Front Line Defenders seeks to recruit staff, interns and volunteers in an open and transparent manner. Front Line Defenders is an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to promoting cultural diversity within the Front Line Defenders staff. All positions are advertised via this website as well as through other media or networks appropriate to the position being advertised.
Unfortunately, due to the volume of requests we receive, it is not possible to keep general applications or CVs on file. During a recruitment process we do not generally review applications received until after the closing date. Shortlisting can take some time given the volume of applications we receive for some posts.
For any questions or queries, or if you require any adjustments or accommodations during the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@frontlinedefenders.org. Please note applications submitted by email cannot be accepted.
Front Line Defenders is currently recruiting for the following positions:
Seek
Expressions of Interest:
Communications & Events Assistant
Front Line Defenders is seeking expressions of interest from exceptional candidates for the post of Communications and Events Assistant, commencing from December 2025. This two-year fixed-term role will be based in the organisation’s Dublin office and will report to the Head of Communications and Events.
Overview
The Communications and Events Assistant is an entry-level role aimed at recent communications or journalism graduates seeking a career in international human rights. The Assistant will support the Communications and Events team on a range of projects linked to the organisation’s communications work and event coordination. In the process they will learn about: the range of risks faced by human rights defenders; the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders; the role of Front Line Defenders and other national and international organisations in supporting and protecting HRDs; and how NGOs work with media outlets and use social media to raise awareness and visibility of the risks faced by HRDs. They will interact with a range of colleagues across the organisation and will be expected to participate in induction, periodic reviews, weekly team meetings and case calls, and occasional out-of-hours events.
Background
Front Line Defenders is an international organisation based in Ireland that works exclusively for the protection of human rights defenders at risk. Human rights defenders are people who are persecuted because of their peaceful work for the rights of others. Front Line Defenders provides practical help through protection grants, physical and digital protection training, lobbying, advocacy and campaigning.
Role responsibilities
- Support the Visibility and Communications Coordinator on daily visibility work about HRDs, including but not limited to: administrative and substantive tasks around the creation, design, dissemination and monitoring of social media content and multimedia materials (e.g. videos and podcasts).
- Assist with capturing and recording multimedia content at FLD events.
- Support the International Events and Promotions Coordinator, including with the creation and upkeep of guest and supplier lists, tracking visa applications and flights, and drafting of materials for events.
- Upload approved content (Urgent Appeals, Statements, human rights defender profiles, etc.) to the Front Line Defenders website.
- Assist in archiving images related to Front Line Defenders’ field work to protect human rights defenders.
- Assist in drafting and designing, as requested, media materials or content to support Front Line Defenders events.
- Carry out administrative duties as required.
Salary & Benefits
- €30,326 - €43,062 per annum (Points 4 – 16, Grade I)
- 26 annual leave days
- Pension
- Paid Health Insurance
- Income Protection & Life Assurance
- Employee Assistance Scheme (EAP)
- Monthly Well-Being Provisions
Requirements
Interested applicants must have:
- A Bachelors’ degree or higher in communications, journalism, international relations or a related field.
- At least 2 years of previous internship and/or work experience in a relevant role in journalism or PR/communications for a human rights or humanitarian organisation.
- Excellent written and good oral communication skills in English. Computer literacy and good analytical skills.
- Familiarity with conceptualising and producing narrative-based multimedia content (such as tweets, video, audio, infographics, etc.) for social media communications and campaigning.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
- Flexibility, good interpersonal skills, and good stress management skills. An ability to multitask and prioritise is a must.
- Valid work authorisation in Ireland.
For further information, please view https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/comms_events_assistant_jd_final.pdf
To Apply
- To apply, candidates need to submit a copy of their application - CV and cover letter - via the 'Apply now' button as per FLD vacancies page: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/recruitment-volunteering
- Closing date; midnight (local Irish time) on Monday, 24 November 2025.
Global Wellbeing Coordinator
Location: Remote
Contract: Full-time, 1-Year Fixed-term Contract (Sabbatical cover)
Reporting to: Head of Wellbeing & Resilience
Salary: Grade G (€35,882 - €66,040)
About the role
Front Line Defenders is recruiting a Wellbeing Coordinator to support the Wellbeing and Resilience Team’s response to human rights defenders (HRDs) and human rights organisations (HROs) at risk.
The Wellbeing Coordinator will provide both direct support, and developing and faciliating a network of external well-being practitioners (incl mental health professionals), to ensure HRDs and HROs have enhanced access to well-being supports, in normal circumstances and in times of acute crises.
