reproductive rights violations, including the exploration of legal mechanisms beyond UN and regional human rights systems.
• Facilitate the development, dissemination, and integration/alignment with Center-wide positions on key and emerging legal issues through collaborative and participatory processes involving staff from across the globe.
• Stay up to date with reproductive rights litigation and human rights litigation with high impact in the field of reproductive rights, as well as relevant emerging reproductive rights issues; identify opportunities for the Center to contribute to the development of emerging legal norms.
• Identify opportunities to enhance internal knowledge and skills on litigation and facilitate opportunities for staff to share best practices and lessons learned.
• Represent the Center externally, including with key partners, donors, media, academic and professional audiences. 

Qualifications

• A degree in law
• At least 12 years of relevant work experience, including extensive litigation experience particularly before international and/or regional human rights bodies and within or across several legal systems.
• Demonstrated senior level expertise working globally with international organisations across multiple legal systems; developing impact litigation, including conceptualizing cases, developing strong evidence bases, working directly with clients, drafting legal filings, and implementing impact litigation decisions/outcomes.
• Experience working on human rights/women’s rights, reproductive rights and/or in the social justice sector
• A track record of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common goals
• A demonstrated ability to adapt to change and manage and prioritize a diverse workload;
• Solutions-oriented approach with strong analytical/reasoning skills.

Leadership Competencies:

• Leading the Work (Strategy & Implementation): Generates new ideas, develops long-term objectives and strategies that align with institutional priorities, and translates them into actionable plans.
• Leading Others: Inspires commitment; develops and empowers staff; identifies and mentors the next generation of organization leaders; establishes results-oriented culture in teams.
• Leading by Personal Example: Models organizational values; takes action and is courageous; projects confidence and steadiness; learns from experience and is self-aware.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Attracts, develops and retains a diverse team; recognizes the many dimensions of diversity and the particular harms of anti-Black racism and colonialism; considers equity in decisions and processes internally and externally; demonstrates inclusive leadership behaviors.

Compensation: The salary is competitive based on experience.

Benefits:

• Health: The Center pays up to 95%* of the premium for a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage. (* % may differ in various countries)
• Flexibility: The Center currently operates in a hybrid model, allowing you to choose which days you work in the office and work from home
• Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical and community well-being. The Center offers generous leave including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, sick and unlimited sick time for COVID. We are also closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend time with their loved ones.
• Culture of Collaboration: Everyone at the Center is aligned to a specific goal, leading to a supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Growth: You will be working with and learning from some of the top legal and operational minds, all passionate about the mission of advancing reproductive rights around the world. You will also be eligible for a stipend to use towards professional growth.
• Global: You will get a front-row seat to update on the fight for reproductive rights in the global space. You will also have access to Employee Resource Groups to connect to colleagues that share similar interests/backgrounds/views.
• Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (* only applicable in US and Kenya)