Background
People and communities around the world have the solutions to social injustice, authoritarianism, and the climate crisis. But repressive governments, corrupt corporations, and armed groups use violence and oppression to try and silence them.
By building resistance and resilience among those challenging unaccountable power, Open Voices supports a shared vision for a world where communities and ecosystems can thrive.
As a mission-driven nonprofit, we join forces with grassroots activists, community groups, and social movements at risk. Working together, we strengthen their physical safety, digital resilience, and collective wellbeing. As a social impact consultancy, we help high-profile nonprofits and foundations manage risk and care for their teams and partners.
This dual approach allows us to work at every level of civil society, from the grassroots to the global.
We have scaled to meet a 66% surge in demand for our support over the past two years, with our international team now responding to 11 new cases every week. Last year, we:
- Answered 575 calls for assistance across 100 countries.
- Delivered over 6,000 hours of mentoring and accompaniment.
- Trained over 1,000 activists in 112 holistic security workshops.
Whoever we partner with, we start with questions, not answers. Listening before speaking, understanding before acting. Together, we defend those who speak out.
We are expanding our diverse, inspired, and purpose-driven team. Will you join us as our new digital and information security coordinator?
Role description
You will play a key role in coordinating the work of the Digital and Information Security workstream at Open Briefing, coordinating and supporting the work of a team of consultants, improving delivery processes and systems, working with clients and recipients to support their Digital and Information Security risk management, supporting the internal Digital and Information Security posture of Open Briefing, and representing Open Briefing’s work externally with peers and partners.
This challenging but rewarding role would suit a structured and self-starting risk, cybersecurity, or infosec practitioner looking to grow an existing NGO career (or transfer skills into the sector) – or potentially a candidate with some experience in this area but moving from a protection, human rights, project management, or other operational background.
The successful candidate will join a fast-growing team exclusively working with nonprofit and social impact constituents, as the first postholder of this role and with a huge opportunity to shape the role and contribute to the development of the team.
Your primary responsibilities will include:
Workstream strategy and development (20%)
- Lead initiatives to develop and socialise the workstream’s tools, resources, approaches, methodologies, and training materials, including in support of practitioners in adjacent workstreams (Physical Safety, Wellbeing and Resilience).
- Support in improving workflows and processes that govern the operational delivery of our work (e.g. responsive assistance / client-paid workflows, cross-workstream collaboration, consultant invoicing, onboarding / offboarding recipients).
- Coordinate projects, programs, or partnerships with external organisations which deliver assistance, capacity building, or training work with partners and external organisations.
- Represent the organisation in networks and events to share and learn with others on trends and best practices in our sector
Peer support and team cohesion (35%)
- Provide oversight and support to active responsive assistance cases across the Digital and Information Security team, and provide peer support / group mentoring, troubleshooting and quality assurance to consultants (e.g. connecting consultants to peer organisations, helping to make internal referrals, supporting programme design and delivery).
- Maintain good records and efficient internal processes, including updating our Project Management tool, ensuring invoices and quotes are handled in a timely manner, and supporting the workstream Director as needed.
- Coordinate workstream initiatives, team meetings, and conversations for team members to engage, reflect and learn.
Organisational support (15%)
- Support the monitoring, implementation and review of Open Briefing’s Digital and Information Security framework, including relevant support for staff, updating policies, and monitoring + implementing key controls or processes.
- Directly support the work of DIS Consultants and other team members within Open Briefing.
Client work (30%)
- Provide digital and information security consultancy and training to new and existing nonprofit and foundation clients.
- Provide responsive assistance, digital and information security support and accompaniment to at-risk defenders, grassroots organisations, and collectives.
- Support the design of digital and information security accompaniment (quotes, proposals, reports) to new and existing clients and coordinate key accounts.
Person specification
Essential
- Via an internal team, volunteering role, as a contractor, or in some other capacity, you will have some experience of either or both:
- Providing information security and digital safety or digital/technology advice and training to human rights defenders, activists, and local civil society organisations.
