To Aid in Outreach to Platform Accountability Organizations about the Dangers of Big Tech’s “Digital Trade” Agenda

The Trade Justice Education Fund is a nonprofit organization that sponsors public education programs designed to expand awareness about the consumer, labor, environmental, civil rights and public health implications of U.S. trade policy.

One of Trade Justice’s current campaigns involves spotlighting Big Tech’s attempts to insert binding rules into pending trade agreements that would restrict or even in some instances forbid enactment and enforcement of a range of platform accountability policies in the United States and globally. This includes online privacy, data security, AI accountability, worker rights, anti-monopoly and other public interest policies.

Trade Justice is seeking a Platform Accountability Consultant to aid in its outreach to platform accountability research and advocacy organizations and other platform accountability experts about so-called “digital trade” proposals’ potential threats to sound oversight and regulation of the digital arena.

Primary Responsibilities

The primary focus of work will be to educate more platform accountability advocacy organizations and experts about “digital trade” and to facilitate ongoing information-sharing and relationship-building between their staff and Trade Justice Education Fund staff.  This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Scheduling and conducting meetings with platform accountability organizations, academics, foundations and other experts in the field to get them up-to-speed on the latest “digital trade” preemption threats;
  • Preparing materials to aid in that outreach and education — including, but not necessarily limited to, a series of issue-specific factsheets on different elements of Big Tech’s “digital trade” agenda;
  • Making introductions between interested platform accountability experts and Trade Justice staff, and providing lay-of-the-land advice to help new relationships flourish;
  • Recruiting participation from platform accountability organizations in cross-sector coordinating meetings on combatting “digital trade” threats;
  • Securing invitations to and, where appropriate, representing Trade Justice during platform accountability coordinating meetings, conferences, workshops, strategy sessions, funder briefings and related meetings; and
  • Advising on and executing additional strategies to help meet Trade Justice’s goals, and assisting with other related tasks as they arise.

Qualifications

A successful candidate for this consultancy will possess:

  • Documented experience working in platform accountability, including strong existing relationships with leading organizations and experts in the field, knowledge of groups’ current advocacy priorities, and an ability to tap into platform accountability networks and coordinating spaces;
  • A proven ability to translate wonky policy concepts into easily-digestible written materials, such as fact sheets, sign-on letters, blog posts, email alerts and the like (with writing samples provided upon request);
  • Familiarity with the “digital trade” preemption threat; and
  • Near immediate part-time availability, continuing at least over the next four months.

Compensation

This is a part-time consulting contract estimated at 6 to 8 hours per week for which Trade Justice has budgeted $20,000 over the course of four months, with an opportunity for possible contract extensions.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter and any additional materials of your choosing to digital@tradejusticeedfund.org as soon as possible.  We will consider applications until the position is filled.  No calls please.

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