Job Description
Salary: Not specified
About Reprieve
Reprieve is a UK charity founded in 1999. Reprieve uses strategic interventions to end the use of the death penalty globally, and to end extreme human rights abuses carried out in the name of “counterterrorism” or “national security”.
Reprieve works with the most disenfranchised people in society, as it is in their cases that human rights are most swiftly jettisoned and the rule of law is cast aside. Thus, Reprieve promotes and protects the rights of those facing the death penalty and those who are the victims of extreme human rights abuses carried out in the name of “counterterrorism” or “national security”, with a focus on arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial executions.
Reprieve’s main office is in 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.
About the Role
A member of the Senior Management Team at Reprieve, the Deputy Director will lead on coordinating, reviewing and delivering Reprieve’s substantive external-facing work products across the organisation, including thematic reports, legal submissions and high-level organisational documents, as well as managing casework team leads as needed, providing support to the UK Litigation Team and consultants working on engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms, and assisting with the project management of multi-year funded projects as needed. The role is cross-cutting. In relation to external-facing research, legal submissions and reports, the Deputy Director will often work with the relevant teams from early on to guide and manage the production of external work products to ensure that they serve Reprieve’s organisational objectives, are rigorously researched and evidenced, and are produced to the highest standards.
The Deputy Director will also provide discrete advice and guidance to teams on common issues relevant to the casework such as record collection, often in collaboration with the UK Litigation Team, and will support the consultants working on engagement with the United Nations human rights mechanisms. If the successful candidate is a qualified UK solicitor, the Deputy Director may also supervise trainee solicitors seconded to Reprieve, who work across a range of areas, as needed.
The Deputy Director will have a legal qualification or significant legal or research experience (equivalent to 5 years + PQE). They will be a critical and analytical thinker with excellent interpersonal and people and project management skills. They will be adept at familiarising themselves with new areas of law or research. They will have experience of managing a dynamic and complex caseload or working on multifaceted and complex projects, including working to extremely tight deadlines and across multiple teams. They will enjoy the challenge of working in a fast-paced, dynamic and at times emotionally charged environment while maintaining consistently high standards, clarity of thought and process and good humour.
Collaboration is at the heart of Reprieve’s strategy and the Deputy Director will work with all of Reprieve’s teams. As such, they will have an ability and willingness to understand and be sensitive to different regional contexts, cultures and legal systems, and be familiar with international legal mechanisms and systems. The Deputy Director will have a proven ability to think laterally, to work well with teams, and to communicate effectively. The Deputy Director will view it as their responsibility to support the work of the casework teams in whatever way is needed. They will be wholly committed to the clients Reprieve serves and the issues that Reprieve seeks to address.
The Deputy Director will work across all of our thematic casework areas, including our work on the death penalty and abuses carried out in the name of “counter-terrorism” or “national security”. As such, they will have some familiarity with these issues and experience of working on similar issues and themes.
The Deputy Director will have a strong foundational knowledge of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion best practices within the charity sector, and will seek to ensure that Reprieve’s communications align with best practice.
The ideal candidate will be thoughtful, sensitive, organised and rigorous with exceptional attention to detail. They will have extensive experience producing documents (including legal submissions) to an extremely high standard and managing competing priorities under pressure. They will be adept at working with teams including internationally, be committed to learning about the complex cultural and political contexts in which Reprieve operates, be flexible and curious, with a passion for the work, for principles of diversity and inclusion, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.
Reprieve is currently following Government guidelines regarding working from home. Although the role is based in London, the expectation is that once restrictions are eased, we will follow a blended approach between office and home working. Reprieve works across a number of jurisdictions; as such, this is a role that may require travel and work outside of core office hours from time to time.
Key Responsibilities:
The Deputy Director will work closely with the Senior Management Team as well as with the UK Litigation Team and all of Reprieve’s casework teams. Their responsibilities will include:
Senior management team responsibilities;
Team management responsibilities;
Support the UK Litigation Team;
Support Reprieve’s engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms; and
Coordinate and oversee the production of significant external-facing work products and related documents.
Senior Management Team Responsibilities
Sitting within the Senior Management Team, the Deputy Director will:
Work with Reprieve’s Development and Outreach team and Joint Executive Directors to support fundraising efforts and grant applications;
Where needed, assist with the project management of multi-year funded projects;
Join senior management team meetings and contribute to organisational strategy discussions;
Be an ambassador for Reprieve, including by speaking at events or other engagements; and
Work to ensure that Reprieve’s casework is sustainable and that Reprieve is meeting its charitable objectives at all times.
