Executive Director

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (the Resource Centre) seeks a creative, strategic and inspiring leader ready to drive the next generation of progress in strengthening human rights in business. For more than two decades the Resource Centre has sought to amplify the voices of rights holders and work collaboratively with allies and partners to strengthen corporate practices and support smart regulation to deliver a just economy, address the climate crisis and counter abuse.

In the face of rising authoritarianism, it is more important than ever to ensure respect for and protection of human rights, including by private actors. We are seeking a leader who understands the threats – and opportunities – present in today’s dynamic and complex context. The ideal candidate will bring energy and insights to the Resource Centre’s vision of transformational change, which is built on community-led action and enhanced by global partnership.

The Executive Director will have a strong understanding of international human rights, labour, environmental and climate frameworks as they relate to business–and how to make change happen through those frameworks. They will be able to work effectively with people and organisations at many levels, including grassroots leaders, government representatives, funders, corporate executives and investors.

As new challenges face the field of human rights, the Resource Centre is poised to continue its high-impact programming and partnerships. The new Executive Director will join a Global Team with a strong culture of cooperation and mutual respect working remotely in over 30 locations. They will lead a financially sound organisation that has recently approved an ambitious 5-year strategic plan .

The Executive Director will provide empathetic and confident leadership to the organisation during a turbulent period in our world, playing a pivotal role in delivering the strategic plan, identifying where to place particular emphasis at different times during the plan period, and deciding how to balance offensive and defensive strategies to accomplish our goals.

The Resource Centre has four worldwide programmes focused on promoting: the rights of communities seeking responsible natural resource use and a just transition; the rights of workers in global supply chains; the rights of people for accountable digital technologies; and the rights of human rights defenders. Our cross-cutting themes are access to corporate legal accountability and promotion of gender and racial justice.

THE ROLE

The Executive Director will lead our global team of 80 across 30 locations, operating with a budget of US $6 million and working in diverse alliances and partnerships worldwide. They will manage the Resource Centre as the head of a collaborative Senior Management Team supporting programmes, finance, and fundraising. They will line-manage five staff: two Programme Directors (for regional teams and international teams), the Fundraising Director, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Head of Communications.

The Executive Director will represent the organisation at the highest levels with governments, companies, investors, and our allies in civil society. The ideal candidate must be able to build strategic partnerships, attract new funders, and optimize the organisation’s use of limited resources. They will excel in multicultural settings, enjoy being a part of a minimally hierarchical global team, and enable staff at all levels to shine.

The Resource Centre values collective leadership and expects the organisation’s leadership to work in deep partnership with colleagues and partners. The Resource Centre has several mechanisms to maintain a decentralized approach that empowers team members: the Global Team Association, a representative body that fosters staff participation and input into key organisational policies and issues, and the Organisational Leadership Group, which engages Regional International Programme and Functional leads in decision-making alongside the Senior Management Team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

In close partnership with the Global Team and an engaged Board of Directors,…