Job Description
Outreach and Empowerment Officer
(Vietnam)
Job Title: Outreach & Empowerment Officer
Responsible to: Empowerment Program Manager
Duty Station: Vietnam
Background
Issara Institute is an independent non-profit organization based in Asia and the United States tackling human trafficking and forced labor from the lens of business and human rights. The Institute was established in 2014 by a team of anti-trafficking experts coming out of the United Nations who created an alliance of private sector, civil society, and government partners committed to transformational, sustainable, worker-driven approaches to labor issues, especially those occurring in global supply chains. It is staffed by leading regional and international experts in labor rights, business and human rights, and research and technology.
We believe that, together, we can transform the lives of tens of millions of workers through worker voice, partnership, and innovation – that sustainable systems driving more ethical labor recruitment and working conditions are vital to the future of workers individually and collectively, to equity and fairness across supply chains, and to sustainable poverty alleviation efforts.
Position Summary
This is an important position in Vietnam that focuses on empowering locals and foreign migrant workers going to different destination countries, workers from foreign countries, driving better recruitment and working conditions through collaboration with global brands and retailers, their suppliers, recruiters, civil society, and workers themselves. Issara takes an innovative approach to worker voice-driven ethical recruitment and ethical supply chains, and the Outreach & Empowerment Officers play a key role in meaningfully engaging with and supporting workers through a variety of outreach and empowerment-focused programs. The ideal candidate will have a background in human rights, labor rights, or social work; technical capabilities in case management and/or program management; and be fluent in English and Vietnamese (speaking, reading and writing).
Scope of Work
Outreach & Empowerment Officers are Issara’s key points of contact for local and migrant workers, survivors of trafficking and forced labor, and counterpart civil society organizations that also support migrant workers. Specific aspects of the scope of work of the O&E Officers include:
1. Strengthen worker voice and the power of workers, groups, and communities across Vietnam
- Actively participate in the planning and implementation of on-the-ground and online activities engaging workers throughout Vietnam who are in the supply chain of Issara’s strategic partners, expanding their ability to know their rights and make their voices and needs heard.
- Conduct in-person online activities to reach out to local and migrant job seekers before they travel to the location of the workplace, providing them with useful information to mitigate risks and to hear about their recruitment experiences..
- Identify and maintain relationships with local and foreign migrant workers, worker groups, labour rights civil society organizations working with workers, in order to strengthen referral networks and support options for workers.
- Through direct fieldwork, online outreach, and the work of collaborative civil society partners, develop and support worker mobilizers to scale up worker-led empowerment, education, and advocacy.
2. Respond to worker voice through Issara’s hotline, social media, and case work.
- Handle Issara’s free migrant worker helpline, WhatsApp, Golden Dreams (in the future) and other mobile applications that workers can reach out to seek information about labor rights, exchange experiences and consult about challenges that they face in the recruitment process and at work.
- Record all information into the Inclusive Labor Monitoring (ILM) system in a timely manner and at the professional standard required by Issara.
- Serve as a case focal point for workers, following Issara’s case management protocol.
3. Support remediation and response to worker voice through private-sector partnership and action in global supply chains.
- Help in the interpretation and analysis of feedback from foreign migrant workers, and the design of recommended remedial responses on the part of supplier business.
- Serve as an enumerator for Issara’s worker satisfaction surveys, recruitment fee surveys, and other field-based research and data collection, contributing to field reports and sharing key findings with stakeholders.
- Stay in touch with workers throughout survey and remediation processes, ensuring that all are apprised on processes and responses relevant to their issues.
- Maintain confidentiality about any commercially-sensitive business information encountered in the field or elsewhere.
- Assist and serve as a co-trainer and co-facilitator for the training of interpreters within businesses’ human resource departments and recruitment agencies.
4. Strengthen connections to civil society networks in Vietnam.
- Build and maintain relationships with civil society organizations based in Vietnam and/or other destination countries, and support multi- stakeholder events and workshops.
- Regularly meet with and convene civil society counterparts on common issues and objectives, including partners receiving Issara sub-grants as well as non-grantee collaborators.
- Ensure that information on labor recruitment practices reported by workers are efficiently shared and exchanged between teams and partners for timely follow-up and action.
Required skill & expertise
We have a lean, dynamic, seasoned team that is committed to change, innovation, and impact. We are conscientious, hold a high standard of care for the people we serve, and understand that we have to be able to work effectively with partners spanning the largest multinational corporations to the smallest grassroots CBOs. Our work ecosystem is multicultural, respectful, and energetic, whether we are working on tasks in teams, or working alone from home. The Outreach & Empowerment Officer should have:
- University Degree in social work, psychology, social sciences, law, or other relevant field.
- Minimum of 5 years’ professional work experience.
- Demonstrated understanding of international and ethical standards in trafficking victim protection, and knowledge of how workers are recruited in Vietnam.
- Ability to handle complex/sensitive issues.
- Flexibility and ability to function in a dynamic work environment, re-adjusting and re-prioritizing tasks when needed.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including sensitivity to and appreciation for diverse viewpoints and different communications styles in a multicultural environment.
- Excellent data and analytical skills, with strong attention to detail.
- Fluency required in English and Vietnamese.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send a CV, the names and contact details of three references, and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and relevant expertise to [email protected]. Please note a cover letter specific to motivation and relevance for this position is required for consideration. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.