AI Strategy and Solutions Lead

Human Rights Watch; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 102,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Human Rights Watch seeks an AI Strategy and Solutions Lead to lay the foundation for responsible AI adoption across our organization. You will shape strategy, build governance, and deliver value through AI projects, balancing strategic planning with hands-on implementation.

Based in the US, the role collaborates with the CIO and IST leadership, assesses readiness, prototypes solutions, and coordinates cross‑functional efforts to advance responsible AI while upholding HRW's mission and values.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree or relevant work experience in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, AI/ML implementation or related technical field is required.
• Seven years of relevant work experience, including 2–3 years working on AI.
• Experience implementing AI/ML solutions in production environments.
• Experience contributing to technology strategies and assessing organizational readiness for new technology adoption (AI‑specific experience strongly preferred).
• Strong Python coding skills with ML libraries and frameworks.
• Hands‑on experience with predictive modeling, data science, and statistical analysis.
• Experience building solutions with low‑code/no‑code AI platforms (Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Platform, or similar).
• Demonstrated ability to identify use cases, scope projects, and deliver working solutions under resource constraints.
• Strong understanding of both generative AI and traditional ML approaches.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear language for diverse audiences.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and ability to build relationships across organizational boundaries.
• Experience supporting and leading business change and technology adoption, ideally as an internal partner to business teams.

Responsibilities

• Build a comprehensive AI strategy that includes data foundation requirements, infrastructure gaps, and organizational readiness assessment.
• Inform roadmap development balancing quick wins with long‑term capacity building.
• Research what peer nonprofit organizations are doing with AI and identify collaboration opportunities.
• Translate business needs into technical approaches with departments.
• Build and deploy AI/ML solutions that demonstrate measurable value.
• Develop solutions using Microsoft AI ecosystem (Copilot Studio, Azure AI, Power Platform) and other appropriate tools.
• Oversee consultants and vendors to extend delivery capacity where needed.
• Design onboarding approach for AI tools and identify use cases where custom solutions amplify what we do best.
• Create training materials tailored to different work areas and skill levels on effective prompting and responsible use.
• Support working groups and communities of practice.
• Build playbooks and guides that make AI accessible to non‑technical staff.
• Develop risk assessment frameworks with IST leadership and ensure alignment with security, infrastructure, and architecture requirements.
• Contribute to AI policy development and operationalization.
• Create standards for POC and MVP evaluation in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Engage with business units to understand priorities and build co‑ownership of outcomes.
• Balance innovation with data quality, security, and resources, in line with HRW’s values.

Skills

Python

ML frameworks

Predictive modeling

Data science

Low-code/no-code AI

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or relevant work experience in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, AI/ML implementation or related technical field

Tools

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Power Platform

Job description

We're seeking an AI Strategy and Solutions Lead to build the foundation for responsible AI adoption across our organization. This role balances strategic planning with hands‑on implementation. You'll play an essential role in developing our AI strategy, establishing partnerships, building governance frameworks, and delivering solutions that demonstrate value.

You'll work at the intersection of strategy and execution. You'll assess organizational readiness, identify what needs to change for us to be AI‑ready, and map partnership opportunities. You'll prototype solutions, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and create the processes that enable sustainable AI adoption beyond individual projects.

This role requires someone who can think strategically about infrastructure and readiness while also building and shipping solutions. You'll conduct readiness assessments and deliver working systems that solve real problems while building capacity for others.

This is a one‑year fixed-term position and must be based within commuting distance of one of the following HRW offices: Amsterdam, Amman, Berlin, Brussels, London, Stockholm, New York, Washington DC, Miami, Sao Paulo, Toronto or Chicago. You will be expected to work from the office as needed and will report to the Chief Information Officer based in Berlin. You will work closely with the Information Security and Technology (IST) Leadership team.

Responsibilities

Contribute to AI strategy and assess organizational readiness

• Work alongside the CIO, the IST Leadership team and relevant stakeholders to build a comprehensive AI strategy that includes data foundation requirements, infrastructure gaps, and organizational readiness assessment
• Assess current state and inform roadmap development that balances quick wins with long‑term capacity building
• Research what peer organizations in the nonprofit, humanitarian, and human‑rights space are doing with AI and identify collaboration opportunities

Identify and deliver flagship solutions

• Work with departments to discover high‑impact use cases and translate business needs into technical approaches
• Build and deploy AI/ML solutions that demonstrate measurable value (time saved, efficiency gained, improved outcomes)
• Develop solutions using Microsoft AI ecosystem (Copilot Studio, Azure AI, Power Platform) and other appropriate tools
• Oversee consultants and vendors to extend delivery capacity where needed

Balance tool adoption with capacity building

• Design approach that balances onboarding staff to AI tools with identifying use cases where custom solutions amplify what we do best
• Create training materials tailored to different work areas and skill levels on effective prompting and responsible use
• Support working groups and communities of practice
• Build playbooks and guides that make AI accessible to non‑technical staff

Coordinate governance and cross‑organizational alignment

• Partner with IST leadership to develop risk assessment frameworks and ensure solutions align with security, infrastructure, and architecture requirements
• Contribute to AI policy development and operationalization
• Create standards for Proof of Concepts (POC) and Minimal Viable Products (MVP) evaluation in collaboration with relevant stakeholders
• Engage with business units to understand priorities and build co‑ownership of outcomes
• Balance innovation with practical constraints around data quality, security, and resources, as well as in alignment with HRW’s core values and mission as a Human Rights organization

Qualifications

Education

• A bachelor's degree or relevant work experience in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, AI/ML implementation or related technical field is required.

Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience is required including 2-3 years working on AI.

Required Skills and Knowledge

• 2-3 years implementing AI/ML solutions in production environments
• Experience contributing to technology strategies and assessing organizational readiness for new technology adoption (AI‑specific experience strongly preferred)
• Strong coding skills in Python with experience in ML libraries and frameworks
• Hands‑on experience with predictive modeling, data science, and statistical analysis
• Experience building solutions with low‑code/no‑code AI platforms (Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Platform, or similar)
• Demonstrated ability to identify use cases, scope projects, and deliver working solutions under resource constraints
• Strong understanding of both generative AI and traditional ML approaches
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear language for diverse audiences
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and ability to build relationships across organizational boundaries
• Experience supporting and leading business change and technology adoption, ideally as an internal partner to business teams

Preferred

• Experience in nonprofit, humanitarian, or human‑rights organizations
• Understanding of data privacy, security, and ethical AI considerations
• Familiarity with responsible AI frameworks and governance models
• Vendor and consultant management experience
• Background working in politically sensitive or high‑risk environments

Salary and Benefits

HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer‑paid benefits. The salary range for this position if based in the US is USD 102,000 – 112,250 plus benefits. Salary ranges outside of the US vary based on location and are determined by local market conditions rather than being a direct translation of US salaries.

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.