Representative to the European Union

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is an NGO that brings together nearly 200 civil society organisations around the world. Founded in 1922, it is committed to defending fundamental freedoms and the universality of the rights defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Independent of any government and recognised for its expertise, FIDH works to strengthen mechanisms for the protection of human rights and defenders through advocacy campaigns, investigations into violations and legal action. In all its activities, FIDH integrates a gender-sensitive and anti-colonial approach. Its head office is in Paris and its teams are present in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe. FIDH also has delegations to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the European Union in Brussels, the United Nations in Geneva and the African Union in Nairobi.

The FIDH office in Brussels represents FIDH before the institutions of the European Union (Council, Commission, European Parliament, and other associated bodies), as well as to the representations of its member states. It ensures the visibility of FIDH’s actions and those of its member organisations to the European Union and develops advocacy strategies to effectively mobilise the EU on human rights issues worldwide, while identifying ways to strengthen its lever.

We are recruiting a : REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION IN BRUSSELS – FULL-TIME PERMANENT CONTRACT

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the responsibility of the Advocacy Director based in Paris, your main responsibilities will be :

A / Define EU advocacy strategies in consultation with internal stakeholders, to support the implementation and strengthening of EU human rights policies, including :

• Supporting FIDH member organisations and the FIDH Operations Directorate teams in defining and guiding FIDH recommendations targeting EU institutions;
• Developing advocacy directions, the annual activity program, and implementing specific action programs led by FIDH offices, in coordination with the Operations Directorate and member organizations, and monitoring their progress;
• Analysing the effectiveness and impact of EU human rights policies and proposing ways to strengthen them;
• Developing the delegation’s communication strategy towards the EU, in collaboration with the Communications Directorate.

B / Implement the delegation’s activities:

• Coordinate and supervise the participation of FIDH member NGOs or partners in various EU institutions;
• Coordinate and supervise the provision of information to EU institutions based on inputs from FIDH, its members, and partners;
• Represent FIDH before EU institutions, member state representations, and other stakeholders (funders, NGOs, media), ensuring strong relationships;
• Oversee the strategy for promoting FIDH’s activities to the public;
• Ensure reporting and evaluation of delegation activities, including advocacy actions and other reporting requirements (internal monthly and annual reports, narrative reports for other funders).

C / Foster and strengthen interaction with internal and external actors, ensuring quality support for FIDH member organisations during interfaces, sharing information on delegation strategies and activities, and developing partnerships with other NGOs.

D / Manage a team (currently one staff member + one intern).

E / Oversee the delegation’s day-to-day logistical and administrative management, with the support of delegation staff.

SKILLS REQUIRED

Education & Experience:

• Master’s degree in law, political science, or international relations, with at least 5 years of professional experience in a similar role, including 3 years in human rights advocacy;
• Excellent knowledge of EU human rights policies, allowing you to identify and mobilise the most effective levers to achieve concrete results;
• Strong understanding of international human rights standards and mechanisms.

Skills & Competencies:

• Creativity, boldness, and political insight to define and implement impactful advocacy strategies, with a proven record of successful strategic advocacy leading to real change;
• Ability to prioritise and manage advocacy actions from conception to implementation;
• Strong representation, negotiation, and mentoring skills with FIDH member and partner representatives; ideally, an established network of contacts in Brussels among key decision-makers and stakeholders;
• Experience working with human rights defenders and/or civil society;
• Autonomy in implementing strategic directions set by the Advocacy Directorate, with strong public speaking skills;
• Team management skills;
• Excellent command of French (C1) and English (C1), with outstanding writing skills in both languages; knowledge of Spanish is a plus.

You are in total agreement with the values of the FIDH International Secretariat (professionalism, respect, commitment, equality, integrity, participation, boldness), as well as with FIDH’s commitment to the defence of the human rights of everyone, everywhere in the world, as set out in its statutes and in its publications, which can be accessed from its website: www.fidh.org

FIDH seeks diversity and is committed to equality by ensuring that it does not discriminate in its hiring practices on the basis of origins, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, health status or any other situation protected by French and international human rights law.

For people with disabilities, we ask you to indicate in your cover letter any adaptations that would be useful in order to enable you to participate in the recruitment process in the best possible way.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT :

• Full-time permanent contract – 39 hours/week
• Based in Brussels – FIDH recognises the importance of flexible working arrangements for work-life balance and offers remote work options after the probationary period.
• Salary: €57,000 gross per year
• FIDH contribution to health insurance: €80/month; public transport subscription reimbursement in Brussels; meal vouchers of €8/meal (employee contribution: €1.09)
• Leave and RTT: 25 days of paid leave per year, 24 compensatory rest days per year

Position to be filled : As soon as possible

How to apply

Send your CV AND cover letter to recrutement@fidh.org quoting reference DOIG-UE-0126 in the subject line no later than Friday, February 6, 2026.

Interviews will take place as applications are received.

FIDH reserves the right to close the recruitment process before the deadline for applications.

Only those candidates whose applications are selected will be contacted.

In compliance with the regulations on financial sanctions adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and France against CSOs/NGOs, the person selected for the position will be screened against the Single Asset Freeze List.