FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
Senior
Advocate
United
States Program
Washington
DC Office
Application
Deadline: July 23, 2021
The United States Program of Human Rights
Watch (“HRW”) is seeking someone thoughtful and collaborative to be an advocate
and strategist with policymakers, partners, and other relevant actors in
Washington, DC and occasionally in key states as the Senior Advocate. Rights abuses
in the United States disproportionately impact Black people, people of color, indigenous
people, people from working class backgrounds, immigrants, women, and LGBTQIA+
people. Because we believe these communities must be centered in the work we
do, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or
other related lived experiences.
The Senior Advocate will be part of a
dynamic team in the US Program, which aims to center the inherent
dignity of human beings impacted by systemic racism as reflected in the
policies of US federal, state, and local governments. Our team’s specific
advocacy aims currently focus on the overarching need to achieve racial equity
in the United States within the criminal legal and immigration systems and via broader
reparative justice measures. Our
investigations and partnership building become the basis for strategic advocacy
to press those in power to effect changes in laws and policies that respect
fundamental rights.
The Advocate should be a creative and
strategic thinker with substantive experience advocating on racial justice and
equity, criminal legal system abuses, and/or immigrants’ rights in the United
States. The Advocate will be a part of project teams that aim to effect key
substantive goals in policymaking in Congress, with the Executive Branch, and
occasionally at the state level. As part of this work the Advocate will be
responsible for nurturing and strengthening partnerships; developing and
maintaining relationships with staff people and principals in key policymaking
offices; speaking to the media, producing analytical written products to
further advocacy goals; and communicating with HRW colleagues about
opportunities for partnership and advocacy impact primarily in Washington. This
position is based in Washington, DC, and reports to the US Program’s Executive
Director.
Due to COVID-19, many of
our global offices are currently closed or operating in reduced capacities. The
successful candidate may be required to work remotely initially or if local
requirements mandate it. We recognize that this moment, during the pandemic, is
a uniquely difficult time for most people, particularly those with caregiving
responsibilities, and we aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in
both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position.
Responsibilities:
1.
Contribute
to setting overall strategic goals and objectives for the US Program’s work on
racial equity in the United States and ending systemic racism, with a focus on the
immigration and criminal legal systems, and the need for reparative justice;
2.
Build
working relationships with policymakers, partner organizations, and other
relevant actors in Washington, DC, to generate support for human
rights-respecting US domestic policies;
3.
Develop
and implement advocacy strategies in consultation with directly-impacted
people, partner organizations, and HRW colleagues on a range of domestic
issues, including racial justice and equity, immigration, the criminal legal
system, all forms of discrimination, and other issues as needed due to a
changing external environment and organizational priorities;
4.
Work
with colleagues to analyze federal policies impacting racial equity, including
in the areas of immigration and the criminal legal system, among others;
5.
Build,
maintain, repair, and grow partnerships that can successfully advance racial
equity and human rights results;
6.
Present
the research and recommendations of the US program in public fora and speak on
behalf of the US program to the media and general public;
7.
Meet
regularly and develop strong working relationships with government officials,
policymakers, representatives of international institutions, and other
important actors;
8.
Prepare
a range of written materials, including policy and bill analyses, regulatory
comments, advocacy letters and other related documents targeting officials and
the public;
9.
Influence
policy debates by writing press releases, op-eds, and blog postings, and using
social media;
10.
Work
with other rights organizations including through coalitions and with unlikely
allies and develop contacts with journalists in a variety of media;
11.
Keep
abreast of pertinent legislative and policy developments and advise colleagues
of important changes;
12.
Travel
within the United States and internationally, as required for internal meetings
and advocacy opportunities; and
13.
Perform
other tasks as required.
Qualifications:
Education: An advanced degree
in public policy, journalism, law, or related studies is required. This requirement
may be waived in lieu of additional years of experience.
Experience: A minimum of seven
years of relevant experience in nongovernmental organizations,
intergovernmental organizations, or governments working to influence domestic
US policies relevant to human rights issues is required.
Related Skills and Knowledge:
1.
Advocacy
experience and experience designing and implementing successful advocacy
initiatives.
2.
Extensive
knowledge of human rights/civil rights issues in the US, ideally related to one
or more of: racial justice and equity, immigration, and the criminal legal
system.
3.
Ample
experience designing and managing multiple programs, building, and sustaining
partnerships, and coordinating with diverse stakeholder communities.
4.
Experience
with and ability to develop and sustain relationships through regular targeted
communications, with attention to timely responsiveness and delivering needed
expertise to policymakers and their staff people.
5.
Ability
to defend and persuasively explain complex issues and positions to
intergovernmental bodies as well as staff, including senior officials.
6.
A
track record of dealing with the media and cultivating relationships with
unlikely allies and journalists.
7.
Demonstrated
ability to think creatively and strategically.
8.
Ability
to communicate well orally and in writing in English; proficiency in another
language is desirable.
9.
A
commitment to advancing racial justice and equity, experience working with
low-income communities of color to develop and implement solutions, and a
well-developed practice of analyzing the equity impacts of policies,
activities, and decisions on race, class, and other group identities.
10.
Strong
interpersonal skills to work collaboratively and as part of a team and with
external partners.
11.
Ability
to work individually and multi-task effectively, and have strong
communications, networking, planning and organizing skills, and the ability to
work well under pressure.
Salary
and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and
offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. HRW offers a relocation assistance package and
will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required;
citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply: Please apply immediately
or by July 23, 2021 by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and
attaching a letter of interest and CV or resume. No calls or email inquiries,
please. Only complete applications will be reviewed, and only shortlisted
candidates will be contacted.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your
application submission, please email . Due to the large
response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries
regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.
Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We
actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all
backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of
disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and
ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We
welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents
and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and come from a wide
span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights
Watch is an equal opportunity employer.
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.
