Solidarity Center (AFL-CIO) Latest Available Job Opportunity

Solidarity Center (AFL-CIO) is a U.S. based and funded, international non-governmental organization, having more than 20 field offices worldwide, will be engaged in a program with its partners to eliminate Gender Based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) in a key economic sector in Lesotho.

                 

Job Title: Lead Assessor
Location: Maseru, Lesotho
Employment period:  2 Years
Report to: Board of Directors

Overall Job Summary:

This position provides a unique opportunity to become a key player in a multi-year groundbreaking multi-stakeholder pilot project to prevent and eliminate violence and harassment (GBVH) in the world of work in Lesotho.  The project will put into action at the grassroots level the new International Labor Organization Convention 190, which creates a global standard to end violence and harassment in the world of work including GBVH that has historically been one of the most effective tools of oppression of all workers, but especially women workers, based on their sex and/or gender identity.

The project has grown out of collaboration between workers’ rights groups and women’s rights civil society organizations based in the U.S. and in Lesotho, an international apparel manufacturer with garment factories in Lesotho, and global brands.  It is hoped that this model, if successful, will be replicated and/or adapted for use elsewhere, not just in Lesotho, but throughout the world to end GBVH in the world of work.

The Lead Assessor will help found and lead a newly incorporated community-based organization responsible for the oversight and enforcement of an innovative system to address and eliminate GBVH in key apparel factories by enforcing the participating company’s code of conduct through the investigation and adjudication of violations of the code by workers in the factories.  The Lead Assessor will supervise a staff of investigators and analysts, and report to the Project Oversight Board which will include representatives from the international brands, the apparel manufacturer, and the workers’ rights and women’s rights organizations.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in developing program, organizational and financial plans and communicate effectively with the members of the board in order to fulfill the mission of the organization;
• Collaborate with Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho (IDUL), National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union (NACTWU), Unite Textile Employees (UNITE), Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) and the Federation of Women Lawyers in Lesotho (FIDA) to ensure effective administration of the entity’s operations;
• Conduct reviews of investigations of alleged violations of the code of conduct at the garment factories regarding GBVH and issue decisions regarding whether there has been a violation, and if so, what the appropriate remedies and penalties are to enforce the code of conduct and contribute to a workplace free from GBVH.
• Implement of programs that carry out the organizational mission, including development of industry-appropriate complaint investigation and resolution procedures and audit protocols regarding GBVH;
• Development and implementation of protocols for conducting investigations including due process requirements under Lesotho law and procedures for issuing determinations regarding alleged violations of code of conduct
• Recruitment, hiring and retention of competent, qualified staff including investigators, and development of and adoption of personnel policies;
• Develop and implement training for investigators on how to conduct ethical investigations consistent with Lesotho laws regarding due process;
• Review investigators’ findings of fact and the application of relevant Agreement provisions and issue determinations, including recommendations regarding violations of the code of conduct and appropriate remedies in a timely manner;
• Oversee processes of complaint resolutions with the Board and company representatives
• Supervise auditors and investigators responsible for executing protocols to assess participating employers’ operations and evaluate compliance with the Agreement;
• Provide guidance to the staff responsible for drafting compliance assessments (audit reports) of participating employers;
• Review and edit compliance assessments (audit reports);
• Work closely with senior staff to improve case management, auditing methods, and tools;
• Collaborate with development staff and assist them in deepening relationships with larger civil society, including but not limited to, trade unions and community-based organizations and the business community.
• Responsible for fiscal management, including operating within the approved budget, ensuring maximum resource utilization, and maintenance of the entity in a positive financial support.
• Carry out additional projects and responsibilities as necessary.

Minimum Qualifications and Competencies:

• Preferred candidate with a University Degree in Law or equivalent knowledge and a minimum of five years’ experience in the international nonprofit development
• Strong leadership skills and deep commitment to the organization’s mission;
• Demonstrated experience as an effective executive founder of a new organization and a leader of an organization with a law enforcement/compliance program;
• Demonstrated experience effectively reviewing investigations of sexual harassment or other forms of GBVH, ideally in the workplace, or similar claims, and issuing determinations based on those investigations and ensuring compliance with those determinations;
• Demonstrated experience as an effective program manager and staff manager, including experience supervising and collaborating with multiple staff members, hiring, firing, and personnel management issues;
• Demonstrated experience effectively communicating with multiple stakeholders about the goals and mission of the organization, including working with a board;
• A demonstrated record of sound judgment in negotiations and mediations;
• A demonstrated commitment to ending gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace;
• Knowledge of trends and experience with efforts to address various forms of gender-based violence and harassment, including sexual harassment.  Experience in addressing GBVH at work is a plus;
• Have legal and other relevant expertise concerning the issue of gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work;
• Ability to investigate and interview witnesses and victims of gender-based violence and harassment at work and to issue determinations on violations of policy and/or law;
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills for diverse audiences, including workers, employers, buyers and the public;
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, including ability to draft, fact check, and review complex written analyses for audiences of varying backgrounds and educational levels;
• Exceptional attention to accuracy, organization and detail;
• Ability to meet deadlines and handle competing priorities in a fast-paced setting;
• Ability to work collaboratively, and to inspire and build the capacity of junior staff;
• Willingness to work beyond a set schedule, as needed;
• Demonstrated commitment to human rights;
• Desire and ability to work closely with people of different nationalities, gender, and education levels; and
• Have a good understanding of the textile and apparel industry.

 

To apply

Please send a cover letter, detailed CV, three references and a motivation letter speaking directly to the job requirements to  [email protected].

Application Deadline: Friday, 6 September, 2019