Senior Researcher, Technology and Human Rights

**FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY**
**SENIOR RESEARCHER, TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS**
**Technology, Rights, and Investigations Division**
**Multiple Locations Considered**
**Application Deadline: January 5, 2025**

Human Rights Watch's Technology and Human Rights (THR) team is seeking a highly qualified Senior Researcher to investigate, analyze, and advocate against human rights abuses facilitated by technology. The THR team, which is housed in the Technology, Rights, and Investigations (TRI) Division, investigates how companies, governments, and other powerful actors develop and use technology in ways that impact peoples' rights globally. We conduct research that helps to establish and vigorously defend the rights, norms and rules that govern powerful technologies and their use.

The THR team's work focuses on three key domains where technology has significant repercussions for rights everywhere: 1) the Digital Public Sphere, with work on challenging platform power, data exploitation, and other threats to democratic institutions and healthy civic spaces; 2) The Digital State, with work on ending tech-driven repression and exclusion from the provision of essential public services; and 3) the Digital Economy, with work on ending tech-facilitated labor abuses. Across all this work, the team aims to advance norms, laws, and regulations that increase transparency and accountability around how technology is used by governments, companies, and international organizations.

**Responsibilities**:

- Research, monitor and document human rights abuses related to human rights and technology in line with the three pillars of THR's strategy, and HRW's global strategy by collecting, analyzing and presenting information from a wide variety of sources including victims, witnesses, governments, local media, NGOs, journalists, companies, relevant experts and online (open source) information;
- Identify human rights abuses, policy trends and reform opportunities related to technology and the private sector's role, and place abuses or potential for abuses within broader political, social and economic contexts. Develop intersectional analysis, paying particular attention to the impact on specific populations, such as women, racial and ethnic minorities, older people, LGBT people, human rights defenders, and people living in poverty;
- Write accurate, unbiased, comprehensive, and timely research products, media outputs and advocacy documents, including reports, op-eds, press releases, briefing memos, statements, testimony and other materials;
- Work collaboratively with an international team of researchers, media experts and advocates and contribute to a supportive and diverse team environment;
- Deliver outputs in a timely manner and be consistent with the agreed strategy and priorities of the team;
- Advise and support HRW colleagues regarding the technology-focused issues that they should cover, and review and edit the work they produce;
- Keep abreast of pertinent advocacy and policy developments and contribute to relevant internal HRW policy debates;
- Work with colleagues in the advocacy department to change or prevent abusive laws, policies, and practices, by governments and companies;
- Work with colleagues in the communications division to develop innovative multimedia and social media strategies to communicate our positions in clear, compelling and impactful ways;
- Build partnerships across key communities, including other human rights NGOs, groups representing vulnerable populations, data scientists, computer scientists, technologists, industry leaders and academics;
- Contribute to the shaping of public debates on technology around human rights internationally through clear and prompt responses to queries from policy makers, the media, and social media, and representing Human Rights Watch in public forums;
- Travel domestically and internationally, as required, to conduct research, media work, fundraising and advocacy;
- Be prepared and willing to work flexible hours to accommodate developing events;
- Occasionally assist the Division and HRW's Development and Outreach Department to conduct fundraising; and
- Perform other duties as required.

**Qualifications**:
**Education**: An advanced degree in international relations, journalism, law, history or social sciences is preferred. Equivalent work experience will also be considered

**Experience**: A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in human rights research related to technology and rights is required. Relevant experience may include, among other things, work as a researcher, journalist, or lawyer on issues related to technology; analysis and advocacy for nonprofit advocacy or impact litigation organizations; or work in government or the private sector on policies relating to technology and human rights.

**Related Skills and Knowledge**:

- In-depth knowledge and experience researching the intersection of human rights and technology is required. Expertise on one or m