ARMS ASSOCIATE

FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
ASSOCIATE
(administrative – not legal – position)
Arms Division
(Washington, DC Office)
Application Deadline: July 10, 2013

Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking an Associate to provide administrative and clerical assistance to its Arms Division. The Arms Division currently focuses its work on cluster munitions, antipersonnel landmines, fully autonomous weapons, and incendiary weapons. The position reports to the division’s Executive Director.

Responsibilities:

1. Serving as a member of the editorial team for the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor including, drafting letters to governments to solicit information, conducting research for and drafting country profile reports, and creating factsheets;

2. Assisting with the recently-launched Campaign to Stop Killer Robots by maintaining a database of media and advocacy targets, drafting correspondence and distributing advocacy materials, and coordinating the campaign’s activities with other civil society organizations;

3. Maintaining good communication among HRW’s domestic and international offices, as well as with international coalitions such as the Cluster Munition Coalition and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines;

4. Preparing, drafting, editing, formatting and distributing documents such as news releases, reports, tables, charts, briefing papers, op‑eds, publications and web content;

5. Assisting with special events and conferences;

6. Arranging advocacy meetings;

7. Assisting with research, electronic clipping, wires and translations;

8. Assisting with advisory committee matters and special events;

9. Retrieving and responding to requests for information;

10. Scheduling, making travel arrangements and preparing for and taking minutes at meetings;

11. Creating and maintaining extensive filing and archiving systems;

12. Recruiting and coordinating interns;

13. Recording departmental finances;

14. Word processing; photocopying; filing; faxing; answering phones; processing incoming mail;

15. Providing administrative and clerical assistance supporting the Arms division in all of the above; and

16. Carrying out other duties as required.

Qualifications:

Education:  Bachelor’s degree in International Relations or a related field is required.

Experience:  Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience.

Related Skills and Knowledge: 

1. Prior office/administration experience and strong organizational skills.

2. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

3. Proficiency in other languages, in particular French, Spanish, or Arabic is highly preferred.

4. Strong interest in international human rights.

5. Strong interpersonal skills.

6. Self-motivated, extremely well-organized and detail-oriented.

7. Ability to work well under pressure while juggling multiple tasks simultaneously.

8. Ability to make sound decisions consistent with functions.

9. Ability to prioritize with minimal supervision and work independently as well as function as a member of a team.

10. Proficiency in computer packages including MS Office applications.

Other: Applicants for this position must possess current US work authorization valid for a minimum of two years from start date.

Salary and Benefits:  Salary range starts at $41,519.  Human Rights Watch offers comprehensive employer-paid benefits, including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, an outstanding retirement savings plan and twenty (20) days vacation per year.

Contact: Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a brief writing sample (unedited by others), and contact information for three references to armsjobs@hrw.org.  Please use “Associate Ref:ARMS-13-1022-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.

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.