ThaiNGO

JOB DESCRIPTION |  BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER

Job Title:                     Business & Human Rights Officer [Thai national]

Duration:                     1 year, with possibility of extension

Responsible To:           Business and Human Rights Director

Duty Station:               Bangkok, Thailand

BACKGROUND

Project Issara is a ground-breaking alliance of private sector, government, and NGO partners joining forces and leveraging their comparative advantage to tip the balance in favour of good business practice in Southeast Asia, with the specific goal of eliminating human trafficking from export-oriented supply chains.  Project Issara is the flagship program of the Issara Institute, a not-for-profit corporation formed in 2014 by a team of human trafficking experts coming out of the United Nations whose goal is to advance freedom, choices, and opportunities to those who need it most – from disenfranchised factory workers to stranded, abused fishermen to migrant children.  We believe that business and society benefit from freedom and opportunity being enjoyed by all.

Project Issara has 3 inter-linked components, at the core of which is worker voice, ensuring that all Issara work is centered on the welfare and voices of migrant workers and trafficking victims.  The 3 inter-linked components are:

1. Issara Labs – intelligence and innovation, including outreach, information, and assistance to thousands, through the Issara multi-lingual hotline, smartphone technology, and community engagement, generating data and analysis for action and decision-making.
2. Private sector partnership and action, including factory/workplace assessment and improvement solutions to identify and eliminate risks of trafficking and other labour abuses in global supply chains.
3. Victim support fund – ‘Freedom of Choice’ is Issara’s philosophy for victim support, whether support is provided directly by Issara or referral partners. The objective is to empower victims of trafficking with the widest range of options, information, and resources for them to make their own informed choices about their recovery and their futures.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Business & Human Rights Officer will play an integral role in the Business & Human Rights Team, which carries out the supply chain-oriented work of Issara’s Strategic Partners Program. Through this work, the Thai Business & Human Rights Officers will have a rare opportunity to work with leading Thai businesses and SMEs across the country, helping them to strengthen their ethical and responsible sourcing and recruitment.  The position will report to the Business and Human Rights Manager. Specific aspects of the scope of work include:

1. Strategic Partners Program
   1. Build and maintain relationships with Thai businesses as part of Issara Institute’s supply chain work.
   2. Conduct workplace assessment interviews with management and human resource departments (HR) of local businesses (in Thai language) within Issara Strategic Partner Supply chains.
   3. Conduct training on business and human rights for company HR staff, line managers, supervisors, and others.
   4. Support the Business & Human Rights team in their supply chain reporting to Strategic Partners, including contributing to field reports sharing key findings from business workplace visits.
   5. Interview and reach out to Thai workers in workplaces where Issara is active.
   6. Manage Issara’s Thai language hotline calls, responding to Thai callers and providing information, support and assistance to Thai workers where required.
   7. Support the creation of Thai-language materials for local business partners and others.
   8. Coordinate and manage the logistics of field visits with Thai-speaking business partners, taking the lead on scheduling meetings and coordinating follow-up.

QUALIFICATIONS

We have a lean, dynamic, seasoned team that is committed to change, innovation, and impact.  We are conscientious, we hold a high standard of care for our beneficiaries, and understand that we have to be able to work effectively with partners spanning the largest multinational corporations to the smallest grassroots CBOs.  Our work ecosystem is multi-cultural, respectful, and energetic, whether we are working on tasks in teams, or working alone.  We aim to ensure that there are many opportunities for sharing, learning, and growth on our team, and are looking for individuals who would flourish in our unique environment.

The Business & Human Rights Officer should have experience in business and human rights, particularly ethical sourcing and sustainability; strong English language skills; and, experience working in a professional, multicultural environment.  Must be able to handle confidential data with discretion and be willing to travel within Thailand.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send a CV, the names and contact details of three references, and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and relevant expertise to admin@issarainstitute.org.