Advocate jobs in Milton keynes

Job Title: Advocacy and Research Officer

Department: Advocacy Department

Reports To: Senior Advocacy Officer

Location: UK Based, remote

Compensation: £32,000 per annum

About Humanists International:

Humanists International is the global representative body of the humanist movement, uniting a diverse range of non-religious individuals and organizations committed to reason, compassion, and human rights. We work to build and strengthen the humanist movement worldwide, advocate for secularism and human rights, and promote humanist values in public life and at international institutions.

Humanists International’s advocacy programme promotes human rights priorities based on humanist values at the global level and represents a core role and function of organization. We do this by: advocating directly at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, New York, and Paris, advocating at regional institutions, including the European Union, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, and African Commission for Human and People’s Rights; supporting and training our members to engage with, and advocate at, relevant regional human rights bodies. 

This work relies on having an advocacy team that can; (1) communicate and lobby in a clear, focused, and convincing manner, informed by high-quality and professional research; (2) can understand the dynamic international landscape on core human rights priorities and produce documentation and briefings on the organization's position; and (3) train and work with members to support their human rights advocacy at the regional and international level. The Advocacy and Research Officer will be instrumental in contributing to these areas.

Duties:

1. Advocate on behalf of Humanists International, by:
1.1. Drafting written and oral statements and submissions for the UN Human Rights Council;
1.2. Analyzing and summarizing complex legal / policy documents, such as International Conventions or UN reports, or jurisprudence at international courts and tribunals;
1.3. Undertaking research tasks and producing pieces of comprehensive legal research, and providing briefing or meeting notes for the Senior Advocacy Officer;
1.4. Representing and speaking on behalf of Humanists International at meetings of different sizes, including at the UN Human Rights Council;
1.5. Preparing and delivering presentations (often with the use of powerpoint);
1.6. Working with other civil society actors to lobby on common causes and mobilize on issues of concern;
1.7. Writing news stories for the website and contributing to the media output of the organization;
1.8. Undertaking administrative tasks to support the Senior Advocacy Officer in their work.

2. Supporting Humanists International's members in advocacy, by:
2.1. Developing and implementing trainings sessions for members and associates, including our annual UPR training, and others which leverage the expertise of the Advocacy and Research Officer;
2.2. Liaising with Humanists International members to enable and support them to make statements at the UN Human Rights Council, including with technical assistance;
2.3. Providing advocacy updates and briefings for Members and Associates;
2.4. Liaising with Humanists International members to use their knowledge and experience to feed into advocacy output;
2.5 Collaborating with the European Advocacy and Research Officer to forward advocacy priorities at European institutions.

Essential Criteria:

• Excellent understanding of, interest in, and demonstrable commitment to human rights and equality issues - particularly in the areas of freedom of religion or belief, gender equality and non-discrimination, reproductive and sexual rights, LGBTI+ rights, populism, democracy, and secularism. 
• Good knowledge and background in international human rights law, international law, or global justice. 
• Experience in the area of advocacy and/or of advocacy-related training. 
• Familiarity (academic and/or practical) with the international human rights systems, particularly the United Nations and any regional human rights bodies. 
• Good research, analytical and writing skills, and an excellent command of English.
• Well-organized, efficient and able to work independently. 
• A clear and convincing communicator. 

Desirable:

• Excellent understanding of, and sympathy with, the philosophy and policies of Humanists International. 
• A good knowledge of other international NGOs and their role and scope. 
• Knowledge of other languages (especially Spanish, French, or Arabic) would be an asset. 
• Prepared to travel, and do so alone, including to United Nations headquarters in Geneva and to Humanist International’s annual World Humanist Congress, as well as to London on a quarterly basis.

If selected for interview, candidates will be asked to complete a short assignment, and interviews will be conducted on 30 March 2026. The successful candidate will also be asked to provide contact details for two references.