Senior Director, Global Advocacy & Global External Engagement

Center for Reproductive Rights•Geneva, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $60 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world. Our global pro bono network includes over 2,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 64 countries, and 130 law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $30 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. The Job: Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, Global Advocacy & Regional Programs (CPO-GAR), the Senior Director is accountable for driving execution of GA’s strategy—translating the Center’s long-term vision and CPO-GAR’s strategy into annual and quarterly priorities, tactical initiatives, and toolkits. The Senior Director oversees day-to-day delivery across the Geneva and New York footprint, ensures strong operations and quality control, and supports high-level external engagement to position the Center as a recognized global authority on SRHR and human rights. The position will be based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Requirements

Advanced degree in law, international human rights, international relations, public policy, public health, or a related field.
15+ years of progressive experience in global human rights advocacy, multilateral engagement, legal/policy strategy, and/or global health governance.
Senior-level experience defining, developing, and advancing global human rights standards through UN and international human rights mechanisms and negotiations (e.g., treaty bodies, Special Procedures, Human Rights Council-related processes, intergovernmental negotiations, and UN specialized agencies).
Demonstrated experience translating global public health initiatives and global health governance processes into human rights-based strategies that advance SRHR outcomes.
Established and leverageable global networks across governments/missions, Global Health Governance Actors, UN entities, independent experts, and civil society leadership; strong political judgment and negotiation capability.
Strong people leadership and operational management skills (planning, budgeting, execution discipline, and quality control under pressure) and a deep commitment to SRHR, gender justice, and the Center’s mission.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading shared-function operating models that provide time-bound technical support and coordination across multiple teams and regions

Responsibilities

Provides thought partnership to the CPO-GAR to develop GA strategies that are responsive to the external environment and aligned to the Center’s unique value add and role in the region
Drive execution of GA’s strategy and short- and long-term tactical plans; set quarterly priorities, deliverables, and cadence for delivery.
Ensure both GA mandates operate effectively (vertical global leadership and horizontal integration for regions) through clear strategy and systems integration, workflows, and decision-making.
Monitor legal, political, and normative trends; provide early warning and strategic analysis at the global level that informs Center and Regional Programs engagement within the global spaces.
Represent the Center with senior stakeholders across governments and missions, UN entities and independent experts, donors, media, and strategic partners.
Lead and support high-stakes negotiation and influence in global policy and governance forums, including human rights mechanisms and global health governance processes.
Cultivate and leverage global champions and alliances that defend and advance progressive SRHR outcomes.
Lead and mentor a high-performing, inclusive, mission-driven team across Geneva and New York; model accountability, collaboration, and equity.
Manage Associate Directors (or equivalent stream leads) and strengthen coordination across workstreams; guide recruitment, performance, and staff development.
Build a culture of technical excellence, strategic discipline, and shared ownership of GA’s dual mandate.
Oversee development and implementation of annual and multi-year work plans.
Ensure the team delivers high-quality submissions, briefings, negotiation preparation, and strategic engagements.
Translate global outcomes into practical tools and guidance for regional and national implementation; ensure integration across legal, policy, and advocacy engagement in the global Fora .
Oversee compliance with legal, policy, and funding standards; maintain appropriate risk management and internal controls.
Ensure GA tracks results and contributes to impact reporting and learning through robust monitoring and data practices.
Support fundraising strategy, proposal development, and donor reporting in coordination with Development and program teams.
Steward strategic partnerships that expand GA’s influence and evidence base and strengthen SRHR framing across human rights and global health systems.
Engage internal partners (including Pro Bono and Communications) to scale capacity and deliver high-impact technical outputs.