Director of International Programmes
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
GBP 65k-80k / year
Posted on Oct 22, 2025
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, a high-impact, global non-profit organisation dedicated to centring human rights at the heart of business, is seeking an International Programme Director reporting to the Executive Director. The Programme Director will co-lead and -manage the Resource Centre as a member of a collaborative Senior Management Team. The Programme Director will lead expert international teams on our thematic programmes of workers’ rights in global supply chains; responsible natural resource use and a just energy transition; accountable technology; and civic freedoms and human rights defenders, as well as the cross-cutting themes of corporate legal accountability and gender and racial justice. They work closely with our Regional Programme Director who leads the regional teams for the Asia, Africa, Americas, and Europe.
The successful candidate may be based anywhere there is strong and continuous internet access, working remotely or in our offices in London or Berlin. The candidate must be able to work across time zones, with at least four hours of overlap each day between 09:00–13:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
DETAILS:
- Reports to: Executive Director
- Closing date for applications: 7 November 2025 – 17.00 GMT
- Interview date: Candidates should be available during this time in case they are short-listed for interview
- 13-14 Nov (1st round interviews)
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- 19-20 Nov (2nd round interviews)
- Location: Flexible, but willingness to work at least four hours each day 09:00–13:00 Coordinated Universal Time.
- Applicants must have:
- At least 10 years demonstrable commitment and expertise in human rights, or social and economic justice, with a strong experience regarding human rights in business.
- Strong experience in managing successful international influencing strategies with networks through research and analysis, communications, advocacy, and representation.
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- Proven track record working in or with national or grassroots organisations in the Global South.
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- At least 7 years demonstrable experience in managing diverse, experienced change-making teams, demonstrating external impact and inclusive, empowering, and effective leadership.
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- Substantial experience working at a senior management level, contributing to shared strategic direction, organisational learning, and sound decision-making.
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- Strong experience in fundraising, with a range of institutional and government donors and subsequent budget portfolio management Strong facility in understanding organisational finances.
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- Excellent English-language writing and communication skills, additional language skills are a strong advantage.
TO APPLY: Complete and return this application form in English via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo at Ocampo@business-humanrights.org
ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
BHRRC is an international organisation with 80 Global Team members in over 30 locations worldwide. We are a UK-registered charity. We are also registered in USA, Germany and Colombia. With partners and allies worldwide, BHRRC seeks to put human rights at the heart of business to deliver a just economy, climate justice, and end corporate abuse. We seek to deliver our mission through three strategic goals: 1) shared prosperity for society; 2) corporate duty of care for human rights and environmental justice; and 3) safe and enabling environments in which communities and workers can advocate for their rights and interests, including through free and fair negotiations.
BHRRC has four priority programmes: rights of workers in global supply chains; rights of communities seeking responsible natural resources use and a just energy transition; rights of people to accountable digital technologies; and rights of human rights defenders protected from attack and restrictions. Across these programs, we pursue our advocacy aims by building collective power with people and communities subjected to human rights harms by business; with allies, we influence decision-makers in government, investment and business to facilitate transformation to a just economy; and we provide the evidence and build the action base of our movement to increase accountability and transparency of the private sector. Gender and racial justice lenses are applied across all our work.
ABOUT THE POSITION
We are looking for a leader and manager for our broad programme on business and human rights, who can lead expert thematic teams. The successful candidate will have a track record of strategic leadership and external impact in business and human rights, or economic justice. They will have proven experience in empowering diverse programme managers and teams, with accountability, in an international context. They will demonstrate skills and experience in achieving change; senior representation; successful leadership of ambitious change programmes; alongside agility to take opportunities for impact; an ambitious spirit to fund them; a demonstrable commitment to the empowerment of grassroots organisations and communities; and expertise and fluency in high-quality communications and influencing. The successful candidate will work alongside a Regional Programme Director who leads our regional teams in Asia, the Americas, Africa and Middle East, and Europe. They will be a full member of the Senior Management Team with our Development Director, Chief Operating Officer, and new Executive Director, who previously held the role of Director for International Programmes and Policy .
