JOB DESCRIPTION
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
(AIIS)
JOB TITLE: Senior Campaigner – Crisis and Tactical Campaigns
DEPARTMENT: Campaigns Programme
JOB PURPOSE: Develop and implement international campaigning strategies on human rights
issues and/or key countries and manage and coordinate actions, while supporting, liaising and
providing expert advice to other Programmes, the AI movement and outside networks to ensure
maximum impact.
DEPARTMENT PURPOSE: To develop, coordinate, programme and lead on delivery of AI’s
global campaigns; to coordinate and deliver campaign work on behalf of individuals at risk; to
increase campaign effectiveness across the IS and the AI movement
AIIS PURPOSE: The International Secretariat, which operates from a number of sites around
the world, gathers and communicates accurate and action-oriented human rights information
globally. We campaign for meaningful human rights change; enable effective human rights
activism and work to persuade governments and other actors to uphold universal human rights
standards. We provide strategic leadership, support and advice to the Amnesty International
movement globally, fostering Amnesty International’s contribution, presence and public
accountability throughout the world.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
Reporting to: Deputy Programme Director
Posts that this job manages: No line management responsibility. Supervision of staff and
volunteers; lead cross-programme project teams and working groups
Other key relationships: Other members of Tactical Campaigns Unit/Campaigns Coordinator,
Senior Directors; Directors and Deputy Directors; Regional programme staff, policy, legal and
thematic teams, AI section & structure staff, in particular campaigns and communications staff
and external partner organisations
USEFUL INFORMATION:
The Tactical Campaigns Unit leads the development and delivery of a suite of Amnesty
International’s campaigns which are generally delivered over a 6 month to 2 year time horizon,
often reacting to and driven by emerging opportunities or necessities in the external world. The
team adapts and operates on a number of critical campaigning issues, sometimes concurrently, in
a time-pressured environment. The unit may also work on priority Crisis campaigns for countries
facing urgent and critical human rights deterioration. The unit provides advice and support to
other research, policy and campaign teams, and undertakes campaign-related research where
appropriate to enable the effective delivery of campaigning on key issues.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
Lead the development of campaign strategies, ensuring campaigns identify and take advantage of
political opportunities and lead to measurable change.
Advise on, coordinate and review the contribution to relevant tactical campaigns by regional and other
programmes to contribute to the development of AI’s campaign strategy worldwide.
Coordinate action planning and ensure consistency with campaigning standards and optimal use of
resources.
Assess opportunities for action, identifying creative and effective campaigning tactics applicable in
both the global North and South to ensure effective participation, undertaking campaign-related
research into targets, tactics, activities by other organizations or other interlocutors as relevant.
Provide advice to sections and structures and external partners in the global North and South on the
development and implementation of campaign strategies; review campaign projects developed by
sections and structures to ensure consistency.
Responsible for ensuring there is effective communication between relevant IS teams, sections and
structures and partners about projects and actions with the aim of developing and maintaining a shared
understanding and plan for the campaign and related actions.
Draft, review and advise on campaign materials for internal and external use, ensuring products are
coherent within the campaign strategy, communicate campaign messages to target audiences effectively
and lead to measurable action by these targets
Communicate AI’s concerns, positions and messages to external and internal audiences, including by
representing AI in governmental, inter-governmental and various public forums, as well as with the
media, civil society organizations, political, economic and other actors to promote key messages.
Cover Urgent Actions production and distribution when the Individuals at Risk campaigner is not on
duty.
Lead on the design and delivery of training and of capacity building in campaigning for IS staff and
others in the AI membership.
Contribute to planning, execution and evaluation stages of campaign projects; develop and share
campaigning best practice learned from campaign projects across the IS and wider AI movement to
ensure learning is developed and shared widely.
Monitor and analyze political, human rights and civil society developments internationally to make
recommendations for campaign development, actions and ongoing work in pursuit of campaign
objectives
Prepare information about planned activities for scheduling and resource management purposes;
identify necessary adjustments in the planning and implementation of projects and workplans; prepare
and monitor project budgets and reports.
Contribute to the development of Cluster strategies, critical paths and plans for campaigning and
activism and provide input into internal discussions on AI mission, policy, and organizational issues in
order to increase the effectiveness of AI’s work.
