Do you have experience in working for human rights in Latin America? Do you want to use your project management skills to support human rights organizations in Latin America? Do you want to contribute to the security and capacity of human rights defenders? Do you want to be part of a global organization with staff and partners from all over the world. Then you might be the one we are looking for. 

About the role 

As Programme Officer you will be responsible for building and managing projects at the Latin America department. The position will mainly focus on our work with a regional focus and have a key role in the implementation of various projects aiming at improving the security, capacity and impact of human rights defenders. The work is conducted together with various international organisations and aims at having a substantially positive impact on human rights defenders. 

As a Programme Officer you will work together in a team of six colleagues in our Latin America Department and will report to the Latin America Department Director.

The role offers great variety, including work tasks such as:

• Coordinate programme implementation in line with grant agreements, work plans, and organisational strategy, ensuring alignment with the Department Director’s guidance.

• Maintain regular communication with the Department Director on progress, risks, and key developments to support coordinated decision-making.

• Ensure compliance with grant management requirements, including reporting and financial accountability.

• Manage relationships with partner organisations, providing guidance and ensuring alignment with agreements and results frameworks.

• Oversee programme budgets in line with donor and organisational policies.

• Collaborate across teams to ensure coherent, rights-based programme delivery.

• Support the delivery of events, capacity-building activities, and advocacy initiatives.

• Contribute to resource mobilisation and proposal development, including identifying opportunities in coordination with the Department Director.

• Monitor programme performance and evolving human rights contexts to inform adaptive management and reporting.

• Undertake additional duties as required to respond to changing operational and contextual needs.

About you

As a person, you prefer to collaborate, lead, motivate, and empower others to reach common goals effectively. You see the long-term significance and further consequences of things and act accordingly. Furthermore, you like to engage in teamwork and contribute constructively, and through clear communication, you ensure that messages are reached and that expectations are clear to all parties involved.

We assume that you share our values.

To be suitable for this role you have: 

• Master's degree in law, social sciences, international relations or similar;

• Five years of working with human rights and/or civil society in Latin America;

• Strong ability to analyse and communicate human rights contexts in Latin America;

• Solid experience in project management, including planning, implementation, and administration;

• Skills in project design, strategic planning, and results-based management;

• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in complex environments;

• Experience engaging with civil society, state actors, and international organisations (e.g. UN, OAS);

• Strong capacity in grant management, donor compliance, reporting, and financial oversight;

• Excellent organisational, analytical, and communication skills in English and Spanish;

• Experience working in sensitive contexts and willingness to travel in the region is an asset;

• Proficiency in Office 365 and relevant project management tools.

About the employment

This is a full-time temporary employment starting in August 2026 or according to agreement. As an organisation, we strive for diversity, and we see your background, experience and personality as a contribution to the organisation. You will be based in Bogotá, Colombia, and you will have a Colombian employee contract. We actively encourage candidates who hold a valid legal permit to work in Colombia to apply.

Please apply as soon as possible as we recruit on an ongoing basis, but no later than 15 June 2026.

If you have any questions on the recruitment process, please contact Latin America Department Director, Pia Alvira, pia.alvira@crd.org.

About us 

Civil Rights Defenders is a politically and religiously independent international human rights organisation. We defend people’s civil and political rights in some of the world’s most repressive regions. We partner with and support human rights defenders in more than 300 organisations in 50 countries on four continents. Together with our partners, we hold those in power accountable when people’s civil or political rights are violated. We also act as Sweden’s civil rights watchdog.

Civil Rights Defenders has around 70 staff members working in various functions towards our vision - a world of democratic societies in which we all enjoy our civil and political rights. Our headquarter is located in Stockholm, and we have eight branch offices around the world. Learn more about our work at crd.org.