Team Management Responsibilities
The Deputy Director will be responsible for line-managing casework team leads as needed. With the Casework Director and other Deputy Directors, they will be responsible for ensuring that the team is able to work collaboratively, productively and effectively. The Deputy Director will:
Be familiar with Reprieve’s policies and processes and ensure relevant policies are implemented;
Ensure that the teams they are line managing and supporting have regular brainstorms and other strategy sessions;
Ensure that the teams they are line managing and supporting are meeting their operational plans, and that these plans are in line with Reprieve’s strategic plan;
Work with Casework Director and other Deputy Directors and team leads to ensure that all staff are trained and well-equipped to perform their roles effectively;
Assist in team building initiatives, including helping to reduce the negative impacts of remote working;
Coordinate with other teams within the organisation to ensure that the casework team is delivering effectively on its goals and that it receives adequate resource to do so;
Line-manage team leads as needed and ensure they receive the support they need to develop in their roles;
Support the management of the rest of the staff by ensuring that the managers are supported to manage their teams effectively;
Assist with recruitment when necessary; and
If the successful candidate is a UK solicitor, supervise seconded trainees where needed.
Support to UK Litigation Team
Line-management of Head of and Deputy Head of UK Litigation Team; and,
Discrete advice and guidance to casework teams on common issues relevant to the casework such as record collection and working with experts.
Support Reprieve’s engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms
Supervision of consultants working on engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms;
Assist the consultants and casework teams working on engagement with UN human rights mechanisms and regional tribunals in developing and implementing strategies for individual cases and strategic projects;
Work with other Deputy Directors and team leads to ensure submissions to UN human rights mechanisms and regional tribunals produced by the casework teams are appropriately consulted on and signed off internally, following a logical process, and are of an extremely high standard, are clear, accurate and rigorously evidenced, and support our casework strategy; and
Review all submissions to UN human rights mechanisms and regional tribunals.
Review External-facing Work Product, and Related Documents
..... click apply for full job details
Reprieve is a UK charity founded in 1999. Reprieve uses strategic interventions to end the use of the death penalty globally, and to end extreme human rights abuses carried out in the name of “counterterrorism” or “national security”.
Reprieve works with the most disenfranchised people in society, as it is in their cases that human rights are most swiftly jettisoned and the rule of law is cast aside. Thus, Reprieve promotes and protects the rights of those facing the death penalty and those who are the victims of extreme human rights abuses carried out in the name of “counterterrorism” or “national security”, with a focus on arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial executions.
Reprieve’s main office is in 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.
About the Role
A member of the Senior Management Team at Reprieve, the Deputy Director will lead on coordinating, reviewing and delivering Reprieve’s substantive external-facing work products across the organisation, including thematic reports, legal submissions and high-level organisational documents, as well as managing casework team leads as needed, providing support to the UK Litigation Team and consultants working on engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms, and assisting with the project management of multi-year funded projects as needed. The role is cross-cutting. In relation to external-facing research, legal submissions and reports, the Deputy Director will often work with the relevant teams from early on to guide and manage the production of external work products to ensure that they serve Reprieve’s organisational objectives, are rigorously researched and evidenced, and are produced to the highest standards.
The Deputy Director will also provide discrete advice and guidance to teams on common issues relevant to the casework such as record collection, often in collaboration with the UK Litigation Team, and will support the consultants working on engagement with the United Nations human rights mechanisms. If the successful candidate is a qualified UK solicitor, the Deputy Director may also supervise trainee solicitors seconded to Reprieve, who work across a range of areas, as needed.
The Deputy Director will have a legal qualification or significant legal or research experience (equivalent to 5 years + PQE). They will be a critical and analytical thinker with excellent interpersonal and people and project management skills. They will be adept at familiarising themselves with new areas of law or research. They will have experience of managing a dynamic and complex caseload or working on multifaceted and complex projects, including working to extremely tight deadlines and across multiple teams. They will enjoy the challenge of working in a fast-paced, dynamic and at times emotionally charged environment while maintaining consistently high standards, clarity of thought and process and good humour.
