PICUM is looking for an Advocacy Officer – Labour Rights and Labour Migration (Part-time; Maternity-cover)

Start date: 1 April 2025 (or before, depending on availability)
Location: PICUM Office in Brussels
Application Deadline: 12 January 2025

Position Summary

The Advocacy Officer (80% position – 30 hours/week) will assist with the implementation of PICUM’s work programme related to labour. The successful candidate will be an integral part of PICUM’s team, leading our work in the areas of labour rights and labour migration during the period of maternity cover, reporting to the Director and working closely with relevant members of PICUM’s communications, events and advocacy teams. Depending on the circumstances, there could be several weeks of handover with the Senior Advocacy Officer who leads this work, at the start of the position and after they return to work.

Background

PICUM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, is a Brussels-based network of organisations that seeks to advance social justice and human rights for undocumented migrants, and to achieve improved pathways for regular migration to Europe. Grounded in principles of social justice, anti-racism and equality, PICUM brings together the experiences and expertise of its members, providing a platform to engage policy makers and the general public in the full realisation of undocumented migrants’ rights.

Founded in 2001 as an initiative of national-level organisations to mobilise support for undocumented migrants, today PICUM gathers a network of 160 civil society organisations in 30 countries. Based in Brussels, the PICUM secretariat leads the network’s advocacy, alliance-building, communications and research activities at the EU and international levels and supports PICUM’s broad and diverse membership.

PICUM’s work on labour rights aims to achieve improved pay and working conditions for undocumented workers and other migrant workers in precarious situations. This is done by influencing EU legal frameworks and actions across different policy areas to provide for (undocumented) migrant workers’ rights and improving formal complaints mechanisms to be more accessible and effective for undocumented workers. PICUM’s long-term objective on labour migration is to address and avoid the reasons people work irregularly or in precarious and dependent situations; and to enable migration and residence policies that promote regularity, decent work and social inclusion, including via regularisation for people already in Europe. This works requires close partnership and coordination with PICUM members working nationally, as well as trade unions, other NGOs, institutional and academic actors and the international and European levels.

Main Responsibilities

In the thematic work areas of labour rights and labour migration, the advocacy officer is responsible for implementing and reporting on PICUM’s annual work plan on labour rights and labour migration, in light of PICUM’s strategic plan and consistent with an intersectional feminist approach.

Main responsibilities include:

• Develops, writes and publicises PICUM a range of different written materials liaising with other PICUM staff, members and partners, as appropriate.

  • During the maternity leave cover, this includes:

    • Producing a country case study analysing how current labour migration policies in Spain promote decent work and social inclusion (see PICUM’s series of country case studies here); 

    • Integrating feedback to finalise a draft European comparative report on occupational safety and health for undocumented and precarious migrant workers in Europe;

    • Producing a briefing on digitalisation in the work on labour authorities and potential impacts on migrant workers’ rights, based on prior research.

• Supports and works with PICUM members in areas of labour rights and labour migration to develop joint strategies and work with members, facilitate exchange and learning, and strengthen activities at EU, national and local levels. This includes regular communication with, and organising meetings of, PICUM Task Force on Effective Complaints and PICUM Member Group on Labour, and providing ad hoc support as needed to members, including those receiving financial support. 

  • During the maternity leave cover, this includes organising the following meetings:

    • Online mutual learning session on labour migration policies in Spain,

    • In person Task Force on Effective Complaints meeting and learning exchange workshop for members (in Brussels). Organising the workshop will require carrying out a needs assessment.

• Develops joint work with institutional, civil society and other strategic partners, including by organising strategy meetings and participating in relevant networks, alliances and working groups; 

  • During the maternity leave cover, this includes organising the following meetings:

    • Stakeholder group on migrant domestic and care work

• Undertakes advocacy and represents PICUM towards a wide range of stakeholders; monitors relevant legal and policy developments across different policy areas and contributes to relevant policy processes.

  • During the maternity leave cover, the relevant policy processes include:

    • The European Commission implementation report of the Employers’ Sanctions Directive

    • The transposition of the Single Permit Directive

    • EU guidelines on the Forced Labour Product Ban. 

• Contributes to the development of PICUM’s funding applications and work plan, and meeting commitments to current funders, by monitoring and reporting on PICUM’s activities and achievements on labour rights and labour migration;

• Ensures activities and outputs are completed within budget and in accordance with PICUM procedures and contractual obligations, seeking input from Financial Director where necessary;

• Works flexibly alongside other members of the PICUM team to take on reasonable tasks as appropriate over and above those set above.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Demonstrated commitment to human rights and migrant rights’, and to PICUM’s values and mission;

• 3-5 years of experience in advocacy (at the EU, national or global level)

• Good understanding of labour migration policies in the European context and their impact on undocumented migrants;

• Exceptional public speaking and writing skills in English, with the ability to communicate effectively to a variety of different audiences;

• High degree of attention to detail and commitment to quality;

• Strong organisational skills, initiative and follow-through; can work quickly, accurately and juggle multiple tasks;

• Experience in communications and formulating messages to non-expert audiences.

Desirable

• A working level of Spanish (to be able to develop country case study for Spain);

• Experience in working in a transnational civil society network or context at the European or global level;

• Experience in project management;

• Experience in organising online and in-person events;

• Lived experience of belonging to a racialised or marginalised group, including based on administrative status;

What PICUM can offer

• 80% position (30 hours/week) with determined contract according to Belgian labour legislation. Ideal starting date: 1 April 2025 (or before, depending on availability). End date: 31 December 2025.

• Salary according to the wage scale of the Paritaire Committee 329.01 for an 80% position: approximately €3.114 - €3.350 gross per month (based on 3-5 years’ experience)

• Meal vouchers, hospitalisation insurance, group insurance scheme (pension plan), thirteenth month, some additional holidays and end of year office closure also provided.

• Teleworking policy (requiring presence at the PICUM office in Brussels minimum twice a week).

• Conditions are according to Belgian legislation including the legal ability to live and work in Belgium.

Selection procedure

At PICUM, we are committed to a diverse and inclusive environment for all our employees. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds to apply, including those with lived experience of discrimination, oppression or exclusion based on poverty, gender, racial identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and/or immigration status.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 CEST Sunday 12 January (CEST). Please send the completed application form in English to Michele LeVoy, Director at recruitment@picum.org, with your last name, first name and PICUM Advocacy Officer – Labour rights in the subject line.

The application form can be downloaded here.

Please note that due to our limited capacity, we regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will take place online the week of 3 February 2025.