Back Project Manager: Access to Justice

Validity Foundation (formerly the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre – MDAC) is looking for a full-time Project Manager to join the team in our Budapest office on a fixed term, two-year contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for enhancing our organisation’s ability to create meaningful change for people with mental disabilities in Central and Eastern Europe. The Project Manager will be responsible for implementing a European Commission co-funded project across seven countries to improve access to information and effective communication for victims of crime with disabilities in criminal justice processes.

Note: Candidates must hold the right to reside and work within the European Union; preference will be given to people who self-identify as having a disability. This position will be based at Validity’s headquarters in Budapest.

Validity Foundation

Validity is an international non-governmental human rights organisation that uses legal strategies to promote, protect and defend the human rights of people with mental disabilities. Based in Budapest, Hungary, we work throughout Central and Eastern Europe and Eastern and Southern Africa. For 17 years we have used strategic litigation, advocacy and other strategies to achieve systemic change for the better in the lives of people with mental disabilities.

Role Description

The position is a fixed term, two-year position to manage an EU co-funded, multi-country project. The project aims to ensure access to information and effective communication for victims of crime with disabilities in criminal justice processes in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities (CRPD) and the EU Victims’ Rights Directive. The project is inter-disciplinary, involving data collection and analysis, action research, development and dissemination of practical resources, and coordination of an international symposium in Brussels. The post-holder will be responsible for overall coordination of partner activities in seven EU countries, project management, production of all deliverables, ensuring involvement of persons with disabilities, and organising an independent external project evaluation.

With a post-graduate degree and at least five-years relevant work experience, the position-holder will have a solid understanding of the UN CRPD and of victims’ rights, including relevant EU acquis. A strategic thinker and solution-oriented, s/he will be flexible, creative, well-organised and analytical. S/he will be at ease leading a large, multi-lingual team, excellent at building and maintaining partnerships, and confident working independently with limited supervision. The post-holder will have strong project management skills and experience and proven ability to successfully complete complex projects, including budget management.

Qualifications and experience

· Post-graduate degree in law, a social science discipline, public policy or related field (or a minimum of five years relevant professional experience)

· A minimum of five years relevant experience working in the field of disability rights or access to justice

· Proven track-record of successful project management

· Prior experience in managing projects co-funded by the European Union

· Demonstrable prior significant professional decision-making authority

· Minimum two-years regional or international experience expected

· Experience supervising an assistant or volunteers

· Desirable: Management or project management qualification (such as an MBA, Prince, PMP qualification or other)

· Desirable: Experience creating professional tools and materials for professionals in the field of access to justice

· Desirable: Experience working in the CEE region and/or proficiency in one or more project languages

Knowledge and skills

· Strong understanding of disability rights and international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the EU Victims’ Rights Directive

· Superior English language skills and ability to draft and edit documents, including editing the work of non-native English speakers to publication standard

· Strong project management knowledge and skills, in particular, cost, scope, schedule and risk management

· Performance management skills

· Knowledge of criminal processes, access to justice and/or victim support

· Excellent networking and partner management skills

· Outstanding interpersonal skills and communication skills, including when working remotely

· Ability to condense complex information into clear messages for a wide variety of audiences, including at short notice

· Ability to work with complex budgets and ensure compliance with strict financial rules

· Ability to manage own work processes and deadlines with minimal supervision

· Excellent computer literacy skills

· Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation processes

· Demonstrated analytical skills and a strategic thinker

Personal attributes

· Strong commitment to personal and professional development, including the ability to actively seek feedback

· Thrives when handling challenging situations

· A positive approach to developing professional relationships that encourages openness, transparency and a collaborative ethic

· Solution-oriented and resourceful

· Clear commitment to Validity’s mission, vision and organisational values

Salary range: EUR 28,000 – 32,000 gross per year, subject to experience (actual salary will be denominated in Hungarian Forints – HUF)