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Description: This is a full-time appointment in HRW’s Europe and Central Asia (“ECA”) division, to be based in Moscow. The researcher will be responsible for developing and implementing research and advocacy agendas focusing on Russia and, depending on the researcher's expertise and the ECA division's needs, for monitoring violations in one or two other countries in the former Soviet Union.
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Monitoring, investigating and documenting human rights abuses in Russia and one or two other countries of the former Soviet Union based on fact-finding field investigations as well as information gathered from other sources;
- Maintaining working relationships with local and regional human rights activists, journalists, diplomats and others;
- Developing local, regional and international advocacy strategies to generate pressure for improvements in practices in Russia and other countries in the region;
- Working with local groups and activists, including through coalition work and campaigns with local groups;
- Expanding contacts with government officials and human rights groups in the target countries, international organizations, the diplomatic community and multilateral institutions based in the region;
- Developing media strategies to highlight human rights issues in the region;
- Producing, in a concise, accurate and timely manner, a range of written documents including detailed reports, shorter briefing memos, press releases, op-eds and letters to officials;
- Responding promptly to queries from the press, the public and colleagues in the human rights community; and
- Other responsibilities as may be assigned.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have expertise on the region as well as familiarity with the institutions of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the European Convention, the Court of Human Rights and related case law. Strongly preferred are an advanced (graduate) degree in international relations, related regional studies, journalism, law or another related field; several years of field experience in human rights, ideally in one or more of the target countries; proven experience as an effective writer and communicator; and a demonstrated commitment to international human rights. He or she should have a fluent command of Russian and excellent writing and communications skills in English.
The researcher must be able to identify, research, analyze and effectively communicate important human rights developments in the area of specialty in a timely and sophisticated fashion, setting priorities based on perceptive analysis of critical emerging issues that are important and susceptible to influence. The researcher must be an agile and productive writer and dynamic speaker with accurate, analytically sophisticated, and persuasive oral and written communications skills. He or she must be able to think strategically about the global and local media environments and how to use the press and electronic media to further advocacy goals, maintaining regular contact with key local, national and international contacts relevant to the researcher’s issues. He or she must be able to develop and implement realistic and effective local and international advocacy strategies and tactics in order to identify and seize advocacy opportunities and thus insert HRW’s position into public debate. Creativity, initiative, perseverance, and flexibility are required while maintaining HRW’s high methodological standards.
The successful applicant should be prepared to travel extensively for research and advocacy purposes. He or she must be prepared to spend significant periods of time in HRW’s New York headquarters, particularly in the first year of employment for purposes of orientation, integration into the organization, and training, and thereafter for regular consultation.
Salary and Benefits: Human Rights Watch seeks exceptional candidates and offers competitive compensation and generous employer-paid benefits. HRW will pay reasonable relocation expenses and will assist employees in obtaining the necessary work authorization.
PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY (no calls or email inquiries, please) by emailing a letter of interest, resume, names and contact information for references, and a brief writing sample (unedited by others) no later than July 8, 2008 to eca@hrw.org. Please use “Russia Researcher Application” as the subject of your email. Only complete applications will be reviewed. It is preferred that all materials be submitted via email. If emailing is not possible, send materials (please do not split a submission between email and regular post) to:
Human Rights Watch
Attn: Search Committee (Russia Researcher)
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Fax: (212) 736-1300
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Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.
Human Rights Watch began in 1978 with the founding of its Europe and Central Asia division (then known as Helsinki Watch). Its primary goal was to monitor the implementation of human rights provisions established by the Helsinki Accords within the Soviet Union. Today, the division's work has expanded well beyond monitoring the Helsinki provisions to include gathering detailed information on human rights abuses throughout Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. In addition to publishing reliable and comprehensive reports, the ECA division effects change through advocacy. The ECA holds accountable not only governments who abuse internationally recognized human rights, but also those who support abusive governments. The ECA division seeks to expand the implementation of human rights law in all of Europe and Central Asia.
