Human Rights First Fellowship Program

Human Rights First is seeking a two-year Joffe Fellow/Senior Associate for the Human Rights Defenders program in the Washington, DC office. The Human Rights Defenders program works to ensure that human rights defenders in our focus countries are able to carry out their essential function free from harm and repression, in accordance with the 1998 U.N. Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

About the Joffe Fellowship in Human Rights
The Joffe Fellowship honors the legacy of Robert Joffe, a leader of the bar who was known for his brilliance and for his unshakable commitment to human rights. Joffe served on the board of Human Rights First for over 22 years, the last five as vice chair, and was a passionate advocate for victims of injustice and oppression. He spent more than four decades at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, serving as presiding partner for seven years.

The Joffe Fellowship is open to lawyers and others with graduate degrees in public policy and human rights. We seek in them the same excellence, the high values, and the uncompromising commitment that defined Robert Joffe.

The Joffe Fellow/Senior Associate will play a key role in formulating and achieving Human Rights Defenders program goals and objectives, including with regard to issues of religious freedom; fostering relationships with human rights advocates, nongovernmental organizations, and the U.S. government; conducting advocacy; engaging in research; developing recommendations, reports, website content, press materials, and other documents; developing specific projects; assisting in efforts to raise funds to support the program; and supervising interns.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Advocate for human rights defender issues in one or more focus countries, developing and maintaining close working relationships with defenders in those countries.
• Develop and maintain relationships with other NGOs, both in the United States and internationally, to ensure effective and timely responses to threats to human rights defenders as they arise, in accordance with the priorities of the program.
• Analyze policies and practices of the United States and other governments as well as intergovernmental organizations affecting human rights defenders’ freedom of expression and association, and develop specific legal and practical recommendations to strengthen protections of these rights.
• Analyze political and other factors to determine feasible blueprints and/or roadmaps for changing laws, policies, and practices to achieve the program’s advocacy objectives.
• Monitor legal, political, and academic developments across relevant areas involving core HRD program concerns and identify emerging opportunities for engagement by the program.
• Share information with and represent the positions of the organization to courts, legislators, government officials, representatives of international and nongovernmental organizations, media, and the general public via reports, memoranda, briefs, and other written materials, as well as in meetings, conferences, symposia, and other venues.
• Work with Human Rights First program staff to identify and respond to situations in focus countries where defenders’ freedom of expression and association are threatened.
• Work closely with staff in Human Rights First’s Communications department to help shape and inform the production and dissemination of advocacy and public education materials and the development of website content in accordance with the communications strategy to achieve program and organizational objectives.
• Develop and maintain relations with media representatives in the geographic or thematic area of focus.

OTHER DUTIES

• Assist with the development of the HRD program’s strategic objectives and annual work plans.
• Support fundraising efforts through grant proposal and report writing and editing and, in coordination with Development department, through outreach to key donors and foundations.
• Work closely with other programs to develop, as appropriate, projects that advance the goals and objectives of the organization as a whole as well as the Human Rights Defenders program.
• Support regular activities of the program such as selecting award honorees, holding public events and conferences, and activities surrounding the annual human rights award dinner

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Law and/or another advanced degree in a discipline related to international human rights.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to foster relationships with human rights advocates, nongovernmental organizations, and the U.S. government.
• A minimum of five years of relevant human rights experience.
• Expertise in at least one country or region of the world with an understanding of the human rights issues and political dynamics in that region. (Regions would include Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, or the former Soviet Union.)
• Willingness to travel internationally.
• Expertise in issues relating to religious freedom.
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills and a demonstrated ability to translate highly technical material for a variety of audiences and effectively edit the work of others.
• Track record of conducting human rights advocacy and achieving clearly defined objectives through the use of both legal and non-legal strategies.
• Understanding of international human rights law and enforcement mechanisms (both regional and international).
• Excellent project management skills, capacity to take initiative, to finish assignments under pressure and to work collegially with others.
• Understanding of international and regional political policy-making structures and institutions.
• Ability to work comfortably in a variety of settings, including legal, academic, and governmental.

OTHER USEFUL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience promoting and protecting human rights in diverse international environments.
• Experience working with the U.S. government, U.S. embassies, in-country partners and/or volunteer attorneys.
• Strong understanding of U.S. government decision-making processes, and sound policy judgment.
• Experience working with the press to achieve advocacy goals.
• Fluency in a language other than English

ANNUAL SALARY: Competitive with comprehensive benefits package

START DATE: Immediate

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 12, 2012. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Please complete the online application found at our website www.humanrightsfirst.org under ABOUT US / JOB OPPORTUNITIES links.
You will be requested to provide:

• Resume (upload)
• Cover letter (upload)
• Writing sample (upload)
• Names and contact details for three (3) references (enter online)

Only selected applicants will be contacted for phone or in-person interviews. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.

HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. WE CONSIDER APPLICANTS FOR ALL POSITIONS WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, CREED, GENDER, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, DISABILITY, MARITAL OR VETERAN STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR ANY OTHER LEGALLY PROTECTED STATUS.
www.HumanRightsFirst.org