Human Rights Research Assistant Jobs in Washington

Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
Proposal Summary
MSI is pursuing a five-year contract to provide research and support services to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB). DOL/ILAB is commissioning research support services to produce high-quality, timely Congressional and Executive Order reports on forced labor, child labor, and other labor policy priorities. Our team will deliver rigorous data analysis, policy research, technical editing, and communications support, while also strengthening ILAB's capacity through training, stakeholder engagement, and specialized supply chain and trade-related studies.
**Please note: Only U.S. citizens (or persons otherwise eligible to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance through a National Agency Check with Inquiries) are eligible for this position**
Position Summary
The Team Leader will serve as the single point of accountability for day-to-day management of the ILAB research support contract. The Team Leader will lead a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, editors, data analysts, communications specialists, and field staff (including survivor consultants), ensuring that all tasks are performed ethically, on schedule, and in accordance with ILAB scientific integrity and quality standards.
Responsibilities:
• Develop, refine, manage, and update the master Work Plan and Quality Control Plan.
• Oversee design and implementation of research instruments (questionnaires, interview guides, focus-group protocols) and ensure representative inclusion of vulnerable groups and survivors of labor exploitation.
• Quality assure production of all draft and final report components, including:
- Fact checks and technical edits of country profiles
- Management reviews of country profiles
- Quality control of ILO and UNESCO statistics
• Direct copy-editing and proofing for PDF, web, and mobile formats
• Direct data collection and desk reviews, ensuring sound methodological approaches to supply-chain tracing and quantitative analysis of trade-related datasets.
• Direct the development of human-interest stories: identify subjects; coordinate interviews; oversee local photography/videography; ensure alignment with ILAB branding and editorial standards
• Oversee the establishment and management of the Survivor Network; facilitate survivor engagement in research, focus groups, and validation of findings.
• Convene and facilitate working groups of technical experts, stakeholders, and ILAB staff to discuss preliminary findings and methodological challenges.
• Coordinate with IT and communications staff to leverage digital platforms (e.g., SharePoint, public websites) for document management and public dissemination of data assets.
• Ensure compliance with budget, schedule, security, and scientific integrity requirements; anticipate and mitigate risks.
• Serve as primary liaison with ILAB Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and program managers; provide regular status updates and address COR feedback in a timely manner.
Qualifications:
• Must be a U.S. citizen (or otherwise eligible to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance through a National Agency Check with Inquiries [NACI]); candidates will be required to complete background investigation procedures including fingerprinting and identity verification.
• Master's degree in international development, public policy, economics, sociology, or a related field; Ph.D. preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible project management experience on international labor or human-rights research programs; five years in a leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including supply-chain analysis.
• Proven experience working with vulnerable populations and survivors of labor exploitation, applying ethical research practices.
• Strong writing, editing, and copy-editing skills; familiarity with U.S. Government report standards.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; experience convening multi-stakeholder working groups.
• Proficiency with MS Office suite, SharePoint, data-analysis software (e.g., STATA, R), and digital asset management.
MSI Tetra Tech is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law. Tetra Tech is a VEVRAA federal contractor and we request priority referral of veterans.
Reasonable Accommodations:
If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, please visit Tetra Tech's Disability Assistance Page .Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates.
Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.