This role requires at least 3 years experience providing well-being and psycho-social support in an international context, preferably to human rights defenders at risk. The successful candidate will have the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and display empathy and compassion in interactions with HRDs.
For more information, please view https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/jd.wellbeing_coordinator_temp_final.pdf
About Front Line Defenders
Front Line Defenders is an international organisation/charity based in Ireland that works exclusively for the protection of human rights defenders at risk. Human rights defenders are people who are persecuted because of their peaceful work for the rights of others. Front Line Defenders provides help through protection grants, physical and digital protection training, lobbying, advocacy and campaigning. For more information, please visit www.frontlinedefenders.org
To Apply
- To apply, candidates need to submit a copy of their application - CV and cover letter - via the 'Apply now' button as per FLD vacancies page: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/recruitment-volunteering
- Closing date; midnight (local Irish time) on Tuesday, 11 November 2025.
Programme Assistant
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Contract: Full-time, 1-Year Fixed-term Contract
Reporting to: Head of Wellbeing & Resilience
Salary: Grade I (€30,326 - €43, 006)
About the role
Front Line Defenders is recruiting a Programme Assistant to support Front Line Defenders’ Wellbeing and Resilience team (WB&R) and the Protection Grants team to deliver upon the objective of providing practical support to human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk.
This entry-level role will provide administrative support to the WB&R team with the delivery of the Wellbeing and Resilience Programme of work including: tracking and triaging requests; drafting agreements; liasing with HRDs; supporting transfers, working with Operations team colleagues on key logisitics; and acting as a key liasion for Dublin programme participants while in Ireland. They will also dedicate 15% of their time (1 hour per day) to supporting the Protection Grants Team with uploading applications for grant support to the FLD database.
This role requires experience in adminstrative or programme support roles, ideally in a nonprofit or NGO. The successful candidate will have demonstratable organisational and time management skills, a high attention to detail, and to work well with a wide range of people from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, with empathy and clear boundaries.
For more information, please view https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/jd.programme_assistant_final_updated.pdf
About Front Line Defenders
Front Line Defenders is an international organisation/charity based in Ireland that works exclusively for the protection of human rights defenders at risk. Human rights defenders are people who are persecuted because of their peaceful work for the rights of others. Front Line Defenders provides help through protection grants, physical and digital protection training, lobbying, advocacy and campaigning. For more information, please visit www.frontlinedefenders.org
To Apply
- To apply, candidates need to submit a copy of their application - CV and cover letter - via the 'Apply now' button as per FLD vacancies page: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/recruitment-volunteering
- Closing date; midnight (local Irish time) on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.
Consultancies and tenders
None at the present time.
Fellowships and internships
Front Line Defenders annually recruits for two positions that are part of the organisation's commitment to strengthening international mechanisms supporting human rights defenders:
Internship at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (Banjul)
Front Line Defenders and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) invite applications for an Internship at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to support the work of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa. It is a 12-month position based in Banjul, under the supervision of the ACHPR Secretariat. Candidates should be able to work in both English and French. Candidates who have experience as a HumanRights Defender in Africa will be prioritised.
Frank Jennings Fellowship (Dublin & Geneva)
The Frank Jennings Fellowship was set up to give an opportunity for dedicated and talented individuals to gain experience working for the protection of human rights defenders in an international NGO and at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is named after Front Line Defenders former Head of Research who died after a long illness in 2005. Frank made a huge contribution to the development of human rights activism in Ireland and candidates who have some experience of human rights work in Ireland will be given priority.
The Frank Jennings Fellow spends three months at Front Line Defenders where he/she will be trained in relation to Human Rights Defenders; the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur; the procedures and methodology of the mandate; the role of Front Line Defenders and other national and international organisations in the support and protection of Human Rights Defenders. The Fellow will then move to Geneva for a period six months before returning to Front Line Defenders for a further three months.
Volunteering at Front Line Defenders
We greatly appreciate the valuable contribution of volunteers who support the work of Front Line Defenders.
The best way to get involved is to help Front Line Defenders raise awareness about the risks faced by human rights defenders around the world and to help raise much needed funds to increase their security and protection.
When human rights defenders visit Ireland on rest & respite, it is important to provide a network of support to them. This community of support includes volunteers interested in accompanying the human rights defender sightseeing, to music and cultural activities, sharing about Irish history and current affairs or other hobbies/activities that may be of interest. Language support is especially useful to visiting human rights defenders. The working languages of Front Line Defenders are English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian but sometimes we also need support with other languages.
If specific additional volunteering opportunities arise, they will be posted here.
