Human Rights Researcher Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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LWOP Senior Project Organizer
Children's Rights Division
Multiple Locations Considered
Application Deadline: September 14, 2026
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a Senior Project Organizer to lead its project on life without parole (LWOP) sentences in California. HRW has worked to eliminate LWOP sentences since 2004, publishing research on the use of the sentence in the US and working to change laws. In 2021, HRW initiated the LWOP Project, a multi-faceted effort to end LWOP for all, including people who were 18 or older at the time of their crime. Central to our work is building leadership capacity of people sentenced to LWOP, with a special emphasis on supporting the leadership of people who had LWOP but have been released from prison. This work includes, among other things, regularly conducting extensive leadership training courses, sponsoring the National LWOP Leadership Council (Council), hosting an interactive, forward-looking website, BeyondLWOP.org, with content that promotes clear messages about LWOP and publishing reports, most recently on the reintegration of people once sentenced to LWOP into society.
The Senior Project Organizer works in the Children's Rights Division (CRD). The position reports to the Director of Youth Justice for the Children's Rights Division in our Los Angeles office and will work closely with and get direction from the CRD Program Officer. This position will preferably be based near an HRW office but may be based remotely with occasional travel to the Los Angeles office. This is a 1-year fixed-term, full-time (40 hours per week) position.
Responsibilities:
1. Establish contact and develop relationships with external partners nationally, including non-governmental organizations (NGO), governmental agencies, law firms, people currently or formerly sentenced to LWOP, among others;
2. Research, create, and maintain electronic filing systems, typically Excel spreadsheets, that include tracking efforts to end LWOP being done by various organizations across the country; maintaining names and contact info of people who had LWOP but are now out, and updating potential media outreach lists; among other things;
3. Liaise effectively with and take direction from the CRD Program Officer and other team members working on LWOP;
4. Work with others to develop strategy for communications campaign on ending LWOP sentences;
5. Plan, schedule, and implement trainings for people formerly sentenced to LWOP on public speaking, messaging, meeting with policymakers, using social media, and speaking with the media;
6. Create communication channels between groups working to end LWOP nationally and people formerly sentenced to LWOP to ensure that LWOP survivors are a part of shaping reforms;
7. Coordinate meetings, roundtables, prison workshops, stakeholder meetings, and special events with visitors, NGOs, and government officials;
8. Coordinate with and serve as a liaison between the National LWOP Leadership Council and HRW and other partners, including identifying and reaching out to justice advocacy groups, universities, faith groups and others who could support ending LWOP;
9. Support the Council in strategic planning and achieving its objectives, assisting the Council as it determines how it can have the biggest impact;
10. Support the Council in its meetings and committee meetings, including assisting in setting virtual and other meetings, assisting in setting agendas, attending committee meetings, taking notes, sending reminders and materials for meetings, and following up with people who miss a meeting, assisting committees/Council members in staying on course toward identified goals;
11. Occasional travel to and coordination during conferences, events, and prisons;
12. Support the Council in other administrative functions, for example, making flight, car, and hotel reservations;
13. Support Council members in honing professional and other skills, including those who may need help with acquiring technical, social media, and other skills;
14. Build and maintain the LWOP Speakers Bureau;
15. Identify, reach out to, and develop ways to engage people being released from prison who once had the sentence of LWOP;
16. Draft communications, including letters and emails;
17. Represent HRW in various public events including on panels, conferences, meetings, etc.;
18. Assist with desk and phone research, and electronic clippings; and
19. Carry out other duties as required.
Qualifications:
Education: A bachelor's degree or an equivalent level of experience in work and/or leadership roles is preferred. Work and leadership experience gained while incarcerated is highly valued.
Experience: Individuals who have personal experience with the justice system, were formerly incarcerated (especially people who had the sentence life without parole), family members of people who are incarcerated, and crime survivors are highly encouraged to apply.
Related Skills and Knowledge:
1. Optimism, a sense of humor, and excitement about joining a supportive, skilled, and diverse team.
2. Ability to drive projects forward through strategic planning, coordination, and follow-through.
3. Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail.
4. Self-motivation and the ability to take initiative, prioritize with minimal supervision, and work independently as well as function as a member of a team.
5. Openness to supervision and re-direction, and willingness to embrace new ways of doing things.
6. Excellent ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with others in multicultural teams, across organizational boundaries and with employees and external partners of all backgrounds.
7. Effective critical thinking/analytical skills, creativity, and a proven drive for quality.
8. Experience doing community organizing, event planning, and/or project management.
9. Commitment to supporting people formerly sentenced to LWOP gain the professional and other skills necessary to become effective leaders working to end the sentence of LWOP.
10. Experience working with people who have spent many years in prison and are now in a professional setting, and knowledge about how to strengthen their capacity.
11. Proficiency in computer packages including MS Office and Google Workspace applications (particularly Excel) is highly desirable, or a strong drive to learn these programs and improve skills.
12. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required; fluency in other languages (particularly Spanish) is highly desirable.
13. Strong interest in criminal justice reform and international human rights and a commitment to racial, social, and restorative justice.
14. Ability to work well under pressure while juggling multiple tasks simultaneously.
15. Ability to make sound decisions consistent with functions.
Other: Applicants for this position must possess valid US work authorization. Please note that occasional travel and evening work may be required for special events.
Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. The salary range for this position is USD 68,000 - 76,000.
How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by September 14, 2026 by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and attaching a letter of interest and resume, preferably as PDF files. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, please email your questions to recruitment@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.
Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.
Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.