What is ORG?
The Open Rights Group is a new organisation with a unique origin and funding model. It was created in 2005 by a thousand Net users spontaneously pledging online to donate five pounds per month. At time of writing, 650 of those signatories have fulfilled their pledge, providing the organisation with a current annual income of approximately £39,000 (as of July 2006).

ORG’s remit is to create a permanent, professionally-run organization that helps raise awareness of digital rights issues in three domains: the media, the public sphere, and politics. We help journalists find alternative viewpoints, we organise campaigns, and we respond to government consultations and reviews. We also work with other voluntary and part-time groups to provide support and publicity for their campaigns.

What are Digital Rights?
New technology transforms how we speak, live and meet. ‘Digital rights’ cover traditional civil liberties - such as free speech, privacy and open association - and consumer rights in the digital environment.

The response to the opportunities posed by new technology has often been marred by ignorance and overreaction. The civil liberties as well as the technological and creative opportunities of future generations are at risk when the impact of technology is poorly understood by decision-makers. Protecting and promoting digital rights involves defending innovation, defending consumer rights, and most importantly of all, defending individual human rights, as they will be in our new, networked age.

What role does the Executive Director play?
ORG currently has two part-time positions: an Executive Director and an Operations Manager. We are expanding the role of the Executive Director to a full-time position. We have an active and committed cadre of smart, dedicated and tech-savvy volunteers who support both the Executive Director and Operations Manager in the execution of ORG duties, from building websites to doing essential research and media monitoring. Staff members can also call upon the resources of an involved and experienced Board, as well as an Advisory Council of experts in technology, law, and the internet.

However, for the day to day running of ORG, the Executive Director is in control, working closely with the Operations Manager who currently works two days per week. The current Executive Director will become a Board member, so the new Executive Director will have both a hand-over period and the support of two people familiar with ORG issues, campaigns, volunteers, and staff.

The role requires a self-starter, someone who can set their own goals, delegate and prioritise, and work to build and improve the organization even as he or she runs its daily operations. It is a challenging role, but the rewards are considerable. The Executive Director has a chance to see a direct and public effect on contemporary policy, personal visibility in the UK and world stage, as well as meeting, working and innovating with some of the smartest and creative minds in the worlds of law, policy and activism.

Exec Director Job Specification
The ORG Executive Director’s job is to continue to build the UK’s first sustainable, supporter-funded digital rights NGO, and to drive better understanding and policy in matters that affect both businesses and the public.

The Executive Director needs to be a passionate and professional person, and a self-starter who will be the keystone of ORG’s activities. He or she needs to maintain and increase the momentum achieved during ORG’s launch phase.

The Executive Director will be responsible for:

* Maintaining a sustainable organisation in terms of numbers of members and staff, participation, income, public profile and reputation.
* Prepare and execute ORG’s strategy based on a balance of media work, and policy influence.
* Increase the public’s understanding of, and engagement with, a range of digital rights issues.

The Executive Director will be the central point of contact and responsibility for all of ORG’s operations. The Executive Director can hire and manage staff, and contract in outside help within a budget framework signed off by the Board.

The Executive Director’s should manage, delegate, and take responsibility for the following core elements of ORG’s remit:

* Business Activities
o Drafting and executing business strategy.
o Day-to-day decision-making on running ORG.
o Marketing strategy, and implementing marketing and communications work.
o Staff management: defining and monitoring roles and tasks; hiring.
o Volunteer management and liaison.
o Advisory Council and Board liaison, meeting administration.
o Establishing and monitoring operational processes.
o Record-keeping: media contacts, subscribers and other income, expenses.
o Media monitoring.
o Dealing with general correspondence.
o Website content and project management.

* Financial
o Corporate fundraising.
o Grant applications.
o Budgeting and financial strategy.
o Day-to-day financial management: working with book-keeper, accountant and treasurer.
o Recording and reporting; cashflow forecasts.
o Ensuring tax responsibilities are forecast and met.

* Supporters
o Recruitment and retention.
o Relations and liaison.
o Communications, including blog, mailing lists and newsletters.

* Campaign management
o Event planning and organisation: speaker selection, venues, promotion.
o Campaign planning and implementation.
o Campaign website content and project management.

* External affairs
o Maintaining strong relations with existing voluntary and non-profit groups.
o Government and policy (including think-tank) relations: attendance at seminars, launches, briefings.
o Public consultations: monitoring, submissions.

Communications
The Executive Director will also be responsible for communications, but as an interim measure to ease handover, the outgoing Executive Director is willing to retain the following responsibilities until the incoming Executive Director is ready to take them on. It may be possible for the Executive Director to recruit a Communications Director to take over aspect of this role if budget and need are identified.

* Press relations
o Media enquiries
o Writing press releases
o Journalist liaison
o Giving interviews
* Blogging
* Podcasting
* White papers

Operations Manager
The Executive Director will be responsible for the Operations Manager, whose current role is:

* General admin.
* Event administration and organisation.
* General correspondance.
* Supporter liaison.
* Drafting supporter newsletter.
* Basic financial administration.
* Some basic volunteer liaison.

Volunteers
ORG has a vibrant and passionate core of volunteers, who currently have taken responsibility for:

* Technical administration of websites, hosting and email lists.
* Website design and build.
* Research.
* Media monitoring.
* Event organisation.
* Legal advice and oversight.
* Wiki editing.

Role of the Board and Advisory Council
Some members of the Board have hands-on roles, and have taken responsibility for:

* Company administration: Companies House, preparation of accounts, tax affairs, data protection.

In general the role of Board members is to:

* Attend Board and Advisory Council meetings.
* Discuss and decide on strategy.
* Discuss and decide on immediate policy.

The Advisory Council, made up of a number of digital rights experts, are responsible for providing guidance on policy and campaign priorities. They meet quarterly, and are available to provide advice and talk to the media when necessary.

Skills and experience
The ideal Executive Director should have skills and experiences in these areas:

* Management experience, preferably for a NGO/not-for-profit or start-up.
* Expertise, or the willingness to acquire expertise across the full range of digital rights issues.
* Media, public communications and campaigning work.
* Knowledge of law or public affairs strongly valued.
* Experience of internet-based communications and management tools (including Wordpress, MediaWiki and Socialtext) highly beneficial.

The Executive Director will need to have the equipment and ability to work from home. You do not need to be based in London, but must be able to travel in for meetings and events at least two or three times a month, and for scheduled meetings, events etc.

Package

* Negotiable
* Full time

Performance related elements:

* Salary rising to £35k when we have 1500 recurring supporters.
* Additional annual payments of percentage of grant income and sponsorship income achieved (4%).