Perform all necessary administrative tasks to ensure effective self-servicing, participate in the
recruitment and induction of new staff and consultants and perform other corporate tasks as appropriate.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE IN THIS JOB?
 AI’s tactical campaigns have clear strategies and take advantage of political and other
strategic opportunities
 Key stakeholders are able to contribute to plans and implementing stakeholders in the IS
and sections and structures understand their roles within the international strategy
 Tactical campaigns have wide take-up across the AI movement
 Tactical campaigns are implemented to deadline and on budget
 AI’s tactical campaigns employ a wide-range of tools and tactics that motivate and
engage various target audiences and inspire them to act to resolve the human rights issue
at hand
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Significant experience developing campaign strategies and campaign objectives; Excellent
understanding of strategic campaign methodologies, power analysis methodologies and other campaign
development tools.
Must have the ability to identify and understand relevant information about human rights issues or
country situations quickly in order to undertake campaign strategy development; Experience of
campaigning on and an understanding of issues and the region within the current focus of the role
desirable;
The ability to adapt to fast-changing political situations in an international environment and experience
of employing political judgment and of assessing the most effective means of communication to achieve
a goal within given constraints
Experience of leading and implementing campaigns at the national & international level and the ability
to lead innovation and creative approaches to campaigning; experience of using online and offline
activism techniques to achieve campaign objectives
Experience of working with colleagues and partners based around the world, including the global North
and global South; understanding of participatory methodologies desirable.
Understanding of voluntary commitment and of organizational needs of a membership organisation and
the implications of this for developing and implementing campaigns.
Excellent communications skills in English, both written and verbal; Experience of writing motivating
and inspiring campaign materials for a diverse range of target audiences and of communicating
campaign messages and organisational positions effectively; working knowledge of Arabic, French or
Spanish an advantage.
Experience leading project teams and ability to engage and inspire team members; Experience of
managing conflicting demands, meeting deadlines and adjusting priorities; and ability to identify skills
gaps and experience of capacity building and training, including with staff based overseas, in order to
deliver on campaign objectives.
Ability to undertake desk research to gather information relevant to the development of campaign
strategies, the identification of campaign targets and objectives, target audiences and constituencies or
other aspects of effective campaign implementation.
Experience of developing and delivering training and capacity building in campaigning
Ability to evaluate campaigns and projects and to report progress against stated objectives; experience of
managing budgets and reporting against expenditure.
Awareness of issues of social justice, equality and fairness and an understanding of equal opportunities
issues and willingness to apply in work. Ability to work in multi-cultural environment with appropriate
sensitivity to differences of culture, gender and physical ability.
Willingness to undertake personal administrative tasks in accordance with the guidelines on selfservicing.
Public or other activity, affiliation to or support for any group or organization, personal association or
other factor which may generate a real or perceived conflict of interest with AI’s principles (specifically
independence and impartiality), or raise a security concern, or otherwise prevent the candidate from
carrying out key functions of the specific post and would therefore disqualify the candidate from being
appointed.
HOW YOU WORK - COMPETENCIES:
[Information to complete this section can be drawn from the “AIIS Behaviours – managers’
guide”, which is available on ISIS managers’ community page. Competencies focus on how we
work rather than what our job is designed to do. They articulate the behaviours that are
expected from a group of professionals who are working effectively together. Describe here the
competencies that will be needed for the job holder to be effective and successful in this post]
Competency:
Level: (A, B or C)
Delivering Results: B
Working with others: C
Developing oneself and others: B
Contributing to a Dynamic and Effective International Secretariat: B
Making decisions: B
Taking the initiative: B
Communicating and influencing: C
EQUALITY STATEMENT
Equality and diversity is at the core of our values and staff are expected to
work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others
from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Public or other activity, affiliation to or support for any group or organization, personal
association or other factor which may generate a real or perceived conflict of interest with
Amnesty International’s principles (specifically independence and impartiality), or raise a
security concern, or otherwise prevent the candidate from carrying out key functions of the
specific post and would therefore disqualify the candidate from being appointed.
Written by: Emily Nevins Date agreed: 27 April 2010 Reviewed: May 2013