Health and Human Rights Researcher (Middle East or Africa Consultant)
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which shared in the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, is a U.S.-based international advocacy organization working at the intersection of medicine, science, and law. With a global network of thousands of medical, scientific, and legal experts, PHR uses the power of medical and scientific evidence to document human rights and humanitarian law violations and prevent abuses, protect survivors, and promote justice and universal human rights for all.
Building upon its highly respected place in the field, and supported by a committed and talented team, PHR seeks a full-time Health and Human Rights researcher to support our research and advocacy on attacks on health, with a focus on PHR’s priority geographies for attacks on health in the Middle East and Africa (including Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and/or Sudan).
Location: Strong preference for candidates based in the Middle East (working remotely) or Nairobi (based in PHR’s office).
Reports to: Deputy Director of Research
Organizational Overview
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) deploys scientific, medical, public health, and forensic technical expertise to document and seek justice for human rights and humanitarian violations and international crimes.
Through advocacy and partnerships with affected communities, mobilization of the moral authority of medical and public health professionals, and collaboration with local and international organizations and associations, we empower our networks of health professionals to serve as human rights advocates.
In parallel, we strengthen the methods by which clinicians, alongside law enforcement and legal sectors, gather and present evidence that documents cases of human rights violations and war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Role Description
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) seeks an experienced researcher consultant to document and expose health-related violations of human rights and humanitarian law, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Africa region (including Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and/or Sudan). Reporting to the Deputy Director of Research, the researcher will conduct research related to a range of issues, including attacks on health care, blocking of humanitarian aid, the health consequences of conflicts, and other human rights violations and will develop strategies for PHR’s work in relevant thematic areas or geographies. The researcher represents PHR’s work with the media, advocacy targets, and other partners, in coordination with PHR’s advocacy and communications teams. The researcher coordinates research in close collaboration with regional leads, the Deputy Director of Research, Director of Public Health, Medical Director, and Director of Research, Legal and Advocacy.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate across research, legal, advocacy, and communications teams to develop and execute strategies that drive policy change, accountability, and justice.
- Conceptualize and conduct rigorous research on human rights violations using diverse sources, including field data, open-source materials, and stakeholder accounts.
- Lead and support research operations, including field missions, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, project development, and maintaining secure, high-integrity databases.
- Design and implement comprehensive advocacy strategies, manage partnerships, organize briefings, and produce research and advocacy materials such as reports, journal articles, submissions, and public communications (press releases, briefing papers, opinion pieces, blogs, etc.).
- Provide timely, well-substantiated, and objective analysis and expertise on thematic and geographic areas as assigned. internally and externally.
- Represent the organization externally, build partnerships with local, regional, and international civil society partners;
- Contribute to fundraising and program management, including grant proposals and managing and tracking programmatic deliverables and expenditures, managing independent contractors, and supporting team coordination, training, and regional initiatives including rapid response initiatives, capacity development, monitoring, evaluation & learning (MEL), and innovation in the Middle East & Africa as needed; and
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate
- Graduate degree in medicine, public health, law, international relations, regional studies, journalism, or social sciences required;
- Excellent analytical, writing, and verbal skills in English;
- Fluency in spoken Arabic and written Arabic desired;
- Minimum four years of research/writing experience related to human rights and humanitarian issues in the Middle East and/or Africa regions required;
- Media/public speaking skills; ability to convey human rights issues to many audiences;
- Expertise in health and human rights and experience working with medical and scientific communities preferred;
- Experience working collaboratively, effectively, and professionally under pressure with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds/experiences;
- Prior work with graphic and sensitive human rights material (testimonies, images, videos) preferred.
Salary and Benefits
This is a long-term consultant position. Compensation is commensurate with experience and will be determined based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and geographic location. As part of the engagement, PHR provides paid vacation and sick leave.
To apply, please submit the following to resumes@phr.org:
· A cover letter that includes your current location and compensation expectations.
· Your most recent resume.
Please note: Only applicants who submit both a cover letter and resume will be considered and move forward in the recruitment process.
Physicians for Human Rights is an equal opportunity employer. We recruit and hire without regard to race, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, prior conviction, arrest history, disability, marital status, veteran status, or age.