Senior Advisor Human Rights (m/f/d)

Fairtrade is the most recognized and trusted sustainability label, working to make trade fairer for people and planet.

For more than three decades, Fairtrade has been making an impact on the way trade works. We believe that every farmer and worker should have access to a better way of doing business, and a better way of living.

Fairtrade International is an independent non-profit organisation representing more than two million small-scale farmers and workers worldwide. It owns the FAIRTRADE Mark, a registered trademark that appears on more than 37,000 products. Beyond certification, Fairtrade International and its member organisations (three producer networks and 19 national Fairtrade organisations) partner with producers and businesses, engage consumers, and advocate for a fair and sustainable future.

PRINCIPAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Advisor Human Rights provides strategic and technical leadership for Fairtrade International’s human rights agenda. The role leads the implementation and continued development of Fairtrade’s Human Rights Risk and Remediation Strategy and Human Rights Theory of Change, ensuring alignment with international human rights standards and evolving HREDD expectations.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on expertise in human rights risk management, complex case management, remediation and crisis response. It also plays a key role in strengthening human rights capabilities across the Fairtrade system and represents Fairtrade externally on human rights matters.

The focus will be on:

Strategy, Risk & Governance

• Lead Fairtrade’s human rights agenda and act as its senior technical authority on human rights.

• Implement and further develop the Human Rights Risk and Remediation Strategy and Theory of Change.

• Advise Executive Leadership and relevant governance bodies on significant risks, emerging issues and strategic priorities.

• Strengthen human rights risk identification, assessment and management across Fairtrade contexts.

• Translate international standards and regulatory developments into practical approaches for producer and supply-chain contexts.

Case Management, Remediation & Crisis Response

• Oversee the management, escalation, remediation and closure of human rights allegations and violations.

• Provide expert leadership on complex, sensitive and high-risk cases, ensuring an affected-person-centred, rights-based and safeguarding-conscious approach.

• Strengthen case-management processes, escalation pathways, governance and monitoring of remediation.

• Lead the continued digitalisation of Fairtrade’s human rights case-management system, including appropriate confidentiality and data-protection safeguards.

• Provide senior human rights expertise during serious incidents and crises.

System Coordination & Capacity Building

Working closely with Fairtrade Africa, NAPP, CLAC, National Fairtrade Organisations, FLOCERT, Producer Organisations and the HREDD Center of Excellence the advisor will:

• Promote consistency, knowledge sharing and cross-regional learning while enabling appropriate local adaptation.

• Lead capacity building through training, guidance, tools, workshops and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

• Strengthen the ability of regional and local teams to implement Fairtrade’s human rights approaches effectively.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Represent Fairtrade International with governments, civil society, international organisations, businesses and other stakeholders.

• Communicate complex human rights issues clearly to senior leadership, Producer Organisations and external audiences.

• Build constructive dialogue across diverse stakeholders and contribute to relevant international and multi-stakeholder forums.

• Support communications and media engagement on sensitive or high-profile human rights matters when required.

Monitoring & Learning

• Monitor implementation and effectiveness of Fairtrade’s human rights work and progress against the Theory of Change.

• Capture and apply learning from cases, remediation, stakeholder engagement and regional implementation.

• Monitor developments in human rights law, responsible business conduct and HREDD regulation and assess their implications for Fairtrade.

SKILLS REQUIRED:

Level of education: Advanced degree in International Law, Human Rights, Public International Law or a related discipline; legal training/qualification is strongly preferred.

Years of professional experience: more than 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in human rights, responsible business conduct, international development, labour rights, human rights due diligence, access to remedy or closely related fields.

Language requirements: Fluency in English, knowledge of relevant languages to Fairtrade producer regions is desirable.

Knowledge / Job Specific Competencies:

Job-specific

• Risk Management

• Crisis Management

• Stakeholder Management

• Capacity Building

• International Development Expertise

• Supply Chain Knowledge

• Strategic Planning

• Compliance Management

• Ability to engage and influence stakeholders

Personal qualities

• Analytical Thinking

• Problem-Solving

• Diplomacy

• Integrity

• Influence

• Relationship Management

• Collaboration / Teamwork

• Cross-Cultural Communication

• Cultural Adaptability

• Empathy

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

• This is a full-time position within Fairtrade International.

• Location is at Fairtrade International offices in Bonn, Germany with the opportunity for hybrid work arrangements

• The office language is English.

• Salary as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Wholesale and Foreign Trade Industries for North Rhine Westphalia Group VIb and over tariff payments,starting from €5975.2 gross per month

• Holiday Bonus and 13th salary

• 30 days of holidays per year (for fulltime employees)

• Subsidised public transportation ticket

• Subsidised meal services

• Childcare cost subsidy

Please note that Fairtrade International is strict on compliance with the required qualification criteria mentioned above, and only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.