Deputy Director, ESC Rights

Human Rights Watch; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 121,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

Human Rights Watch seeks a Deputy Director to lead its Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESC) work within the Environment, and Economic and Social Rights Division. The role focuses on health, social security and labor, and requires building strategy, guiding rigorous research, and coordinating across HRW to advance advocacy and policy change.

The Deputy will manage the ESC team, support fundraising, and work with colleagues across offices worldwide.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree or equivalent experience in ESC rights or environment and human rights.
• Seven years of relevant ESC rights research/advocacy, with at least four in management.
• Experience in large organizations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ESC rights division and develop strategy.
• Provide day-to-day management and strategic leadership of the ESC team.
• Manage research with rigorous methods and standards.
• Coordinate with HRW units to develop policies, communications, and advocacy.
• Represent HRW internally and externally; engage with partners.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed and support fundraising.

Skills

Communication

Education

Graduate degree in ESC rights or environment and human rights

Job description

Deputy Director, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Environment, and Economic and Social Rights Division

Multiple Locations Considered

Application Deadline: October 6, 2026

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a Deputy Director to lead its work on Economic, Social and Cultural (ESC) Rights with a focus on Health, Social Security, and Labor within a newly created Environment, and Economic and Social Rights Division. Candidates with deep expertise on public health, health and human rights, and health harms experienced by communities affected by fossil fuel pollution, are encouraged to apply. The Deputy will work as part of the division’s management team and manage the ESC team responsible for this work, help develop and implement its strategy, coordinate with colleagues across HRW, uphold high standards of research and advocacy, and support fundraising for the division.

The successful candidate will be an effective leader, experienced in managing rigorous and complex research and maintaining organizational standards, and a compelling communicator with experience on key issues related to the position. They will have demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic human rights interventions and understand how to bring innovative approaches to research, advocacy and communications to effect change.

Position Overview

The Deputy will be working with the Director and a new management team to supervise staff with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, managing stress and resilience of staff, and encouraging a healthy work/life balance while supervising and helping to develop areas of programmatic work consistent with HRW’s strategy and the mandate of the new division. This full-time position will be based in one of HRW’s global offices, will work from the office on an as-needed basis, and will report to the Director, based in Washington, D.C.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement with the Director, divisional management team, and staff, a multi-year strategy for the ESC team to advance research and advocacy consistent with the organization’s Global Strategy and the mandate of the division;
• Help integrate members of the new division and provide day-to-day management and strategic leadership of the ESC team to develop, implement, and oversee strategies to advance this key area of work; help the team keep abreast of current research and discourse on these issues;
• Manage research ensuring sound project selection, rigorous investigative research methodologies, and compliance with organizational standards and mandate;
• Coordinate with other parts of the organization to strategically guide and advance work on these areas of work through support for research, helping to develop innovative communications and advocacy products, and developing new policies to support this work;
• Act as a senior representative and advocate for the work of the division internally;
• Act as a senior spokesperson and liaise with external actors to advocate on the work of the division;
• Represent HRW and the work of the division externally;
• Foster meaningful and equitable partnerships when working with local organizations and other movement partners;
• Work with HRW’s development staff as needed to support HRW’s fundraising efforts;
• Work with colleagues in advocacy and communications to develop multidisciplinary strategies to support the work to achieve impact;
• Identify and manage legal and security risks, together with the Director, security, program and other colleagues as appropriate in line with organizational policies;
• Travel domestically and internationally, as required for internal meetings, research missions, and advocacy opportunities; and
• Undertake other responsibilities as required.

Management Responsibilities

• Manage and guide staff in conjunction with the Director to deliver timely, high-quality work that supports EESR’s strategy and priorities;
• Lead, motivate and mentor staff by setting clear expectations, providing regular and constructive feedback, supporting balanced workloads and professional growth, and monitoring staff well-being;
• Promote and inclusive, creative and positive work environment by soliciting diverse perspectives, modeling inclusive behavior and adhering to HRW’s values;
• Provide appropriate and timely feedback on staff performance and guidance, coaching and training, as necessary;
• Contribute to putting in place systems, processes, and policies to ensure the efficient functioning of the team and its ability to manage projects and budgets and deliver timely outputs;

Qualifications

Education:

A graduate degree or an equivalent level of experience in a field related to economic, social and cultural rights or environment and human rights is required.

Experience:

A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience overseeing research and advocacy on issues related to ESC rights including health, labor, social security, and/or the environment and human rights, with at least four years in a management role, is required. Experience managing in a large organization is an additional benefit.

Related Skills and Knowledge

• Deep knowledge of and experience working on health, labor, social security and the environment using the international human rights framework is required.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing impact-driven human rights research and advocacy projects, including firsthand experience conducting on-the-ground human rights investigations and track record of publications is required.
• Management experience, including supervising a team of researchers, ideally in multiple locations, and proven experience supporting direct reports to update substantive knowledge and research skills is required.
• Track record of measurable success executing complex projects, managing budgets, implementing operational change, conducting monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring high-quality deliverables is required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required. Fluency in a second language is a plus.
• Strong and consistent editor of a range of written work products, with the ability to edit for factual and legal accuracy, structure, clarity, audience, gender analysis, grammar and length is required.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively within HRW, as well as develop constructive relationships with NGOs, media, research institutes, multilateral organizations, governments, academia, and the private sector are required.
• Capacity to plan, prioritize and manage multiple competing demands, adjust to changing priorities, and meet deadlines in a challenging, fast-paced environment is required.
• Optimism, collegiality, willingness to experience and learn from mistakes, and patience and persistence in building effective ways of working in an established organization are required.
• Demonstrated commitment to high standards of accuracy, objectivity, creativity, and ethics is required.
• Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations is required.
• Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with others in multicultural teams, across organizational boundaries and multiple time zones, and with employees at all levels is required.

Salary and Benefits

Human Rights Watch offers competitive salaries and comprehensive employer-paid benefits. HRW offers a relocation assistance package and where possible will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required; citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply. If based in the United States, the salary range is USD 121,000 - 133,000. If based in Canada, the salary range is CAD 152,000 - 167,000. Salary ranges outside of the United States and Canada vary based on location and are not a direct translation from USD.

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 research 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 thehuman rights-related policies and practices of governments and international institutions.