Senior Policy Advisor

EDRi is looking for a Senior Policy Advisor to work on digitalisation, society, climate justice (permanent position)

European Digital Rights (EDRi) is an international not-for-profit association of 50+ digital human rights organisations from across Europe and beyond. Through our advocacy, we build a movement of organisations and individuals and drive digital rights, freedoms and justice in a connected world.

EDRi is looking for a Senior Policy Advisor to join EDRi’s policy team in Brussels. This role will focus on digitalisation and society, artificial intelligence (AI), and the intersections between digital rights and climate / environmental justice. This is a great opportunity for an experienced individual to drive civil society efforts to promote data protection, privacy, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, dignity and other fundamental rights at a time of multiple challenges to our rights and freedoms in the digital age.

• Deadline to apply: Sunday 24 March 2024, 23:59 CET
• Contract: full-time, permanent position
• Start date: as soon as possible
• Location: Brussels, Belgium
• Reports to: Head of Policy
• Salary: EUR €61,967.66 gross annual, including the 13th month and the holiday savings (for reference the monthly gross is €4,451.71)
• Benefits including: flexible working hours, presence in the Brussels office with some teleworking from Belgium possible, additional leave days for family care, transport to the office covered in Belgium, complementary pension support, lunch vouchers, training budget. EDRi is also currently undertaking a 4-day work week pilot

About the role

The EDRi network has contributed to major impact on digital policy debates and policy-making in Europe and is considered a reliable source of expert knowledge in the field of digital regulation and fundamental rights. We are frequently featured in expert hearings, panels, interviews, podcasts, and news articles, and our work has been cited widely in EU lawmaking processes.

The new Senior Policy Advisor will work with the Head of Policy, other members of the policy team, and EDRi members and affiliates, to deliver EDRi’s strategic goals on digitalisation and society, AI, and climate justice.

In the last four years, EDRi has been instrumental in developing and leading a core group of dozens of NGOs and a wider network of 150 organisations who jointly contest structural harms from AI and advocate for a rights-respecting EU Artificial Intelligence Act. With the AI Act entering its next phase, the Senior Policy Advisor will build on these efforts and translate their success into a wide range of other contexts relating to AI and society, largely at EU level as well as at national level across Europe, and with regards to global AI governance.

The Senior Policy Advisor will draft robust and well-evidenced policy positions in collaboration with EDRi members and coalition partners, lead and coordinate joint advocacy efforts, and support communications, press and campaigning work.

The Senior Policy Advisor will also lead coalition-building efforts to strengthen civil society’s impact, take part in conveners’ efforts, inform and lead EDRi members accordingly and coordinate with organisations representing groups that are most affected by digitalisation and AI harms. This may include working on upcoming worker surveillance laws; on AI uses in the migration context; on future laws or policies on public sector uses of AI.

The Senior Policy Advisor will also lead the definition of an EDRi strategy on the intersections between climate justice and digital rights in the European context, together with the EDRi members involved in this work. This involves looking at the environmental impact of AI, as well as broader extractivist tech policies which cause harm in Europe and globally.

The role requires a significant amount of autonomous work, but the successful candidate will also be expected to collaborate with other policy colleagues to avoid silos, and to contribute to the strategic aims of the whole team. Depending on the profile of the candidate and the needs of the team, there may be opportunities in either the medium-term or the long-term to work on other digital rights laws, policies and topics.

Responsailities

The successful candidate will contribute to the work of the policy team in close collaboration with the EDRi team and EDRi members in the following areas:

