View Vacancy - Human Rights and Justice Officer (Guatemala City)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Political

Main purpose of job:

The post-holder will work within the British Embassy’s Political Team. The jobholder will be in charge of a range of human rights issues including approaches and techniques to address sensitive and complex human rights problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender and socio-economic dimensions.

The jobholder will have the ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the work of UK’s stakeholders, including the political environment and legal or procedural questions as they pertain to human rights. Jobholder will be responsible for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men, and minorities in all areas of work.  Jobholder will be responsible of monitoring developments in the justice system, keep abreast of critical decision taken, and treats to its independence. Jobholder’s methodical yet flexible approach, with a keen eye for detail and his/her ability to prioritise a varied workload, will enable jobholder to provide effective support across a wide range of projects, and relations with stakeholders.

Strong written and verbal communication skills will allow jobholder to craft compelling cases for supporting projects’ proposal analysis, and to liaise confidently and diplomatically with both external supporters and colleagues at all levels across the Embassy and UK Government. The post holder will have strong communication skills, be able to work in a team and independently. He/she must also be able to engage effectively and develop excellent working relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders at local, national and international levels. Occasional internal and international travel will be required. 

Roles and responsibilities:

Attend /organise human rights meetings with stakeholders to build up knowledge on ongoing/new cases; liaising with international organisations, private sector contacts, civil society, UK and international NGOs and the Guatemalan and Honduran Governments

  • Identify and highlight current or potential violations of individual human rights  
  • Identify key human rights stakeholders in Guatemala and Honduras to include in the Embassy’s database and maintain these contacts
  • Travel to Honduras to carry out meetings, attend events and networking 

Regular analytical analysis and reporting on key human rights developments, security and justice issues in Guatemala and Honduras, through daily monitoring of Guatemala/Honduras media, attendance of working groups with like-minded Embassies and multilateral institutions and contact with our national stakeholders 

  • Briefing His Majesty’s Ambassador, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Political as well as other key stakeholders/ visitors.
  • Presenting priorities for focused team meetings
  • Build contacts and networking through engagement with Government stakeholders in the justice and security sectors
  • Make recommendations on actions to take, taking into consideration Embassy and British Government priorities 
  • Identify current and potential risks on the security/justice system in Guatemala and Honduras 

Propose, develop and implement projects and action plans to promote UK priorities on human rights in Guatemala and Honduras (including on some specific human rights cases) 

  • Draft bids for funds to carry out targeted project work in both Guatemala and Honduras
  • Attend meetings organised by like-minded Embassies (including out of office hours events/seminars/press conferences) 
  • Visit Human Rights organisations headquarters/projects  (including field trips in Guatemala and Honduras)
  • Responding to enquiries from UK parliamentarians, members of the public and other departments within the UK Government 

Work with the international community in the assistance to integrate efforts to improve security and justice systems and tackle corruption in Guatemala and Honduras

  • Make recommendations on actions to take by post / British Government 
  • Identify current and potential risks on the security/justice system in Guatemala and Honduras 

Responsibility for drafting updates to travel advice and consulting with London on wording and level changes. Taking into account views of other teams within the Embassy, especially Consular. 

Working closely with the Defence Section based in Mexico City, assisting with logistics on visits and reporting where required. Acting as point of contact on organising meetings with Guatemalan authorities and drafting/submitting Note Verbales. 

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

Project bilateral programme annual assignation. 

Essential on arrival:  

  • Competence in Microsoft Office 365 and TEAMS.
  • Graduate as Lawyer / International Relations or 2-year experience in Human Rights/ Justice sectors.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of, and exposure to, a range of human rights/judiciary issues; knowledge of policies and guidelines related to the security sector and work of the legal system and Governments in Guatemala and Honduras 
  • Good analytical and research skills, including ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and make proposals to improve current work on security issues
  • Excellent communication (spoken and written English and Spanish) skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations at senior levels, both orally and in writing, in a clear, concise style 
  • Ability to interact and to establish and maintain effective working relations as a team member, with people of different nationality and cultural backgrounds. 
  • Capacity to work in groups, willing to work under pressure, travel and able to reach tight deadlines 
  • Writing clear and concise briefings, reports, concept notes and project agendas

Language requirements: 

Language:  English and Spanish

Level of language required:  fluent written and oral

Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
7 June 2023
Administrative Officer (AO)
Full-time, Permanent
40
Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean
Guatemala
Guatemala City
British Embassy
1
Q11,200 (quetzals, local currency) monthly
17 July 2023

Learning and development opportunities:

  • Undertake all mandatory training as required
  • Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with the Country lead through the appraisals process and/or attending internal / external training events.
  • Access to the full range of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Diplomatic Academy courses

Working Hours:

Monday – Thursday 7:30 – 16:30, Friday 07.30 – 11.30

Working patterns:

The British Embassy has a positive attitude toward flexible working based on operational needs and subject to line manager agreement.


Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.