Collaboration is at the heart of Reprieve’s strategy and the Deputy Director will work with all of Reprieve’s teams. As such, they will have an ability and willingness to understand and be sensitive to different regional contexts, cultures and legal systems, and be familiar with international legal mechanisms and systems. The Deputy Director will have a proven ability to think laterally, to work well with teams, and to communicate effectively. The Deputy Director will view it as their responsibility to support the work of the casework teams in whatever way is needed. They will be wholly committed to the clients Reprieve serves and the issues that Reprieve seeks to address.
The Deputy Director will work across all of our thematic casework areas, including our work on the death penalty and abuses carried out in the name of “counter-terrorism” or “national security”. As such, they will have some familiarity with these issues and experience of working on similar issues and themes.
The Deputy Director will have a strong foundational knowledge of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion best practices within the charity sector, and will seek to ensure that Reprieve’s communications align with best practice.
The ideal candidate will be thoughtful, sensitive, organised and rigorous with exceptional attention to detail. They will have extensive experience producing documents (including legal submissions) to an extremely high standard and managing competing priorities under pressure. They will be adept at working with teams including internationally, be committed to learning about the complex cultural and political contexts in which Reprieve operates, be flexible and curious, with a passion for the work, for principles of diversity and inclusion, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.
Reprieve is currently following Government guidelines regarding working from home. Although the role is based in London, the expectation is that once restrictions are eased, we will follow a blended approach between office and home working. Reprieve works across a number of jurisdictions; as such, this is a role that may require travel and work outside of core office hours from time to time.
Key Responsibilities:
The Deputy Director will work closely with the Senior Management Team as well as with the UK Litigation Team and all of Reprieve’s casework teams. Their responsibilities will include:
Senior management team responsibilities;
Team management responsibilities;
Support the UK Litigation Team;
Support Reprieve’s engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms; and
Coordinate and oversee the production of significant external-facing work products and related documents.
Senior Management Team Responsibilities
Sitting within the Senior Management Team, the Deputy Director will:
Work with Reprieve’s Development and Outreach team and Joint Executive Directors to support fundraising efforts and grant applications;
Where needed, assist with the project management of multi-year funded projects;
Join senior management team meetings and contribute to organisational strategy discussions;
Be an ambassador for Reprieve, including by speaking at events or other engagements; and
Work to ensure that Reprieve’s casework is sustainable and that Reprieve is meeting its charitable objectives at all times.
Team Management Responsibilities
The Deputy Director will be responsible for line-managing casework team leads as needed. With the Casework Director and other Deputy Directors, they will be responsible for ensuring that the team is able to work collaboratively, productively and effectively. The Deputy Director will:
Be familiar with Reprieve’s policies and processes and ensure relevant policies are implemented;
Ensure that the teams they are line managing and supporting have regular brainstorms and other strategy sessions;
Ensure that the teams they are line managing and supporting are meeting their operational plans, and that these plans are in line with Reprieve’s strategic plan;
Work with Casework Director and other Deputy Directors and team leads to ensure that all staff are trained and well-equipped to perform their roles effectively;
Assist in team building initiatives, including helping to reduce the negative impacts of remote working;
Coordinate with other teams within the organisation to ensure that the casework team is delivering effectively on its goals and that it receives adequate resource to do so;
Line-manage team leads as needed and ensure they receive the support they need to develop in their roles;
Support the management of the rest of the staff by ensuring that the managers are supported to manage their teams effectively;
Assist with recruitment when necessary; and
If the successful candidate is a UK solicitor, supervise seconded trainees where needed.
Support to UK Litigation Team
Line-management of Head of and Deputy Head of UK Litigation Team; and,
Discrete advice and guidance to casework teams on common issues relevant to the casework such as record collection and working with experts.
Support Reprieve’s engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms
Supervision of consultants working on engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms;
Assist the consultants and casework teams working on engagement with UN human rights mechanisms and regional tribunals in developing and implementing strategies for individual cases and strategic projects;
Work with other Deputy Directors and team leads to ensure submissions to UN human rights mechanisms and regional tribunals produced by the casework teams are appropriately consulted on and signed off internally, following a logical process, and are of an extremely high standard, are clear, accurate and rigorously evidenced, and support our casework strategy; and
Review all submissions to UN human rights mechanisms and regional tribunals.
Review External-facing Work Product, and Related Documents
..... click apply for full job details
