Senior Accountant

Human Rights Watch, Inc.; New York, Washington (NY, District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid benefits

Job summary

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a Senior Accountant to assist the Finance Division with accounting and audit support for all non-US based reporting entities. This role will support the Global Accounting team and the local Operations Administrators, with office-based work as needed.

The successful candidate should bring a Chartered Accountant or accounting degree and at least five years of relevant experience, including not-for-profit or NGO finance.

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant or a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, or equivalent qualification.
• Minimum five years of progressively complex responsibility in the accounting field.

Responsibilities

• Ensure transactions are recorded and reported in accordance with US and local GAAP as well as IFRS.
• Review or prepare recorded/posted transactions of all HRW non-US entities, in coordination with the Financial Operations team.
• Oversee the timely and accurate fiscal year closings for all HRW non-US external reporting and coordinate with closings worldwide.
• Manage local annual fiscal audits for HRW non-US entities as applicable.
• Establish and maintain relationships with vendors and negotiate rates for services in non-US entities.

Skills

General ledger

Journal entries

Budgets

Account analysis

Financial statements

Internal controls

Education

Chartered Accountant

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting

Tools

Excel

NetSuite

Job description

FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Finance Division Multiple US Office Locations Considered Application Deadline: Nov 22 nd , 2026

Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking a Senior Accountant to assist the Finance Division with accounting and audit support for all non-US based reporting entities. HRW has 27 entities and branches outside of the US, and this position will support both the Global Accounting team and the local Operations Administrators.

The Finance Division is led by the Chief Financial Officer, supported by the Global Controller, and is responsible for providing financial management, implementing financial strategy and maintaining the fiscal integrity of Human Rights Watch (HRW). In this role, you will work with the Finance & Operations Directors, as well as the Assistant Controller and the Revenue Manager.

This full-time position will be based in one of HRW’s US offices, preferably New York or Washington DC, and will report to the Associate Director, based in New York. The successful candidate will need to work from the office on a needed basis.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that transactions are recorded and reported in accordance with US and local GAAP as well as IFRS;
• Review or prepare recorded/posted transactions of all HRW non-US entities, in coordination with the Financial Operations team;
• Oversee the timely and accurate fiscal year closings for all HRW non-US external reporting and coordinate with closings worldwide;
• Manage local annual fiscal audits for HRW non-US entities as applicable;
• Establish and maintain relationships with vendors (accounting, payroll, pensions, banking and auditing) and negotiate to get the best rates for these services in non-US entities, in collaboration with the local Financial Operations team;
• Manage procedures for granting of funds between all non-US charities and coordinate consistency where possible with the worldwide procedures and in compliance with local jurisdiction requirements;
• Work with Operations Administrators and when needed, provide training on basic accounting concepts, so that they can assist in bank reconciliations, journal entries, analysis, and solve any issues;
• Propose changes to accounting policies and procedures for all non-US based entities to the Global Controller and take the lead in its implementation and consistency with HRW worldwide;
• Work with Operations staff to ensure that cash flow, budgeting and forecasting in all non-US locations is budgeted and monitored appropriately;
• Strengthen HRW’s transaction mechanisms while ensuring the required internal controls and compliance (e.g., IFRS, IAS local regulations and taxation);
• Deliver outputs in a timely manner while maintaining consistency with the agreed strategy and priorities of the Finance Division;
• Prepare quarterly/annual financial statements and present statements at board meetings when required;
• Prepare quarterly tax reports as required;
• Produce reports and recommendations following internal audits or public-sector audits;
• Support the Associate Director in reconciling revenue;
• Manage communications while maintaining strong and effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify, propose and develop opportunities and areas of interest for the department; and
• Perform additional responsibilities as required.

Qualifications

Education: Chartered Accountant, or a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, or equivalent qualification or work experience is required.

Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of experience with progressively complex responsibility in the accounting field is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge

• Proven track record of all aspects of accounting, including general ledger, journal entries, budgets, account analysis, financial statements, and other accounting functions, is required.
• Solid understanding of statutory requirements, legal procedures (audits, taxes, etc.) and government regulations is required.
• Solid experience in developing systems, policies, and internal controls related to accounting and finance is required.
• Experience managing accounting for an organization with a complex structure across multiple global locations is required.
• High degree of proficiency in a computer-based accounting system and Excel is required; prior experience with not-for-profit software such as NetSuite is highly desirable.
• Analytical, problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment are required.
• Excellent time-management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks while maintaining attention to detail are required.
• Interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate well at all levels of the organization and with staff at remote locations are required.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills in English is required. Language skills in French are desirable; proficiency in another language is desirable.
• Prior work experience in nonprofit/NGO financial operations is desirable.

Other

Candidates should possess valid US work authorization and should not require sponsorship in the future; HRW cannot guarantee the ability to sponsor work authorization for this role.

Salary and Benefits

HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. The salary range for this role is USD 90,000 - USD 95,000.

Human Rights Watch

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.