Programme Manager, Gulf Sustain

Founded in 2009, the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is the leading international think tank on business and human rights. IHRB’s mission is to shape policy, advance practice, and strengthen accountability to make respect for human rights part of everyday business.

In 2022, IHRB launched Gulf Sustain, a regional initiative working to advance workers’ rights in the green transition of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Gulf Sustain aims to develop knowledge, drive dialogue, and promote stronger policies, accountability, and collaboration on an integrated approach to achieving environmental commitments while advancing the welfare of all workers as GCC countries look to diversify their economies and increase investments in non-hydrocarbon sectors. Gulf Sustain’s aspiration and approach are to deliver impact by building leverage through collective action.

• Advancing execution of the programme’s strategy and contributing to programme management and fundraising

• Delivering a post-2027 programme strategy building on existing work streams across the GCC region and identifying new entry points and opportunities for continued engagement

• Undertaking research and generating actionable insights to support evidence-based decision-making

• Representing Gulf Sustain through events, delivery of activities/strategic dialogues, training sessions, engaging with stakeholders across the GCC, etc.

The Institute for Human Rights and Business’ (IHRB) regional initiative, Gulf Sustain, is seeking a dynamic Programme manager to work with the team.

The programme manager will play a critical role in supporting implementation of the programme’s 2027 strategy, and contributing to the development of a post-2027 programme strategy. This role will include, but not be limited to, stakeholder engagement, delivering training and capacity building sessions, fundraising and contributing to research development. The ideal candidate will have experience in a similar role with strong knowledge of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region.

• Title: Programme Manager, Gulf Sustain
  

• Reporting to: IHRB Head of Migration

• Start date: September 2026

• Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week) or part time (30 hours per week)

• Location: Remote/Home-based, preferably within 1-3 hours of GMT timezone. Must be based in the GCC or within easy access to travel across the GCC on a semi-regular basis. Candidates must have permission to work in the country of their location.

• Duration: 1 year, with 3-month probationary period. Potential to extend, subject to funding.

• Pay: 44,000 - 64,000 GBP subject to level of experience
  

• Good to know: The successful candidate will be engaged through a consultancy agreement. They will need to be registered as self-employed and will be responsible for managing their own taxes, insurance, and any other legal or financial obligations.

Reporting to the Head of Migration, and working closely with other IHRB teams & external consultants, the Manager will support in various tasks, including but not limited to:

• Growing the profile of Gulf Sustain through strategic stakeholder identification, relationship management and trust building with new and existing contacts

• Serve as a programme and IHRB spokesperson at external events and other networking opportunities

• Organise and facilitate multilateral and sectoral convenings, including participant and speaker outreach, stakeholder management, agenda development, event summary drafting and other event follow up tasks. Delivery of such events will require travel across the GCC region.

• Deliver training and capacity building sessions around responsible business and worker welfare to business and government stakeholders across the GCC region.

• Providing informal advisory services to key partners, including reviewing internal policies, worker welfare frameworks, responsible recruitment strategies etc. and providing globally grounded and locally relevant feedback
  

• Identifying new opportunities for Gulf Sustain funding, and building relationships with potential donors

• Working with the wider Gulf Sustain and IHRB teams to develop funding proposals, strategies and donor deliverables

• Contribute to day to day programmatic management, including team calls and Steering Committee meetings; preparation of presentations, management of external consultants, among others.

• Proactively work with other IHRB teams, particularly the Migrant Workers, Shipping, Commodities and Just Transitions Programmes, to identify synergies and opportunities for ongoing collaboration

• Monitor progress in line with Gulf Sustain’s monitoring and evaluation framework, existing deliverables and execution of planned activities

• Overseeing the execution of Gulf Sustain’s communication strategy and website alongside the IHRB communications team
  

• Contributing to the programme’s overall strategy, including the identification

and development of new initiatives and piloting workstreams for the programme’s evolving post-2027 strategy

• Identifying practical leverage points to influence policy and decision-making

by business leaders and policymakers

• Bringing expertise or demonstrable interest in one or more of the following work streams:

  • Shipping and trade routes

  • Port resilience

  • Commodities, particularly mining

  • Responsible investment / engagement with investor communities

  • Climate-labour nexus

  • Deep expertise in at least on GCC country

• Project management: Demonstrable experience of contributing to the management of projects with multiple partners that span across countries and years.

• Strategic thinking: Proven track record of identifying opportunities or leverage points for engaging diverse stakeholder groups

• Communications: Proven track record of contributing to the execution of a communications strategy and creating content/key messages Ability to write and present clear, well researched pieces of content based on internal briefings.

• Language: Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English required.

• Diplomacy: Ability to undertake work with awareness of political and commercial sensitivities and careful diplomacy

• At least 2 years of work experience in a similar role.

• Excellent understanding of and strong interest in issues relating to one or more of the following: responsible business, worker welfare, shipping and trade, responsible investment etc.

• Strong writing and research skills.

• Proven experience working with topics relevant to or actors operating in the GCC region.

• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand Arabic.

• Location: Remote/home-based,within 1-3 hours of GMT in order to coordinate well with the rest of the project team. Candidates must already have permission to work in the country of their location.

• We particularly encourage applications from individuals in regions where we currently have a limited presence (e.g. Africa, Middle East), as well as those from backgrounds typically underrepresented in our field.

• Candidates based in the Gulf or MENA region are preferred

• Travel will be required for this role, sometimes at short notice.

Deadline for application: 21 August 2026

Interviews: First round interviews will be held on the week of 23 August 2026 via Zoom. Short-listed candidates will be notified and invited by email prior.

Following this stage, there will also be a written task and a second round of interviews.

Expected start date: September 2026 or as soon as possible. A job offer will be subject to the receipt of at least two satisfactory references.

Please upload your CV and cover letter on the portal. In your cover letter you should address your suitability for this role based on the relevant skills and experience outlined in this job description.

In your covering email, please state:

1. If you are applying for the full time role or part time role

2. Your earliest possible start date

3. Where you saw the vacancy advertised.

As part of our ongoing commitment to an accessible recruitment process, applicants with disabilities are encouraged to contact IHRB to discuss any support or assistance they may have during the application or recruitment process. Please contact Kathy McLeish via email - [email protected] - in the first instance.

IHRB is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. This means we will not discriminate against candidates or employees based on their protected characteristics.

Applications from unsuccessful candidates will be held on file for 6 months after the end of the recruitment process.