- Building the capacity of international organisations in particular in their internal management of digital and information security risk, including developing policies and procedures and conducting audits.
- You will be engaged in and have an understanding of the existing community of practitioners and actors working on the digital safety of at-risk communities.
- You will be highly organised and possess strong project management and administrative skills.
- You will be sensitive to the progressive and rights-based missions and diverse profiles of our clients and other stakeholders.
- You will be a good listener with strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, able to adapt your approach and style to suit different projects and stakeholders.
- You will have excellent written and spoken English.
- You will be based in a time zone that is UTC +/- 5 hours.
Desirable
- You may have experience in a consulting or advisory-oriented role or environment.
- You may have experience in an IT career pathway, such as managing cloud or on-premise systems, project or service delivery, IT service desk, or software development.
- You may have experience supporting, quality assuring, or mentoring the work of others.
- You may have experience working with leaders, boards, or senior managers.
- You may have a proven track record of change management in the non-profit sector.
- You may have experience delivering training in-person and remotely to a diverse range of learners.
- You may have excellent written and spoken French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, or other additional languages.
Terms and remuneration
We are a global, remote-first, and digital nomad-friendly organisation. This is a home-working role with some potential for international travel.
It is a full-time, employed role. Your line manager will be James Eaton-Lee, our director of digital and information security.
We offer a remuneration package made up of fair pay, sector-leading benefits, and progressive leave policies, including:
- Salary of £46,900 per annum.
- Employer pension contribution (7% in the UK).
- Family private medical insurance.
- Employee Assistance Programme, including welfare counselling.
- Unlimited professional coaching.
- 25 days annual leave plus local public holidays.
- Up to three additional leave days for annual close down.
- Enhanced sick pay.
- Flexible working, including flexitime and remote and home working.
- Support for climate action:
- Personal carbon emissions offsetting.
- Up to two additional leave days for sustainable travel .
- Up to two additional leave days for climate activism.
- Apple MacBook Air and peripherals.
In order to ensure that we comply with local laws and regulations, Open Briefing staff based outside the United Kingdom are contracted locally through an employer of record (EOR). Wherever possible, we apply the same terms and conditions of employment to all staff, whether employed directly or through an EOR. Where there are differences due to local laws and regulations, we will apply the better of the provisions set out above or the local statutory requirements.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Open Briefing values diversity. We are committed to being equitable and inclusive, and to being a place where all can be their authentic selves. We therefore encourage applications from all who may meet the person specification and particularly from candidates who are from historically-marginalised communities and are underrecognised in our digital and information security team. This currently includes Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour and women and/or non-binary people. Please read our diversity, equity, and inclusion policy for more information.
Open Briefing is neuroinclusive, positive about mental health, and a Disability Confident Employer. We welcome applications from all candidates who meet the person specification. Please let us know in your cover letter how we can be the recruiter and employer that you need us to be.
We follow the gender pay gap reporting guidance from the UK government. We have checked the text of this advert using the Gender Decoder tool.
Safeguarding
Open Briefing is dedicated to upholding the highest safeguarding standards, ensuring a culture of respect and protection for both our internal and external stakeholders. Our approach encompasses preventative measures and a strong response mechanism to any safeguarding concerns, guided by a survivor/victim-centred ethos. We enforce a strict no-tolerance policy towards any violations of safeguarding policies, ensuring that all concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately. Our safeguarding policy is available here.
It is part of our policy and duty of care to identify and communicate any risks that relate to the roles we recruit for. We have identified the following wellbeing risks associated with this role:
- Vicarious (secondary) trauma
- Compassion fatigue
Open Briefing’s wellbeing policy and procedure set out the mechanisms and resources we have put in place to mitigate and address these risks.
How to apply
To apply, please submit your application using the form here and note the following dates:
- Closing date for applications: 30 May 2025
- First round interviews: w/c 9 June 2025
- Second round interviews: w/c 16 June 2025
- Ideal start date: 14 July 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter
Please let us know in your cover letter if any of these dates are problematic and we will try to accommodate. The successful candidate will need to complete a reasonable vetting process before engagement.