Ukraine Human Rights Associate

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW:

Fortify Rights is an award-winning team of human rights defenders working to ensure human rights for all. We investigate human rights violations, engage people with power on solutions, and strengthen human rights defenders and communities affected by violations. We believe in the influence of evidence-based research, the power of strategic truth-telling, and the importance of working in close collaboration with individuals, communities, and movements pushing for change. Fortify Rights is an independent, nonprofit organization registered in the United States and Switzerland.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Human Rights Associate conducts independent human rights research and documentation, advocates for change with decision-makers and relevant stakeholders, and facilitates technical support, access to opportunities, and protection for human rights defenders and affected communities. They provide country-based knowledge and lead the strategic direction of Fortify Rights’ work within the countries where they work. The Human Rights Associate monitors human rights developments and serves as a focal point for representing the team and providing credible information on human rights concerns. The Human Rights Associate is a member of Fortify Rights’s country team and receives strategic guidance and technical support from all other teams, including Fortify Rights’s team of directors, technical team, operations team, creative media team, etc..

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• In collaboration with Fortify Rights’s relevant team members, develop a concrete and coherent country strategy aimed at ensuring human rights for all through independent research and documentation, multi-level stakeholder engagement, and customized support to human rights defenders.
• Identify and investigate priority human rights issues through interviews, focus group discussions, site visits, document collection, secondary research, and other forms of both qualitative and quantitative evidence collection in line with best practices.
• Analyze and document human rights violations through written material and audio/visual mediums—in collaboration with the Multimedia Specialist—for both public and private distribution. Provide sound analysis of research findings within the framework of international human rights and humanitarian law along with concrete recommendations to address specific violations.
• Monitor human rights practices and serve as a credible, reliable source of human rights information, both internally and externally.
• Draft and edit original written material, including internal or private memorandums, letters to governments or other stakeholders, press releases, long-form reports, submissions to the United Nations or other international bodies, op-eds, articles, and/or blogs, in a timely manner.
• Conduct strategic advocacy with government officials, elected representatives, members of the diplomatic community, representatives of U.N. and other international agencies, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and other key decision-makers, influencers, and stakeholders with a view towards addressing human rights concerns and improving the human rights situation.
• Represent the organization on human rights issues. Engage regularly with local and mainstream news media outlets, including online, print, television, radio, and other platforms. Respond in a timely and professional manner to requests for comments, interviews, and assistance from members of the media.
• Develop positive and supportive relationships with human rights defenders, organizations, and affected communities. Identify key partners to work with on a sustained basis to strengthen local responses to human rights abuses.
• Work with human rights allies and partners to identify objectives and develop strategies, reinforce strengths, and address weaknesses. Develop and conduct tailored training and participatory workshops, assist with research and documentation efforts, and implement other tasks to respond to the needs identified by partners.
• Work closely with the development and executive team to contribute to fundraising and monitoring and evaluation processes. Contribute to timely reporting through regular monitoring and reporting on project activities and support the Partnerships Manager in tracking and gathering data to evaluate the progress of projects.
• Work closely in collaboration with the Fortify Rights team to ensure effectiveness, scale the organization’s impact, and ensure sustainability.
• Perform other tasks as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Post-graduate degree in relevant fields or comparable work experience. Law degree preferred. At least five years of experience in human rights research, documentation, strategic advocacy, and engagement.
• Excellent knowledge on the human rights situation in Ukraine. Experience researching and analyzing complex human rights issues. Demonstrated ability to produce high quality written material in a timely manner.
• Solid understanding of human rights and humanitarian law, and ability to apply human rights and humanitarian law frameworks to documented situations of abuse.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of people, including survivors and witnesses of abuse, media, government and high-ranking officials, U.N. and non-governmental organization representatives, and others. Ability to represent the organization both publicly and privately, particularly on human rights issues in Ukraine.
• Excellent public-speaking skills and ability to engage local and mainstream media outlets on human rights issues.
• Experience working collaboratively and effectively with human rights defenders and affected communities. Ability to develop and facilitate participatory trainings and workshops and provide ongoing technical support to human rights defenders and partner organizations.
• Excellent writing, organizational, and time management skills. Ability to work independently and as part of a flexibly structured team. A willingness to learn and contribute to a positive team environment. Strong creative-thinking, organization, problem-solving, and time management skills. Demonstration of sound judgement and ability to take initiative.
• Willingness to travel within Europe and to Southeast Asia. This may include travel to remote and potentially insecure areas.
• Fluency in written and oral English and Ukrainian required.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Fortify Rights is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible team, actively seeks a diverse pool of applicants.