Job Description
Job Title: Policy
Officer
Post number: 81202
Role group: Officer / Expert
Cooperates with: Senior Policy Advisor; interns
Reports to: Senior Policy Advisor
Location: IFLA Headquarters
Date: December 2008
Job Purpose
Works on IFLA’s international advocacy work of education,
relationship building and interventions in relation to strategic
advocacy themes. In particular, the Policy Officer will be responsible
for participating in formulating IFLA policy in relation to the
publishing industry and copyright and other legal matters, placing
emphasis on fair and balanced copyright frameworks that enable
libraries to provide equitable access to information to their users.
Key Areas of Responsibility / Main
Tasks
- Liaising with the Senior Policy Advisor and appropriate IFLA
Officers to undertake IFLA’s advocacy activities, within
identified strategic advocacy themes;
- Monitoring relevant movements, international conventions and
treaties, activities of international organizations and policy
initiatives that may affect the legal frameworks in which libraries
carry out their work;
- Evaluating the potential effects of the above;
- Developing alternative policies beneficial to libraries and their
users and the drafting of IFLA statements and positions;
- Networking with partner organizations (NGO, governmental and
commercial) and within relevant international bodies;
- Assisting IFLA in its representational roles at meetings of
relevant international bodies, especially WIPO, including the
presentation and dissemination of IFLA statements and
positions;
- Educating current and potential stakeholders;
- Raising awareness within the library profession and user
communities;
- Contributing to the professional and strategic reflection within
IFLA Headquarters and in the Federation as a whole;
- Advising the IFLA Secretary General, IFLA Governing Board and
Chair of CLM on copyright strategies for libraries;
- Providing support to IFLA’s relevant committees and
advisory boards.
Personal Profile
A graduate (at least master's level) in library/information science
and/or international politics or law or other relevant discipline, able
to communicate fluently in English and at least one of the additional
official languages of IFLA (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian,
Spanish), able to work independently, and willing to travel
internationally.
Selection Criteria
The person in this position will:
- Have knowledge of international copyright and frameworks,
information law and intellectual property, in relation to
libraries;
- Have knowledge of the publishing industry and other
information/cultural/commercial agencies in the political
process;
- Be aware of the current state and future direction of library and
information services worldwide, and able to represent and lobby on
behalf of IFLA in a variety of forums;
- Be organized and able to work independently, as well as within a
small team, with diplomacy, discretion and ability to make
interventions;
- Have demonstrated good written and oral communication skills and
the ability to target style to different audiences; excellent
knowledge of English, preferably as the first language, and a good
knowledge of another of IFLA’s seven official working
languages;
- Be able to write statements supporting policy, often on the fly,
and to present submissions and papers that represent IFLA’s
positions to a variety of audiences;
- Be committed to participative management practices, workplace
diversity and to working effectively in a team environment.
