Career Break cover

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Reporting to (Title & Name): Michelle Foley
Head of Well-being andResilience

Team: Well-being and Resilience
Date: October 2025

Location: Remote

Contract Type: Temporary – 1 year fixedterm (January – December2026)

Weekly Hours: Full-time (35 hourper week)


Principal Objective of the Team and Role (general nature, level, purpose and objective):

Team purpose

In line with key priorities outlined in the FLD Strategic Plan (2023 – 2027), the purposeof the Well-being and Resilience Team is tasked with designing and guiding the organisation’sstrategic approach to strengthening HRD/ HRO well-being and resilience, enhancing the tools andsupports available to HRD/HROs to address their well-being, manage stress and deal with trauma, aspart of an integrated approach to strengthen their HRD protection and enhance the effectiveness andsustainability of their human rights work.

The team holds HRD mobility expertise (access to visas etc), and is responsible for mapping temporaryrelocation opportunities available to HRDs/HROs at risk across the regions, accompanying existingrelationships, supporting and nurturing new opportunities, and supporting information sharing withHRDs re. access and opportunities. In addition, the team delivers FLDs referral partnership with theGovernment of Canada on their HRD Resettlement Streams for Human Rights Defenders (Global),which provides a long-term resettlement solution to defenders with no other durable solutionsavailable to them. The team also manages the Front Line Defenders ID card programme, and theEmergency Contact line.

The team works in close cooperation with Protection and Programmes Teams, with the supportprovided forming a key part of the organisation’s holistic approach to HRD protection.


Role Purpose

The Well-being Coordinator (Global) is responsible for developing and implementingthe organisation’s well-being programme, that responds to the needs of human rights defenders atrisk, and takes into consideration appropriate and available holistic supports, languages, gendersensitivity, access and inclusion, contextual understanding and cultural sensitivity.

This role includes providing both direct support, and developing and facilitating a network of externalwell-being practitioners (incl. mental health professionals), to ensure HRDs and HROs have enhancedaccess to well-being supports, in normal circumstances and in times of acute crises.

The Coordinator will work closely with team colleagues and other Protection & Programming teamsto integrate well-being support into the broader framework of protection of human rights defenders.

The role is a Global role and the Coordinator will join Regional teams to contribute to collectivestrategy planning, and facilitate and / or coordinate the implementation of the well-being programme priorities in the respective regions.


Responsibilities

The list should contain each and every essential job duty or responsibility that is critical to the successfulperformance of the job. The list should begin with the most important functional and relationalresponsibilities and continue down in order of significance.

Programme Design and Implementation

Together with the Head of the Programme, and in collaboration with Regional Teams

• Design and implement the organisation’s well-being strategy for HRDs/HROs at risk, detailingshort, medium and longer-term strategic goals, immediate well-being and resiliency supportsavailable to HRDs/HROs at risk in regular circumstances and well-being and resiliencyresponses available at times of acute crises;
• Engage in annual planning processes to best plan for and meet the well-being needs of HRDs,and identify regional well-being priorities;
• Design and implement a comprehensive well-being support programme tailored to the needsof HRDs at risk; and
• Develop a series of guidelines for well-being for defenders (incl. psycho-social supports) with asensitivity to gender, culture, context, and access and inclusion.

Direct Support

• Provide individual and group consultations to HRDs identified as high priority cases;
• Conduct well-being need assessments for HRDs identified as high priority cases;
• Support HRDs in the development of individual and organisational well-being plans based onneeds assessments;
• Work with the Programme Assistant to facilitate the Rest & Respite (Int) programme - liaisewith regional colleagues and / or identified HRDs to develop R&R proposal and budgets;
• Work with the Programme Assistant to facilitate the receipt of material well-being supportsand Rest & Respite (Int.) contracts, funding and reports; and
• Develop and facilitate well-being oriented spaces (retreats, workshops etc) for HRDs.

