The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an international human rights NGO based in Geneva, with regional programmes in the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas and Africa, along with thematic programmes on housing and property restitution, women and housing rights, the right to water, forced evictions and litigating housing rights. Established in 1994, COHRE is a recognised voice in the global human rights movement.
COHRE wishes to hire a Coordinator to manage its Africa Programme and the expansion and further development of the organisation in the Africa Region. The Coordinator will be based in COHRE’s office in Accra, Ghana, or in another location in Africa, to be determined as part of the selection process.
The COHRE Africa Coordinator will:
- Coordinate implementation of COHRE Africa’s Plan of Action
- Coordinate regional fundraising, budget development and oversight, and other financial matters
- Supervise COHRE staff and consultants in Africa
- Supervise and carry out research and publications, fact-finding missions, legal advocacy, housing and water rights training, forced evictions monitoring and other COHRE activities in Africa
- Represent the COHRE Africa Programme before the African Union, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the United Nations and other international meetings
- Maintain regular contact with community-based groups, NGOs, Governments and international organisations with which the COHRE Africa Programme has close working relations
Required Skills/Background:
- A proven manager, who enjoys helping colleagues perform to the best of their potential
- Post graduate qualification in law, development studies or other related field
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to work quickly and effectively under pressure
- 8 or more years experience working in the human rights field in Africa
- Experience with housing, water and sanitation rights; displacement and forced evictions; and gender equality issues
- Self-motivated, well-organised and an excellent writer
- Willingness (sometimes on short notice) to travel often, to all countries in Africa, occasionally for extended periods of time
- Flexible and easy-going, but hard working and deeply committed
- Excellent English is required (French is also strongly recommended and Arabic is desirable).
Interested candidates should send their application, complete curriculum vitae, the names of three referees, a publications list and a writing sample to suzanne@cohre.org. COHRE encourages applications from candidates who are female and/or nationals of developing countries.
The position involves a challenging working atmosphere and a competitive reimbursement package. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for possible interviews. The deadline for submitting applications is: 25 April 2007.
COHRE Africa Programme