Job ANNOUNCEMENT – ALLIED Executive Director

Organisation: Alliance for Land, Indigenous and Environmental Defenders (ALLIED)
Location: Flexible/Global (Global Majority preferred) (with travel as required)
Reports to: ALLIED Board of Directors
Salary Range: $65,000-$100,000, depending on location. ALLIED aims to compensate in a manner that supports healthy sustainable livelihoods. We adjust our pay rates to the economies of the countries in which we are operating.
Application Deadline: 7 November 2025

About Allied

The Alliance for Land, Indigenous and Environmental Defenders (ALLIED) is a global network of over 150 organisations that is at the forefront of efforts to reduce violence against those who speak up to protect their communities’ access to land, water, air, and other natural resources. Each year, hundreds of defenders are killed and even more experience criminalization, smear campaigns, harassment, and other kinds of attacks.

ALLIED brings together defenders from the local to the global level to build collective power, reduce violence, and advance environmental justice. We connect grassroots defenders with allies across the globe who help to elevate their voices, catalyse resources, and influence systemic change.

Our vision is a world where defenders can continue their vital work protecting territories, rights, biodiversity, and the climate, free from violence and reprisals, and with the recognition and respect of governments, civil society, and the private sector.

Position Overview

ALLIED seeks an experienced, visionary, and strategic Executive Director (ED) to lead the organisation into its next stage of growth and impact as a Global Majority-led initiative. Strong candidates will have substantial experience living and working in the Global South and with community-level organizations in the Global South.

The ED will provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and high-level representation for the organisation. The successful candidate will serve as the primary external voice of ALLIED, cultivating strong relationships with donors, governments, civil society, and multilateral institutions, while fostering strong networks of support for defenders at the grassroots level. The ED will ensure that ALLIED remains responsive to the needs and priorities of defenders, while positioning ALLIED as a leading global platform advancing the interests and strength of defenders worldwide. Further, the ED will have the unique opportunity to shape the organisation’s growth.

This is a senior-level position requiring a proven ability to mobilise resources, shape and manage a team, inspire diverse stakeholders to take action, and influence policy and practice at the highest levels.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

  • Lead the development and implementation of ALLIED’s long-term vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with the priorities of defenders and a continued shift towards a Global Majority-led organisation.
  • Serve as the organisation’s primary liaison to the Board of Directors, which includes members who are active participants in ALLIED’s activities.
  • Provide management and oversight of ALLIED’s staff and working groups.
  • Act as a thought leader and agenda-setter on defenders-related issues, while building recognition of ALLIED’s brand.

External Representation and Advocacy

  • Represent and serve as spokesperson of ALLIED in international fora, policy spaces, and high-level dialogues.
  • Build and maintain relationships with donors, multilateral bodies, civil society, governments, and other strategic partners to advance the recognition and protection of defenders.
  • Ensure that ALLIED is amplifying defender voices and that its advocacy is guided by grassroots knowledge and lived experience.

Fundraising and Donor Relations

  • Lead resource mobilisation efforts, including cultivating, securing, and stewarding relationships with bilateral, multilateral, and philanthropic donors.
  • Ensure sustainable financial growth to meet ALLIED’s strategic priorities.
  • Strengthen alliances with funders to channel resources effectively and efficiently to defenders and their support networks.

Governance and Organisational Development

  • Work closely with the Board of Directors to strengthen ALLIED’s governance model, accountability, and effectiveness.
  • Oversee overall budgetary performance of ALLIED, ensuring that available funds are adequate to meet commitments.
  • Manage and support the Global Coordination Team, recruit new members, fostering a culture of trust, inclusion, and collective leadership.
  • Ensure that ALLIED continues to grow into a defender-centred, bottom-up network that maximises collaboration and impact.

Candidate Profile

Required Qualifications

  • At least 10 years of experience in human rights, environmental, land, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, or related fields, including at least 5 years in senior management.
  • Strong track record of resource mobilisation, including experience cultivating relationships with institutional and philanthropic donors.
  • Substantive expertise on issues related to the protection and promotion of human rights defenders.
  • Proven ability to represent the organisation at senior levels of governments, multilateral bodies, and international civil society.
  • Demonstrated commitment to participatory, inclusive, and collaborative leadership.
  • Excellent communication skills, including public speaking, writing, and media engagement.
  • Fluency in English; proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or French is strongly desired.

Desired Attributes

  • Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate trends and seize opportunities.
  • Strong political acumen and diplomacy, with the ability to build bridges across diverse stakeholders, including government and private sector representatives.
  • Passion for justice, equity, and the protection of defenders.
  • Cross-cultural sensitivity and experience working with grassroots movements across regions.

Terms and Conditions

  • Position Type: Full-time, senior leadership role.
  • Location: Flexible / global (with regular international travel).
  • Contract: Initial 1-year contract, option to renew contingent on availability of funding.
  • Work-life balance: Given the intense nature of ALLIED’s work, the well-being of the ED and ALLIED’s staff is a priority. This is intended as a 40-hour per week position. While work schedules might occasionally require meetings in different time zones, the Board of Directors intends to provide ongoing support to ensure that the ED is able to adhere to a 40-hour work week.

How to Apply

To apply, please apply here by 7 November 2025.

Apply here...

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all members are valued and respected. We are committed to practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor not related to the position. We seek to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity in employment.