Digital Rights Expert

Duration: Full-time (100% Level of Effort) – 12 Months

Reports To: Executive Director / Director Programs (the position will work in close coordination with Head of Research and Learning and M&E Manager)

Last Date of Application: 10th September 2025

Start Date: Immediately

Remuneration: PKR 350,000 – 400,000

About the Organization

Accountability Lab (AL) is a nonprofit think-and-do tank dedicated to enhancing governance through the empowerment of active citizens, responsible leaders, and accountable institutions, thereby fostering social and economic change. The Lab focuses on empowering youth, civil society organizations, and government institutions through a diverse range of interventions centered on human resource development, innovation, technology adoption, and citizen-centric policymaking, all aimed at enhancing accountability and promoting inclusive governance.

Purpose of the Position

The Digital Rights Expert will serve as the technical anchor on democratic innovation, civic participation in the digital age, and civil society strengthening programs. The role will focus on guiding the project team, partners, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to implement impactful, locally adapted strategies for advancing digital democracy and strengthening civic infrastructure. Beyond this project-specific role, the expert will also actively contribute to Accountability Lab Pakistan's broader digital democracy and inclusion portfolio. The role will support outreach, capacity building, knowledge generation, regional learning, and the development of inclusive advocacy strategies, ensuring technical coherence and innovation across project components.

This role is central to ensuring sub-grantees are strategically guided to contribute meaningfully to democratic strengthening through digital engagement and civic innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Provide overarching technical input to the project's strategy on digital democracy, civic engagement, participatory governance, and digital innovation.
• Guide the design and delivery of project components to ensure alignment with trends, stakeholder needs, and democratic priorities across regions. Identify opportunities to strengthen civic infrastructure and democratic engagement through digital platforms and innovations.

Evidence, Learning and Research

• Support the Evidence and Learning Lead in designing, rolling out, and analyzing regional needs assessments.
• Participate in developing digital and institutional needs assessment tools aligned with local capacities, contexts, and thematic priorities.
• Assist in developing indicators, data collection frameworks, and research outputs related to digital democracy.
• Provide regional insights on emerging digital democracy trends to inform assessment tools.
• Support interpretation of findings and help translate data into actionable strategies for CSO capacity-building and project adaptation.

Capacity Building of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)

• Lead the design and delivery of virtual trainings, mentoring, and learning engagements for CSOs.
• Develop tools, frameworks, and guides to enhance CSOs' effectiveness in digital organizing and participatory governance.
• Facilitate peer learning among grantees on digital civic engagement innovations.
• Participate and facilitate regional convenings to share project findings.

Coordination with Program Officers (CPOs)

• Serve as a technical and strategic advisor to POs, ensuring quality and coherence in program implementation.
• Support mapping of relevant CSOs and stakeholders within regions.
• Provide virtual support for learning events, partner meetings, and stakeholder consultations.

Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement

• Lead regional stakeholder mapping in digital democracy, civic participation, and social innovation.
• Build and maintain partnerships with CSOs, universities, think tanks, private sector, and tech communities.
• Identify collaboration opportunities among grantees and partners.

Advocacy and Knowledge Support

• Provide strategic input into advocacy strategies on digital democracy.
• Collaborate on developing evidence-based content for advocacy and public engagement.
• Contribute to briefs, reports, and knowledge products from project activities.

Monitoring, Learning, and Adaptive Implementation

• Support technical monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Identify scalable approaches supporting digital democracy and civil society resilience.
• Participate in strategic reviews and learning sessions.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

• Master's degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Development Studies, Governance, Digital Innovation, or related fields.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years in democratic development, digital rights, civic innovation, and civil society strengthening.
• Experience in digital engagement strategies, civic tech, or inclusive governance programs.
• Experience working with or advising CSOs.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong understanding of democratic systems, CSO ecosystems, digital rights, and civic challenges.
• Proven facilitation, mentorship, and training skills, especially virtually.
• Excellent coordination, communication, and networking abilities.
• Strong writing, reporting, and presentation skills in English.
• Ability to work independently and in multicultural teams.