Governance and compliance manager jobs

About Reprieve

Reprieve works with the most disenfranchised people in society. Our aim is simple: to consign the death penalty and abuses carried out in the name of “counter-terrorism” or “national security” to history, drawing public and political attention to these past harms with a view to preventing them from occurring again. In our view, you can best judge a society by how it treats prisoners, criminal defendants, and the far-flung targets of an ever-changing counter-terror policy. To us, the rule of law means little if we selectively apply it to people we agree with. It is for all of us. Liberty is always eroded at the margins. Reprieve’s staff is made up of courageous and committed human rights defenders.

Founded in 1999, we provide free legal and investigative support to people facing the death penalty and those victimised by states’ abusive counterterror policies – rendition, torture, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killing. We fight our clients’ cases in courts around the world; investigate their mistreatment; and advocate on their behalf, encouraging public and political debate of human rights issues. Reprieve’s main office is in Aldgate, London, UK. Reprieve also supports full-time Fellows, who work as lawyers, investigators and campaigners in the countries in which we work. We work closely with a number of partner organisations in jurisdictions all over the world, who provide access to clients, expertise, knowledge and guidance on specific issues or regions. We work in cooperation with relevant government officials, individual lawyers and human rights defenders, as well as individual, corporate and foundation funders to further the cause of our shared goals.

Reprieve works in close partnership with its independent sibling organisation Reprieve US. This collaboration is mutually beneficial to both Reprieve and Reprieve US as it enables each organisation to work more effectively and take advantage of the strategic locations to increase the impact of our work.

Reprieve is an equal opportunity employer and we particularly welcome applicants from Black and minority ethnic communities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those with disabilities. Reprieve is committed to fighting racism and advancing racial justice, both in our work and within Reprieve. For more information, please see our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement. You can also read more about our recruitment process.

About the Role

The MENA Death Penalty Caseworker will undertake a range of activities in support of Reprieve’s work on cases of individuals on death row or at risk of the death penalty across the MENA region, including casework and investigations into individual cases and the broader death penalty landscape, support to Reprieve clients, and support to partner organisations and lawyers in the MENA region and beyond. The MENA Death Penalty Caseworker is an integral member of the MENA Team, and will work closely with the Media, Campaigns and Digital, and UK and US Policy teams, and the Directors and Deputy Directors. You will share our commitment to fighting against racism and advancing racial justice, and understand our responsibility to do our work in a way that does not compound racist structures. 

Background on MENA Death Penalty Work

Several countries in the MENA region consistently rank amongst the highest executing states in the world. Reprieve is one of few international organisations working on combatting the use of the death penalty in the region, working with partners primarily on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, and monitoring the use of the death penalty across the wider region. The MENA team’s work is diverse and constantly evolving to shape, respond to, and anticipate changes in the domestic and regional death penalty landscape. Our strategy in any given jurisdiction is developed in collaboration with – and informed by – our partners and fellows. Direct casework on strategic cases is core to our work in all regions, and includes legal, political and advocacy strategies as appropriate. We look in particular to find and develop cases and narratives which have the potential to change the landscape and benefit as many individuals or classes of individuals as possible. We also undertake and assist with longer term thematic projects and engage with regional and international mechanisms and organs where it is strategic to do so.

This is a full-time position on a one-year fixed term contract, to cover parental leave, based on a minimum of 37.5 hours per week. Due to the global and sometimes urgent nature of Reprieve’s work, flexibility on working hours will sometimes be required.