Programme Assistant - Europe and Central Asia (ECA)

Responsible to: Programme Officer for Europe and Central Asia
Key relationships: Europe and Central Asia Team, Finance Team, Projects Team and external partners based in Europe and Central Asia
Salary: 32,962 – 34,320 GBP based on experience, to be paid in EUR
Contract: Permanent
Working hours: Full time (40 hours a week)
Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Special conditions: Travel in the region might be required

JOB SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the ECA Programme Officer (PO), the Project Assistant will support the smooth delivery of several projects focused on freedom of expression in Turkey, and more broadly in the region. The Programme Assistant will contribute to the effective management of these projects through the provision of administrative, logistical and research support, helping to keep track of the various project commitments and deadlines as well as ensuring clear communication between ARTICLE 19 and our project partners.

The post-holder will support the planning, coordination and delivery of the project activities, including by assisting with the proofreading and editing of a wide range of advocacy outputs for a variety of audiences and, contributing to the research and drafting of such outputs. S/he will also support ongoing monitoring of developments related to freedom of expression in Turkey, to inform legal interventions, advocacy and communications in the country.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Implementation:
• Supporting the ECA PO in project management of specific projects, keeping track of and monitoring progress against key project commitments and requirements;
• Providing administrative, logistical and research support for the organisation and delivery of online and in-person events and project activities (including trainings, workshops, advocacy missions and conferences) in Turkey, international human rights bodies, European capitals;
• Provide research support on Turkish legislation, political context and individual cases to inform legal interventions and analysis of laws;
• Drafting minutes and ensuring coordination and information exchange between partners;
• Supporting the ECA PO in the management of, and communications with external consultants;
• Processing invoices, including expense claims, ensuring compliance with relevant policies, and liaising with finance for tracking payments, and communicating with payees;
• Assisting the ECA team and partners as necessary;

Communications and advocacy:
• Monitoring the situation with regard to freedom of expression in Turkey;
• Supporting the ECA PO with the researching and drafting statements and letters for ongoing or ad hoc campaigns and advocacy, including through preparing templates, and gathering information and data as required;
• Proofread, edit, and format ARTICLE 19’s advocacy submissions and communications outputs;
• Supporting translation of publications, including by coordinating and reviewing professional translations;
• Supporting ARTICLE 19 external communications, including updating the website, utilising social media to draw attention to ARTICLE 19’s work;

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:
• Supporting the development of timely financial and narrative donor reports, ensuring compliance with internal and external guidelines for project reporting and deadlines;
• Developing and maintaining up-to-date financial records for the tracking of project expenditure, and assisting with monitoring expenditure against project budgets, to ensure expenditure along budget lines;
• Assisting with production of timely and compliant internal narrative reporting, as well as monitoring and evaluation processes;
• Maintaining regular contact with project partners on progress of project implementation and project expenditure;
• Providing support to ARTICLE 19’s Finance Team to produce financial reports to donors by Reviewing and verifying ARTICLE 19’s partners’ financial reporting;

Other support to the Europe and Central Asia programme, as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential:
Education and Experience
● Educated to degree level or equivalent work experience with an NGO or charity;
● Knowledge of or experience in international human rights law and/or human rights advocacy and campaigns;
● Experience of contributing to the research, drafting, proofreading and editing of detailed legal and/or factual documents for a variety of external audiences, ideally in the context of international human rights;

Skills and Abilities
● Excellent administrative skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail;
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English;
● Highly organised, with a strong ability to plan, multi-task, prioritise, and complete activities under time pressure and competing deadlines;
● Ability to conduct research to a specific brief, checking facts using a variety of sources, and with a keen eye for detail;
● Ability to proofread documents, including legal documents, in English to a high standard;
● Good interpersonal skills and experience working and communicating with colleagues and partners in different locations;
● Self-motivation and the ability to work with minimal supervision;
● Ability to work in a high-paced, geographically dispersed/remote team, and prioritizing among multiple competing tasks and tight deadlines;

Desirable:
● Experience working on human rights in the Eurasia region and Turkey;
● Experience of organising logistics for events, such as trainings, workshops, advocacy missions, highly desirable;
● Experience compiling donor narrative and financial reports,
● Experience in compiling budgets and tracking, and maintaining records of, project expenditure,
● Written and spoken fluency in Turkish, highly desirable
● Ability to speak one other official ARTICLE 19 language (French, Portuguese, Bangla or Spanish) or Russian
● Confident in using digital project management and financial systems, including Excel, to work with budgets and financial documentation
● Knowledge of Turkish legal system would be an advantage 
● Experience working with vulnerable individuals and appreciation of specific security risks associated with information sharing;

Other requirements
• Must have the right to work in the Netherlands
• Willingness to travel
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural work environment and commitment to equal opportunities and non-discrimination