July 2022
US BASED ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN LEADER
The Issue: Migrant workers in Hong Kong are frequently charged large illegal fees by their employment agencies which can lead to debt slavery. These fees are one of the reasons the US State Department ranks Hong Kong among the worst trafficking offenders in the developed world. This campaign will focus on one very narrow element of this problem, where several US financial institutions could have substantial and direct influence to address the issue.
Through identifying and contacting board members, ESG officers and influencers at a list of strategic institutions, the campaign will advocate for specific clearly defined and realistic institutional changes and goals. The broad spirit of an anti-slavery pledge and other representations will require these institutions to take action to prevent their own operations from contributing in any way to these labor offences.
The Vision: The campaign goals are achievable because the “ask” is small, the cost is low, and there is already substantial demonstrated sympathy for this issue among the targeted institutions. In addition, the efforts of this campaign are not entirely new. Other organizations have implemented policies similar to the ones we are advocating. Another campaign with broadly similar goals targeting international financial firms achieved considerable success with several high profile firms publicly committing to take the requested actions.
The details and success of these previous campaigns will be shared and discussed during the interview process.
The Role: We are searching for a US-based Campaign Leader to take full ownership and execute the United States portion of this international campaign to defend the rights of migrant workers in Hong Kong. We anticipate the project having an 8 week final development phase, a 4 month intense execution phase followed by an implementation phase. The length of the contract for this role will be a minimum of 6 months with the possibility of an extension to be determined by the success of the campaign and the needs as work progresses.
The ideal applicant would be an individual, small team or firm with a track record of direct advocacy. The individual will take full leadership of the project in the US, working directly with our advisors along with the support of other US campaign staff that the Campaign Leader will hire. The campaign will also be supported by an advisory board consisting of internationally respected experts on this issue.
The underlying framework of the campaign is largely complete and won’t be changed. The Campaign Leader will refine and operationalize the advocacy campaign based on this core framework. The position entails aggressive and persistent direct engagement with the target institutions and their stakeholders and influencers. As responses to this engagement come in, the Campaign Leader will take the lead in formulating a follow-up response and next steps.
The position will not require fundraising or conference attendance and includes minimal administration.
Desired Attributes:
- High energy, entrepreneurial, risk-taking
- Leadership to recruit, train and manage a small team
- A talker/fighter, not a researcher/advisor
- Credible voice for human rights, migrant and/or women’s issues
- Established track record of leadership and human rights campaign success
- Gravitas” to effectively speak as a peer to senior executives
- Some knowledge and exposure to the financial industry
The start date is flexible and includes pay in excess of industry norms as well as a success fee if the project aims are achieved.
If you are affiliated with a university, this campaign includes the possibility and budget for having interested students participate as part of a paid internship.
How to Apply: Please send a CV and cover letter as well as any other relevant material to Rebekah Enoch at rebekah.a.enoch@gmail.com. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the right candidate is found. Due to the anticipated volume of applicants, we cannot commit to responding to all inquiries.
Other information: The campaign is also supported by a number of recognized experts in the human rights field who make up the Advisory Board, Executive Leadership and the current working team. These include a former senior State Department official and well known expert in ethical investing, a human rights/development researcher and a retired finance professional based out of Hong Kong.