• Monitor, analyse and report on human rights implications of European digital policy developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and automated decision-making;
• Lead EDRi’s advocacy particularly but not exclusively in the areas of the EU’s AI Act enforcement, and potential future laws on worker surveillance, digitalisation of public services, the intersection of technology and climate justice, and/or biometrics and facial recognition;
• Co-lead the development of narratives around AI and society and encourage a shift from risk and product focused frameworks to rights-based frameworks;
• Provide policy-makers with timely and accurate expert input;
• Draft comprehensive and accessible policy documents, such as briefings, position papers, amendment proposals, letters, blog posts and EDRi-gram articles;
• Provide EDRi members with information about the EU’s relevant legislative processes, and coordinate working groups;
• Represent EDRi at European and global events, organise and participate in workshops, expert groups and coalition meetings; co-lead events on AI with partners;
• Drive the evolution of the existing civil society coalition on the EU’s AI Act, in close and equitable collaboration with current and new members, and explore new, mutually-beneficial partnerships;
• Maintain strong relationships with policy-makers, stakeholders, funders and the press;
• Position EDRi as a thought-leader on artificial intelligence, and contribute to shaping the EU narrative around AI, society, justice and climate justice;
• Support and work closely with other staff members including policy, communications and campaigns colleagues;
• Collaborate with Head of Policy to represent EDRi and advance the work and visibility of the whole policy team.

Required Skills

• Advocacy skills, including ability to influence others;
• Subject-matter expertise on one or more digital rights topics, or in other human rights / justice / climate justice topics with transferrable skills;
• Organisation skills and basic project management awareness;
• Coordination and coalition building skills;
• Policy and human rights analysis skills;
• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Commitment to equality, non-discrimination and justice;
• Confident working autonomously and setting strategic direction;
• Comfortable dealing with uncertainty, compromise and competing priorities;
• Strong public speaking and media skills;
• Teamwork and collaboration.

Knowledge and experience

• Minimum 3-4 years of relevant experience in a civil society organisation or other relevant professional context;*
• Experience advocating in a challenging political climate, including being able to translate complex legal and technical concepts into something that is accessible for lawmakers and decision-makers;
• Demonstrable knowledge of human rights and justice issues in the digital context, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, AI & human rights, the sociology of technology, climate justice or another relevant / transferable field (if not digital);
• Evidence of being able to deliver autonomously and bring together disparate views, voices and priorities to achieve collective goals;
• Knowledge of the EU’s legislative process, EU-level advocacy, and how this can translate into national activities;
• Experience in leading civil society coalitions, with an advantage if this relates to human rights groups with a focus on equality or non-discrimination;
• Strong interest in how digital technologies work, shape our societies, and impact people and democracies, with a particular attention on the disproportionate harms for minoritised and racialised communities;
• Experience building relationships with press and getting coverage in national, European or global media/publications an asset;
• Tech skills (such as using free and open source software, or technical understanding of AI) are an advantage. At a minimum, the successful candidate must express a willingness to learn this.

*Candidates with minimum 1-2 years of relevant work experience are still welcome to apply, but if successful, would be offered the role at Policy Advisor level. The salary for a Policy Advisor role is €48,928.38 gross annual (monthly gross of €3,514.97) and the responsibilities will be adjusted in line with this.

How to apply

To apply, please fill in the application form before the above-mentioned deadline: https://hub.edri.org/index.php/apps/forms/s/ECsgk6LSaWBA3GnJao3ggRps

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

As an organisation, EDRi is committed to protecting and upholding the digital rights of all, and addressing discrimination, oppression and inequality. We have co-led a process aimed at decolonising the digital rights field in Europe. As an employer, we strive to have a working environment grounded in equity, inclusion and justice. We therefore encourage individual members of marginalised groups to apply for this post.

We process the personal data relating to your application for recruitment purposes. The data controller is: EDRi, 12 rue Belliard, Brussels. We do not ever share your personal data with third parties.

Applications (information entered in application form) will be deleted one month after the recruitment procedure is completed and the selected applicant has started their position.

As an exception, notified shortlisted and interviewed candidates’ applications will be kept for a period of one year. You may ask us at any time to delete your information before the end of this one year period.

For more information about how EDRi processes personal data and to exercise your rights, please consult our privacy policy at https://edri.org/privacy-policy/ or contact us at dpo@edri.org

Do not forget to mention that you found this job ad on the EURACTIV Jobsite!

Are you interested but have questions for us?

• Send an email to applications@edri.org

• Join the information session at 10:00 CET on Thursday 14 March. Register by emailing applications@edri.org with the subject ‘Register for Senior Policy Advisor (digitalisation, society, climate justice) information session 14 March’