We Are Looking for Visa and Security Community Consultant(s)!

Team CommUNITY (TCU) is looking for consultant(s) who can partner with TCU events staff, leadership, and hired vendors to provide security and emotional support for select participants at TCU’s first global gathering of digital rights leaders and subject matter experts following the COVID-19 pandemic in the coastal municipalities outside of Lisbon, Portugal. 

Since many participants are from higher-risk backgrounds, where their individual safety needs may be more complex than others, it is critical that these participants are able to have a productive and restorative experience as would be available to other participants with less barriers to international travel. 

This position will be guaranteed for a 6-month contract, with potential for extension.

Key responsibilities

Since many participants are from high-risk backgrounds, where their individual safety needs may be more complex than others, TCU is looking for consultant(s) who will:

• Pre-event:

  • Serve as a safe space to listen to concerns and questions from individuals

  • Raise concerns to TCU event staff and leadership as required

  • Guide individuals in implementing necessary safety measures prior to travel, via enacting of a travel safety plan or other measures as appropriate

• During event:

  • Be a friendly face and welcoming presence for both high-risk individuals that the consultants and/or TCU staff have previously been in contact with, and other individuals who may not have previously contacted TCU staff.

  • Provide on-demand support for individuals in need of support or in distress, in coordination / collaboration with TCU, event staff (including Code of Conduct staff and event therapists), and others as appropriate.

  • Alert TCU and event staff to any areas of concern related to participant safety and well-being

  • Be able to triage urgent participant needs and enact rapid safety measures as required

  • Prepare post-event safety measures as needed for applicable participants

• Post-event:

  • Maintain contact with participants in need of post-event safety measures

  • Update TCU staff on improvements to event processes/procedures to enhance participant safety and well-being for future global gatherings.

What we need (required qualifications):

• Demonstrated experience in participant engagement during large-scale events for an international audience 

• Strong command of English and cross cultural communication skills. 

• Strong ability to problem-solve and quickly address high-sensitivity issues that may emerge. 

• Previous experience providing physical and/or digital security for large format events focused on digital activists and/or human rights defenders.

  • Code of conduct support experience is strongly preferred.

• High levels of emotional intelligence; ability to exercise patience and cooperation with individuals experiencing stress or fear. 

• Previous experience navigating visa application processes for participants at workshops, gatherings, and/or other events.

What we would like (preferred qualifications):

• Fluency (speaking or writing skills) in a language other than English

• Experience working with remote, collaborative and distributed teams

• Experience working with or participating in multilingual and multicultural online communities

• Education: You can tell us about your degrees or academic qualifications, but we’re more interested in what your passions are and what you can do. If your degrees are part of that story, great — but no formal education required.

Compensation: $1500 per month work stipend (approximately 10 hours per week)

Location: Remote, based anywhere with working hours overlapping UTC-8 through UTC+2

Apply: 

Please submit your resume/CV and answers to the following questions by March 15, 2023 to ops@digitalrights.community:

1. What steps would you take to ensure an activist you are engaging with knows that you are trustworthy and are working on their behalf?

2. What are the minimum set of privacy and security standards that one should follow for assisting with a visa application for an activist?

3. What would you say is an under-considered or often ignored aspect of maintaining security for event participants?