FIXED-TERM, FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
LIAISON
Student Task Force
Multiple Locations Considered
Application Deadline: July 9, 2023

Human Rights Watch (HRW) advances human rights worldwide by investigating wrongs, exposing facts, offering solutions, and challenging those with power to respect rights. The Student Task Force (STF) is a HRW sponsored youth leadership-training program that brings together high school students and empowers them to advocate for the human rights of children. HRW STF staff and STF teachers partner to mentor students in leadership skills and activism, fostering confidence and maturity among students, enabling them to become effective voices for change and social justice within their communities. STF works with school communities in-person in the Los Angeles areas and virtually nation-wide.

For more information on the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, please visit www.hrwstf.org.

Position Overview:

HRW STF seeks a Liaison to develop and implement plans to engage a growing constituency of high school students and teachers around the country, with special attention to under-served students in schools with inadequate resources for human rights education. The Liaison will also create digital human rights education programming and toolkits in support of the STF’s annual advocacy campaigns.

STF is looking for a candidate who believes in the potential of high school students to become great leaders and advocates. The successful candidate has demonstrated experience communicating with, motivating, and instilling confidence in high school age youth and educators who participate in our weekly meetings. The candidate must be innovative, a creative thinker with proven leadership, organization, writing and research skills. They should have strong project management skills and be detail oriented. This is an opportunity to help expand HRW’s human rights education advocacy efforts and mobilize the next generation of human rights advocates on the most pressing human rights issues of the day.

The fixed-term position will continue through June 30, 2024 and ideally be located in one of HRW’s US offices (Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, Los Angeles, or New York), though other locations in the United States would also be considered. The Liaison reports to the STF Senior Manager, based in Los Angeles.

The successful candidate may have the option to work remotely. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position.

Responsibilities:

1. Develop and implement plans to recruit high school students and educators to STF;

2. Develop advocacy and human rights education materials (online toolkits) for student activities;

3. Oversee advocacy projects and leadership development at various schools in-person and virtually;

4. Organize in-person and virtual special events, including student human rights leadership workshops, awareness building events, and human rights education workshops for students and educators;

5. Manage communication with students, teachers, volunteers, and human rights organizations, utilizing online communication tools and basic website maintenance;

6. Provide administrative support including writing, proofreading, formatting and distributing materials; scheduling, preparing materials for, and facilitating meetings; and responding to inquiries;

7. Support fundraising research and help draft grant proposals and other related materials;

8. Work with STF team to develop and implement strategic vision of the STF program as an important component of Human Rights Watch; and

9. Perform other tasks as required.

Qualifications:

Candidate Profile: The successful candidate will be a highly skilled, motivated, and innovative problem-solver, with a proven track-record of outreach, human rights activism and student engagement.

Education: A bachelor’s degree in a related field is required. An advanced (graduate) degree in education or human rights is a plus. Candidates with equivalent training/experience, extensive relevant experience, and a passion for human rights work are also encouraged to apply.

Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of experience in the human rights field, human rights education and/or youth engagement is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

1. Experience working with middle school, high school and/or university students is required.

2. Demonstrated experience recruiting students and educators is required.

3. Ability to work well under pressure and to manage multiple priorities, working effectively towards deadlines is required.

4. Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively in a team setting is required.

5. Quick learner, creative thinker, and the ability to take initiative is required.

6. Excellent written and oral communications skills in English are required; proficiency in Spanish, or at least one other language in addition to English is desirable.

7. Experience in the human rights field or in a related area is required.

8. Mastery of MS Office applications, Google Suite, and databases is required.

9. Experience with web design, web analytics, generating social media content, and the use of multimedia is preferred.

10. Understanding of development and fundraising from individual and/or foundations is required; grant writing experience is a plus.

11. Proven research and report generating skills is required.

12. Commitment to HRW’s mission and human rights values is required.

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. This position is based in the United States and the salary range would be UDS 62,000-65,000. Salary ranges outside of the United States vary based on location.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by July 9, 2023 by visiting our online job portal at https://www.hrw.org/careers. Please submit a letter of interest, resume, contact information for three professional references, and a sample lesson plan/curriculum/advocacy toolkit you have developed, preferably as PDF files. 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, or if you require a disability-related accommodation, please email [email protected]. 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 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.