LIBYA RESEARCHER
RESEARCHER ON LIBYA (and Mauritania)
Middle East / North Africa Division
(North Africa-based)
Deadline for applications: November 15, 2011
Human Rights Watch (“HRW”)is seeking highly qualified applicants for the position ofLibya Researcher with the Middle East & North Africa Division.
Description: The Researcher will be responsible for developing and implementing a research and advocacy strategy on Libya in the context of the current crisis and beyond (and eventually will also assume responsibility for coverage of Mauritania). The Researcher will monitor, investigate, and document human rights violations in Libya and will write concise, accurate, and compelling briefing memos, reports, and press releases. The Researcher will press for change by conducting advocacy both nationally and internationally to bring human rights violations to the attention of both the Libyan government in Tripoli and the provisional governing body in Benghazi and to the international community. S/he will also engage with regional governments, the Arab League, donor governments, the European Union, and intergovernmental organizations to promote human rights reforms. The Researcher will work with Libyan and other regional human rights groups in gathering, analyzing, and presenting information and in supporting their advocacy and outreach capacity. S/he will respond promptly to internal and external inquiries on the human rights situation in that country. As the internal conflict in Libya subsides, the Researcher also will undertake these responsibilities in Mauritania.
Qualifications: A background in field-based human rights work in the region is highly desirable. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of experience working on human rights issues, ideally in the Middle East and/or North Africa. S/he must have strong research and documentation skills and be capable of producing excellent written material under tight deadlines. S/he will be able to demonstrate strong political judgment based on regional knowledge and experience working in a politically sensitive environment. An advanced (graduate) degree in international relations, journalism, law, history or the social sciences is highly preferred.
The successful candidate must be able to identify, research, analyze, and effectively communicate important human rights developments in a timely and sophisticated fashion. S/he must be adept at setting priorities based on a perceptive analysis of critical emerging human rights issues in Libya that Human Rights Watch can best address. The candidate must be equally at home interviewing bereaved victims in a sensitive manner, making compelling advocacy arguments to visiting delegations, and debating government officials in front of television cameras. The candidate must be an agile and productive writer in English and compelling speaker with strong oral and written communication skills in English and Arabic. S/he must be able to develop and implement realistic and effective local and international advocacy strategies and establish and maintain close relationships with government officials, policymakers, media contacts, civil society organizations and other key interlocutors. The individual in this position must be flexible and able to respond quickly to crises and conflicts as they occur, working in close coordination with HRW’s regional staff in Beirut, Cairo, and Jerusalem, and internationally, often under tight deadlines. The ideal candidate will be highly self-motivated, extremely well-organized, collegial, and able to work quickly and well under pressure, both independently and as a member of a team. S/he must have a demonstrated commitment to human rights. The job requires extensive travel and extensive flexibility with long working hours.
The Researcher will be based in HRW’s Cairo or Tunis office, or if circumstances permit, in Libya, after a period of training of three to six months in HRW’s New York or Washington, DC office.
Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. HRW will pay reasonable relocation expenses and will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required; citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply.
PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELYby emailing in a single submission a letter of interest describing your experience, your resume, salary requirements, names and contact details for references, and a brief writing sample (unedited by others)no later than November 15, 2011tomenajobs@hrw.org.Please use “Libya Researcher Application Ref: MENA-11-1036-A”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 WatchAttn: Search Committee (Libya Researcher Ref: MENA-11-1036-A)
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118
Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool.
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.
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