Co-lead and -manage the Resource Centre as a member of the Senior Management Team:
Contribute to a high-performing management team, by playing a full role in the strategic direction, external impact, organisational development, operational management, and nurture of a high-impact, global team culture. Support the Board of Trustees through timely provision of information and analysis. Represent the Resource Centre to civil society, business, government, funders, and media. Advocate to business and government for changes in policy and practice.
Deliver high-quality change programmes:
Lead key business and human rights influencing programmes in the organisation, in cooperation with other directors, programme managers, and project teams. Provide leadership and support to teams for strategy development, research and analysis, alliance-building, communications, and influence. Support and ensure effective programme management, resourcing, impact measurement, powerful strategic collaboration with diverse civil society allies, and effective tactical collaborations with investors, business, and governments to promote common agendas.
Work with our Development team to build our partnerships with key funders for our programmes:
Work with the Development Director and team, and programme heads to drive our funding strategies for our programmes, and the organisation. Provide high-level representation to funders, building constructive and close relations with key personnel. Work with programme leads, and the Senior Management Team, to help develop funding proposals that fit our strategic goals, and those of funders, and ensure timely reporting from programme teams.
Work with the Senior Management Team, and across the global team, to ensure high quality advocacy and communications, both externally and internally:
Support programme teams to sustain high-quality advocacy and communications standards for all our external postings, reports, briefings, blogs, and media interviews, mindful of our role as a digital action platform for our diverse audience (civil society organisations, companies, governments, investors), and our drive for impact. Help lead strong internal communications and effective participation in programme design and execution, and organisational development.
Other responsibilities: Take on other responsibilities as necessary for the health and development of the organisation with the rest of the Senior Management Team.
LINE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
International programmes and cross-cutting themes
- Five programme heads
- Two cross-cutting team leads
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Strategic leader: At least 10 years’ experience leading ambitious human rights, or economic justice programmes. Proven ability to inspire compelling high-impact programmes with strategic allies, and regular strategic reflection to drive impact. Experience within senior management teams leading an organisation is an advantage.
- People manager: At least 7 years’ experience in line management and/or programme management of people. Ability to delegate, and empower team leaders and members with accountability. Ability to train and nurture talent. Strong commitment to diverse teams. Experience of remote management of global teams an advantage. Proven ability to inspire and build high-performing diverse teams with common vision and purpose.
- Senior programme manager: At least 5 years’ experience and demonstrable success in the design, management, and monitoring of large, strategic programmes to make change happen with motivated teams, and a diverse network of allies, funders and targets.
- Financial and fundraising success: Proven experience in the financial management of organisational and programme funds, and attracting substantial funding to programmes of work. Proven ability to build strong partnerships with funders. Alertness to external opportunities, and drive to work with others to build the resources of the Resource Centre to deliver our mission.
- Human rights, and economic justice expertise: At least 10 years’ work in this area. Demonstrable commitment and expertise in human rights, economic justice, and internationalism. Understanding, vision, and strategic insight of how to make change happen regarding economic justice and/or human rights impacts of business.
- Network and alliance-building: Demonstrable success in helping nurture effective international networks and alliances. Experience working successfully with civil society, workers’ organisations, and communities, with particular experience working with rightsholders in the Global South.
- Communications: At least 6 years’ experience driving high quality external communications, and good knowledge of communications strategies for external impact and internal inclusion and coherence. Excellent command of written and spoken English essential. Other languages an asset.
- Commitment to our values: Demonstrable commitment to the values and model of change of the Resource Centre. An understanding of corporate power and accountability methodologies, Global South realities, and proven ability to collaborate with, and build equitable alliances with grassroots communities and Global South organisations.
TERMS AND COMPENSATION
- This is a full-time position of 35 hours per week. Please note that as a leader of an international programme, and member of the team of directors, this will involve meeting across time zones that can include meetings outside normal hours. Time in lieu for out-of-hours calls is encouraged to ensure well-being.
- Starting salary: GBP65-80,000 per year (UK equivalent – adjusted for geographical variations and commensurate with experience), plus 5% pension and standard health benefits - health insurance paid if necessary in country of residence
- 24 vacation days per year, plus public holidays.
TO APPLY: Complete and return this application form in English via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo at Ocampo@business-humanrights.org
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background and we acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in this area of work and seek to directly address that through our hiring practices. We particularly encourage applications from women, BAME applicants, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGTBQ+ or Indigenous.