Deputy Program Director

Role Overview

The Program office at Human Rights Watch is hiring a Deputy Program Director to take direct oversight of four research divisions — a mix of regional and thematic teams — and to help translate the organization's global strategy into work that actually gets done. In practice, the job blends people leadership, strategy design, and quality control: managing divisional directors, keeping collaboration moving across widely dispersed teams, holding research and fact-checking to exacting ethical standards, and making quick judgment calls when staff security is at stake. It matters because the divisions this role supervises generate the investigations, publications, and advocacy that give the organization its public credibility and its ability to push for change. The position is preferably based in one of the organization's offices in New York, Washington, Toronto, São Paulo, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Beirut, or Amman, and reports to the Global Program Director.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage divisional directors in consultation with the rest of the Program office, setting expectations, running fair and transparent performance processes, and coaching leaders who supervise research staff working around the world, often in difficult or restricted environments.
• Oversee the financial management of the research divisions through their directors, and support staff wellbeing by protecting flexibility and a sustainable work/life balance across divisional teams.
• Model and cultivate an inclusive, collaborative leadership culture — proactively confronting bias, discrimination, and microaggressions and building a workplace where colleagues of diverse identities, backgrounds, and skill sets can belong and thrive.
• Work with colleagues in the Program office on annual and multi-year planning for designated divisions: shaping strategies and operational plans with clear goals and benchmarks that align with organizational priorities, and guiding staff through implementation of the global strategy.
• Ensure divisional strategies and cross-divisional projects articulate theories of change that can be measured, evaluated, and situated within broader movements for change, and convene internal meetings to develop strategy and track how it is being delivered.
• Keep information flowing and work coherent across regional and thematic divisions spread over many time zones, and clear the internal blockages that prevent divisions — or the wider organization — from collaborating effectively.
• Uphold research, writing, and fact-checking standards by reviewing divisional products for effectiveness, structure, and consistency, approving project design memos, and ensuring divisions comply with vetting guidelines, research policies, and internal ethical standards in line with best practice in the human rights field.
• Strengthen and sustain partnerships with human rights organizations outside the institution — including raising the visibility of joint work and resolving internal and external obstacles to those relationships — while working with the Security team on protocols, reviewing and approving security plans, supporting their implementation, making rapid decisions when security problems arise, and escalating unresolved conflicts to the Global Program Director.
• As a senior leader, build productive relationships with leadership and staff in other departments through leadership meetings and cross-departmental initiatives, take on special projects as the Program office requires, and contribute to fundraising efforts for the organization.

Requirements & Qualifications

Candidates who believe they can excel in this role are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every education, experience, and knowledge level listed below — particularly those from backgrounds underrepresented in international human rights NGOs and civil society organizations.

• An advanced degree in international relations, law, journalism, social sciences, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least twelve years of relevant experience in international human rights or closely related work, including a minimum of five years in a management role.
• Demonstrated experience managing senior managers, with the emotional intelligence and collegiality to lead peers and more experienced colleagues effectively.
• Substantive grounding in international human rights, covering interviewing, fact-finding, and advocacy, plus familiarity with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
• Excellent writing, editing, and fact-checking ability, fluent English, and command of best practices in research and publication standards.
• A track record of measurable, tangible contributions to complex projects and of ensuring high-quality deliverables, along with the ability to set priorities, delegate, and allocate resources.
• A proven ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across levels and jurisdictions, and to apply culturally competent behaviors, attitudes, and practices to policy and organizational structures.
• A demonstrated commitment to human rights research and strategic work that produces impact, and to contributing to an inclusive workplace culture that attracts and retains staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Preferred: awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals with diverse identities, cultures, backgrounds, skills, and orientations; experience cultivating interdisciplinary collaboration; and experience working on the United States or Latin America.