DEPUTY WASHINGTON DIRECTOR

DEPUTY WASHINGTON DIRECTOR
Advocacy Division
(Washington, DC Office)
Application Deadline: May 24, 2012

Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking highly qualified applicants for the position of Deputy Washington Director in the Advocacy Division to assist with the development and implementation of advocacy strategies on the full range of countries and US foreign policy issues addressed by Human Rights Watch. This position reports to the Washington Director.

Responsibilities:

1. Conduct advocacy with officials in the executive branch, including the State Department, National Security Council, and Pentagon, and with members of Congress and their staffs;

2. Lead HRW’s advocacy in Washington on selected issues, as defined in consultation with the Washington Director;

3. Partner with HRW divisions and researchers to identify and create opportunities that support their advocacy efforts involving the US government, and engage in sustained follow-up on such initiatives;

4. Conduct research on US foreign policy issues and draft position papers, letters, and background memoranda;

5. Monitor U.S. foreign policy relating to human rights within both the executive and legislative branches of government, identify opportunities and keep HRW’s programmatic staff informed and up-to-date on developments;

6. Support HRW’s efforts to engage the Washington press corps regarding our work;

7. Help to coordinate and bring together the staff of HRW’s Washington, DC office with respect to advocacy efforts across divisions and other organizational activities;

8. Work with non-governmental organizations and represent HRW in various NGO settings and coalitions in which HRW participates;

9. Assist with the supervision of advocacy interns working in HRW’s Washington, DC office; and

10. Carry out other duties as may be delegated or assigned by the Director.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: An advanced (graduate) degree in international relations, journalism, law, or social science is required.

Experience: Significant human rights experience and expertise and a demonstrated commitment to human rights are required. Minimum seven years of relevant advocacy experience is required. Substantial knowledge of the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government, and direct experience working within or with the U.S. government is strongly desired.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

1. Excellent speaking, writing, and editing skills in English are required.

2. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and proven track record of advocacy experience is required.

3. Track record of dealing with the media and cultivating relationships with journalists is required.

4. Ability to defend and explain complex issues and positions to government officials, lawmakers, and the media is required.

5. Strong interpersonal skills in order to work collaboratively within HRW as well as with local partners, government officials and external media partners are required.

6. Ability to think creatively, initiate projects, and follow through on plans is required.

7. Capacity to appropriately plan, prioritize and manage multiple, sometimes competing demands efficiently in a challenging, fast-paced environment is required.

8. Fluency in additional language is advantageous.

9. Experience conducting human rights work in other countries and in non-profit settings is strongly desired.

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.

Contact: Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, salary requirements, a brief writing sample (unedited by others), and contact information for three references to advocacy.hire@hrw.org. Please use “Deputy Director Ref ADV-12-1022-A” as the subject of your email.

Only complete applications will be reviewed and only qualified candidates will be contacted.

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.