Coordination and Networking

• Undertake well-being practitioner and well-being organisation mapping and networking (incl.mental health professionals);
• Develop internal guidelines for working with external well-being practitioners;
• Facilitate referrals to appropriate well-being practitioners (incl. mental health professionals),as required and appropriate;
• Record mapping results in the FLD database.Capacity Building• Mentor and supervise (as appropriate) new well-being practitioner contacts/ contractors;
• Conduct both in-person and online well-being workshops for human rights defenders on stressmanagement, resilience building, burnout prevention and mental health awareness etc.;
• Conduct trainings and capacity building workshops for well-being practitioners and / or HRDsinterested in providing well-being support to other HRDs/ HROs.


Documentation

• Maintain accurate records of all support provided and ensure confidentiality

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Prepare regular quarterly reports on the status of well-being programme initiatives, andcontribute to annual reports;
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of well-being programme and make necessaryadjustments.


This job description is intended as a summary of the primary responsibilities of and qualificationsfor this role. The job description is not intended as inclusive of all duties an individual in thisposition might be asked to perform based on requirements either now or in the future.


Person Specification (the minimum qualifications needed to perform the essential functions of the jobsuch as qualifications, skills and experience of doing the key elements of the role)

Knowledge and Skills:

Essential

• Demonstrable understanding of the situation of human rights defenders around the world and the risks that they face;

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or a related field;

• Theoretical and practical knowledge in one or more aspects of holistic security for HRDs;

• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion;

• Demonstrable ability to display empathy and compassion in interactions with HRDs;

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;

• Excellent organisational and time management skills;

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;

• Well-honed self regulation skills and strong resiliency;

• Ability to work as a team member at different levels, and ability to work independently and aspart of a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable

• In addition to English, ability to work in another FLD working language (Arabic and / or Frenchas a preference, Spanish and / or Russian as a lesser preference)


Experience:

Essential

• At least 3 years experience providing well-being and psycho-social support in an internationalcontext, preferably to human rights defenders at risk;

• Demonstrable experience facilitating in-person and online workshops /training space, andwell-honed facilitation capacities;

• Experience conducting one-on-one and group well-being consultations and needsassessments;

• Experience working successfully with teams and individuals with different professional and/orcultural backgrounds;

• Experience in event planning and organising, including managing logistics,security and activity budgets;

• Experience writing reports and maintaining a database.

Other Requirements;

• Availability to travel internationally (as required) – estimate 3 – 4 times per year.

• Availability for occasional weekend and out of hours work is required. TOIL available


Salary

Scale G: (€35,882 - €66,040) Placement on the range will be commensurate with experience andqualifications.

Benefits include: 26 days annual leave, Pension, Health insurance, Income Protection, LifeAssurance, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Monthly Well-Being Provisions, Laptop,Mobile Phone.


‍Reporting Structure (number of team members supervised in this job):

Directly: -
Indirectly: - Programme Assistant


Key Relationships (please specify contacts):

Internal: Head of Well-being and Resilience
Well-being and Resilience Programme Assistant
Protection Coordinators
Grant Coordinators
Capacity Developers

External: HRDs / HROs at risk
Well-being practitioners, Well-being organisations


Front Line Defenders Values:

1. Working With Colleagues:

• Respect for the Individual
• Building Trust
• Collaborative Working
• Communication With Each Other

2. Developing Myself:

• Self-Awareness• Adapting to Change
• Proactive Learning
• Managing My Well-being

3. Leadership:

• Strategic Thinking
• Engaging With People
• Stewardship of Resources


Selection and Appointment:

• To apply, candidates need to submit a copy of their application - CV and cover letter - via the‘Apply now’ button;

• Cover letters should be addressed to Michelle Foley, Head of Well-being & Resilience;

• Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend for interview;

• It is anticipated interviews will be held in November/December 2025;

• The appointment is expected to be effective from January 2026;

• Closing date; midnight (local Irish time) on Tuesday, 11 November 2025 as per FLD vacanciespage: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/recruitment-volunteering


Front Line Defenders is an Equal Opportunities Employer.