The Netherlands Helsinki Committee(NHC) is looking for a highly motivated professional for the position of:

Programme Officer for our Rights-Based Justice Programme

(32-36 h/w)

About the NHC

The Netherlands Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental organisation that promotes human rights, the rule of law and justice across wider Europe. Building on more than 35 years of experience, our mission is to inspire, engage, and support catalysts of change in building just and rights-respecting societies.

We strengthen capacities, amplify voices, and build bridges between civil society, governments, and justice actors. Through advocacy, peer-to-peer exchange, and collaboration, we address challenges such as shrinking civic space, accountability for serious human rights violations, and threats to democratic governance.

Our office is located in the heart of The Hague at ’het Nutshuis’ and hosts an international team working across projects focused on areas of Human Rights Defence, Integrity and Accountability, and Rights-Based Justice. You will be part of the Rights-Based Justice team, and work with four colleagues on strengthening fundamental human rights in the (international) criminal justice system.

About the role

We are looking for a Programme Officer (PO) for our project ‘Justice and Accountability for Ukraine’. This project aims to address critical gaps in international accountability efforts and justice reform in Ukraine amid ongoing conflict and human rights violations. The PO for this project implements our the activities in line with project goals, manages relationships with Ukrainian civil society organizations and handles administrative and logistical tasks. The position is for 7 months initially, with a possibility of extension. The PO reports to the Programme Manager and works closely with other Programme Officers.

Tasks and responsibilities

Project implementation:

Coordinate and implement agreed project activities and monitor progress against workplans. You will work mostly on our project ‘Justice & Accountability for Ukraine’, but also on other projects in our team;

Ensure timely preparation and implementation of all activities related to the project(s); Depending on the project this may vary and may include for example: organising of

(international) events and trainings, written outputs for advocacy and campaigns, administering calls for proposals and sub-grants;

Liaise with experts and national and international partner organisations on setting up and implementing activities and reporting, including preparing and documenting consortia meetings and other project related partner meetings and guiding them in reporting processes;
Collect, compile and verify project information and partner reports required for donor reporting;
Liaise with colleagues, partners and consultants regarding project-based communication and advocacy;
Ensure the proper filing of the project administration.

Advocacy & networking:

Participate in networking events and (international) meetings and missions to maintain professional contacts and gather and report back on relevant information;
Support advocacy objectives by sharing agreed organisational messages and background information with relevant stakeholders;
Support the advocacy activities and stakeholder engagement.

Strategy and programme development:

Provide input for project development and support for proposal development;
Participate in strategic discussions at programme level on strategy development, evaluation and learning.

Required qualifications and skills

Dedication to human rights, rule of law and democratic values;
Masters degree in relevant discipline, such as in political science, international law or international criminal law, criminal justice or criminology.
At least three years of experience in a relevant field of work, preferably in or related to accountability for international crimes, including one year of experience coordinating projects;
Excellent command of English; knowledge of Dutch and/or Ukrainian is an asset;
Experience in project administration, including budget management. Experience with EU projects and re-granting is an asset;
Well-developed communication skills, interpersonal sensitivity, diplomatic;
Ability to integrate an intersectional approach in the project, recognizing that race, gender, age, social class, disability, beliefs or sexual orientation influence the perceived position and chances to participate;
An eye for detail, excellent administrative and organisational skills;
Hands-on mentality, ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment and switch between tasks;
Availability and willingness to travel;
Experience with working in a civil society environment is an asset;
Availability to start as soon as possible.

What we offer

A gross monthly salary between €3,240 and €3,808 (based on a full-time position of 36 hours), depending on experience;
8% holiday allowance and a 1.5% end-of-year bonus;
Participation in the collective pension scheme;
An initial 7 months contract, with the possibility of extension.

Apply

If you are interested, please send your resume and a motivation letter in pdf format. To apply click here. For inquiries, please email [email protected] to the attention of Cor Oudes, programme manager Rights Based Justice. Candidates may apply until 04 November 2026, 23:59 CET. We will evaluate applications as they come in, and may close the vacancy if we find a suitable candidate before the closing date. A Certificate of Conduct is required for this position, and we may request references.

Non-EU candidates need to have a valid work permit to be considered for this role. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback to candidates that are not shortlisted.