Job Description

The organization
(PPLAAF) is an NGO based in France, with a presence in Senegal and South Africa. Staffed by experienced lawyers and journalists, PPLAAF offers legal services and advice to whistleblowers seeking to disclose information on issues in the public interest. PPLAAF seeks to protect and defend whistleblowers and strategically litigate and advocate on their behalf where their disclosures speak to the public interest of African citizens.
Since its creation in 2017, PPLAAF has supported dozens of whistleblowers from CEOs to security personnel, bankers, and civil servants. PPLAAF has relocated families and provided asylum for them, conducted risk assessments, worked with governments and law enforcement officials, created international investigative collaborations, and constructed lawsuits in support of NGOs. PPLAAFs work permitted the disclosure of large-scale economic crimes such as the Luanda Leaks, the Lumumba Papers, and the Congo Hold-Up investigations, amongst others.
PPLAAF has been working in Southern Africa since 2017, protecting high-profile whistleblowers exposing state corruption, ensuring relevant disclosure of their findings, advocating for an effective legal framework to protect whistleblowers, and organising outreach events in Southern Africa.
The Role
PPLAAF is a rapidly growing organisation with ambitious objectives for the years to come, is seeking a Project Officer for Southern Africa to implement PPLAAFs strategy and activities in the Southern African region.
In close relationship with the Southern African Regional Director, the project officer will play a crucial role in executing and managing PPLAAFs projects in Southern Africa, including working with Whistleblowers, monitoring ongoing litigation cases, implementing advocacy campaigns, organizing events, and articulating PPLAAFs messages to partners, institutions or media.
The position is full-time based in South Africa with a preference for working from Johannesburg. The start date is April 2025 and may be flexible based on availability of the selected candidate.
Job Responsibilities
Whistleblowers Protection

• Receiving, engaging, and following up on requests for support from whistleblowers.
• Participating in preliminary investigations to determine the credibility of whistleblowers;
• Providing assistance to whistleblowers -,including legal, media, and logistical aspects;
• Coordinating and supervising the support (media, legal, administrative, and financial) provided to whistleblowers.
• Undertaking research when needed;
• Maintaining and updating the Whistleblower database;
• Ensuring strict record keeping of all documentation of Whistleblowers.

Investigation and Media campaigning

• Actively engaging in investigations by PPLAAF and its partners and in the legal actions taken based on the disclosures made by whistleblowers;
• Contributing to reports regarding whistleblowers disclosures or whistleblower protection frameworks.

Advocacy and Awareness-raising

• Organising and coordinating awareness-raising activities regarding investigations carried out by PPLAAF and its partners aimed at strengthening whistleblower protection and maximising the impact of their disclosures (such as workshops, conferences, webinars, etc.);
• Representing PPLAAF to its partners (NGOs, civil society, authorities of a country, lawyers, journalists, etc.) and maintaining these relationships;
• Building and developing strong partnerships with civil society organizations;
• Attending meetings on behalf of PPLAAF.

Transversal tasks

• Participating in the administrative and financial management of PPLAAF, including preparing grant applications, activity reports, narrative reports, and financial reports;
• Participating in the recruitment process and overseeing interns recruited at PPLAAF;
• Carrying out other tasks requested by PPLAAF that fall within the scope of this contract.

Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a Civil Society Organisation or adjacent field working on similar topics (anti-corruption, transparency, investigation, protection of civic space, etc.),
• Degree in a related field : Law, journalism, political sciences, etc.
• Strong project management skills;
• Ability to define and achieve objectives independently and to work with limited supervision on a wide variety of priorities;
• Ability to prioritise and good time management;
• Understanding and commitment to PPLAAFs vision and mission;
• Knowledge of whistleblower protection law and landscape would be advantageous;
• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written (excellent report & proposal writing), including public speaking;
• Good personal skills;
• Willingness and ability to travel nationally and internationally;
• Ability to work in an international environment with different time zones, which sometimes requires working flexible hours;
• Languages other than English would be an advantage.