Description: The Researcher will monitor, investigate, and document human rights violations in DRC (with a focus on eastern Congo) and will write concise, accurate, and compelling briefing memos, reports, and press releases. The Researcher will help to develop an advocacy strategy for DRC and conduct advocacy both nationally and internationally to bring human rights violations to the attention of Congolese authorities and the international community and press for change. S/he will also engage with regional governments, the African Union, donor governments, the European Union, and intergovernmental organizations to promote human rights reforms. The Researcher will work with Congolese human rights groups in gathering, analyzing, and presenting information and in supporting their advocacy and outreach capacity. S/he will organize and supervise Human Rights Watch's field office in Goma and will respond promptly to internal and external inquiries on the human rights situation in Congo. This is an initial one year appointment, with the possibility of extension.
The Researcher will be based in Human Rights Watch's Goma office after a period of training of around one month in HRW's New York or London offices.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have at least two years of experience working on human rights issues in DRC or in the Great Lakes region of Africa as well as a background in field-based human rights work in the region. S/he will be flexible, able to demonstrate strong political judgment based on regional knowledge and experience working in a politically sensitive conflict environment. An advanced (graduate) degree in international relations, journalism, law, history or the social sciences is required.
The successful candidate must be able to identify, research, analyze, and effectively communicate important human rights developments in a timely, sophisticated fashion. S/he must be adept at setting priorities based on a perceptive analysis of critical emerging human rights issues in DRC that Human Rights Watch can best address. The candidate must be an agile and productive writer and compelling speaker with impeccable oral and written communication skills in English and French. 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, UN 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 the senior researcher on DRC and the Great Lakes team, 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 in Africa.
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 IMMEDIATELY by emailing in a single submission a letter of interest describing your experience, your resume, salary requirements, names and contact details for references, copy of your transcript(s) and/or degree certificate(s), and a brief writing sample (unedited by others) no later than August 26, 2011 to africajobs@hrw.org. Please use "DRC Researcher Application Ref AFR-11-1042-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 Watch
Attn: Search Committee (DRC Researcher Ref AFR-11-1042-A)
First Floor, Audrey House
16-20 Ely Place
London EC1N 6SN, United Kingdom
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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