Investigation Evidence and Documentation Officer

PETA India; Delhi; On-site; INR 500,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

PETA India in Delhi is seeking an Investigations Support role to review notes, evidence, and related documents for accuracy and usefulness. You will help identify potential legal violations and assist with desk research and SOP updates.

The role also involves drafting clear factual reports and coordinating cross-department communication while maintaining confidentiality. Primary responsibilities include preparing materials for legal review, complaints, media campaigns, and internal actions, plus

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in law or related field and experience in investigations support preferred.
• Excellent written English with strong report-writing and documentation skills.
• Strong analytical and organisational abilities with discretion and confidentiality.
• Knowledge of animal protection laws in India is preferred or willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Review investigators' notes and logs for accuracy, completeness, and clarity.
• Review photos, videos, documents, and other evidence to identify key facts and potential violations.
• Identify legal breaches in consultation with supervisors and legal colleagues.
• Prepare materials for complaints, legal review, campaigns, media, and internal actions.
• Track follow-up needs and reporting requirements.

Skills

Written English

Report writing

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Discretion

Confidentiality

Graphic material handling

English fluency

Hindi language skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in law

Criminology

Public policy

Animal protection

Tools

Document management systems

Photo/video filing systems

Spreadsheets

Shared drives

Job description

To support PETA India’s Cruelty Investigations Department by carefully reviewing investigation notes, evidence, photos, videos, and related documents; identifying potential legal violations; conducting desk research and helping identify legal, practical, documentation, confidentiality, equipment, or other issues investigators should know before embarking on an investigation; drafting clear factual and legally sound reports; writing and updating departmental SOPs for all areas of investigation work and for the duties carried out by this role; helping ensure that investigation materials are organised, secure, accurate, and useful for legal action, complaints to authorities, campaign work, media outreach, and internal decision-making; and maintaining investigation equipment so investigators are properly equipped for fieldwork. The position will primarily support investigations and will also assist departments with the organisation and cataloguing of photo and video materials. The role acts as a liaison between the investigators and other departments, keeping confidentiality paramount.

Term of Employment:

Full-time

Reports To:

Director

Primary Responsibilities and Duties

• Review investigators' notes and logs to ensure accuracy, completeness, clarity, and usefulness.
• Review photos, videos, documents, and other evidence to identify key facts and potential violations.
• Identify possible breaches of animal protection laws, regulations, licences, court orders, or related requirements in consultation with supervisors and legal colleagues.
• Support preparation of documentation suitable for complaints, legal review, campaigns, media work, and organisational action.
• Track follow-up needs, including missing information, evidence, legal concerns, and reporting requirements.

Pre-Investigation Research and Preparation

• Conduct desk research to support investigations before fieldwork.
• Identify relevant legal, regulatory, licensing, documentation, confidentiality, safety, access, and equipment considerations.
• Research laws, guidelines, court orders, industry practices, locations, entities, complaints, and public records as required.
• Prepare briefs, checklists, questions, and issue summaries to guide investigators.
• Help ensure investigators understand relevant legal considerations.
• Update plans, SOPs, templates, and checklists based on recurring issues and lessons learned.

Report Drafting and Case Documentation

• Draft clear, factual investigation reports, summaries, timelines, factsheets, evidence lists, and briefing documents.
• Prepare materials for legal, media, campaign, government, and internal purposes.
• Ensure reports remain evidence-based and free from speculation.
• Obtain missing details required to make reports complete and credible.
• Assist with materials for complaints, legal notices, letters, campaign proposals, media pitches, and related actions.
• Maintain organised records of reports, evidence references, correspondence, and supporting documents.

SOP Development and Process Documentation

• Develop, update, and maintain SOPs covering investigations, desk research, evidence handling, reporting, filing, confidentiality, equipment use, and cross-department coordination.
• Create and maintain checklists, templates, logs, instructions, and guidance documents.
• Work with investigators, legal colleagues, and departments to ensure SOPs reflect current practices and requirements.
• Review SOPs regularly and incorporate lessons learned.
• Ensure access to current SOPs, templates, filing guidance, and procedures.

Investigator and Department Liaison

• Serve as a liaison between investigators and departments regarding information, evidence, documents, photographs, videos, and follow-up requests.
• Help ensure investigation findings are understood and used responsibly.
• Clarify evidence and documentation requirements for legal, campaign, media, and advocacy purposes.
• Limit circulation of sensitive materials to authorised individuals and maintain confidentiality.
• Track and coordinate cross-department requests.

Investigation Equipment and Field Readiness

• Maintain investigation equipment and supplies.
• Manage inventory of cameras, phones, recording equipment, batteries, chargers, storage devices, and related materials.
• Ensure equipment is functional, charged, labelled, accounted for, and field-ready.
• Coordinate repairs, replacements, purchases, returns, storage, and sign-outs.
• Track issued equipment and follow up on missing, damaged, or faulty items.

Evidence and Investigation Material Management

• Organise, label, index, and maintain investigation-related photos, videos, documents, notes, and logs.
• Maintain filing systems, folders, indexes, spreadsheets, and records.
• Review visual materials to identify evidence, locations, dates, species, violations, and source information.
• Preserve original files, supporting notes, copyright information, and context.
• Ensure sensitive materials are securely stored and accessible only to authorised personnel.

Photo and Video Library Support

• Support organisation and filing of photographs, videos, captions, and related materials.
• Assist other departments with photo and video organisation when required.
• Ensure files include source, date, location, ownership, copyright, permissions, and usage restrictions where available.
• Create searchable filing systems by issue, species, location, case type, department, campaign, or source.
• Help colleagues locate suitable materials while complying with approval, copyright, usage, and confidentiality requirements.
• Ensure sensitive, graphic, restricted, or copyrighted materials are handled appropriately.

Legal, Campaign, and Cross-Department Support

• Work with supervisors and legal colleagues to assess potential cruelty, illegal activity, improper practices, or non-compliance.
• Prepare factual summaries, factsheets, and briefings for internal and external use.
• Support complaints, advocacy, corporate outreach, government engagement, media initiatives, and public awareness efforts.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding investigations, sources, whistleblowers, evidence, operational plans, unpublished materials, and internal discussions.

General

• Follow all organisational policies, confidentiality requirements, and SOPs.
• Maintain accuracy, professionalism, discretion, and sound judgement.
• Work responsibly with sensitive or graphic materials involving animal cruelty.
• Manage multiple assignments and deadlines.
• Perform other duties assigned in support of investigations, evidence management, SOP development, equipment readiness, desk research, and animal protection work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in law, criminology, journalism, public policy, social work, animal protection, communications, or a related field preferred.
• Experience in investigations support, research, legal research, case documentation, evidence review, reporting, advocacy, journalism, NGO work, SOP development, equipment coordination, or similar fields preferred.
• Excellent written English with strong report-writing and documentation skills.
• Strong analytical ability to identify facts, gaps, inconsistencies, research needs, and potential legal or cruelty-related issues.
• Knowledge of animal protection laws and enforcement processes in India preferred, or willingness to learn.
• Strong organisational skills with experience managing digital files, SOPs, records, and equipment inventories.
• Good judgement, discretion, and ability to handle confidential information.
• Ability to work with disturbing or graphic materials.
• Strong computer skills, including shared drives, spreadsheets, document-management systems, and photo/video filing systems.
• Ability to work effectively across departments.
• Fluency in English required; Hindi and/or other Indian languages desirable.
• Support for PETA India's philosophy and ability to advocate professionally for its positions.
• Adherence to a healthy vegan lifestyle.
• Commitment to the organisation's objectives.