Human Rights Researcher and Project Officer

Are you looking to work in the field of human rights and to contribute to the work of the United Nations Human Rights Council? Birkbeck, University of London, is seeking a Human Rights Researcher and Project Officer to start in Spring 2025. 

This is a unique opportunity to support the work of recently appointed Mai Sato, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The role will be based at Birkbeck’s Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR), of which Mai Sato is also the incoming Director.

As Human Rights Researcher and Project Officer, you will assist Mai Sato with her Special Rapporteur by:

• undertaking country visits;
• acting on individual cases of reported violations and concerns of a broader nature by sending communications to the State concerned;
• conducting primary research and drafting reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly;
• undertaking public engagement to raise public awareness of human rights issues;
• and providing administrative and research support as required.

To succeed in this role, you will be a skilled researcher with a record of conducting critical and message-focused primary and, or, secondary research in the area of international human rights law, international humanitarian law, criminology or socio-legal studies.

You will also have experience of carrying out interviews with vulnerable groups, and a demonstrable commitment to achieving legal, policy and practice impact through research and advocacy. Your written and oral communication skills will be outstanding, and you will have the ability to interact effectively with individuals and groups, including victims and their families, civil society, and members of various UN bodies.

As Human Rights Researcher & Project Officer, you will learn about the work of the Special Rapporteur, and by extension, the UN Special Procedures and the UN Human Rights system as a whole, through working closely with Mai and her team. You will hone your research and writing skills; acquire knowledge about cutting-edge policy issues; and learn how we use human rights to achieve justice and accountability.

The workload of the Special Rapporteur is likely to vary month to month. You will also have an opportunity to contribute to research on other topics carried out by ICPR.

Based in the School of Social Sciences at Birkbeck, ICPR undertakes applied criminological and socio-legal research with the aims of generating and disseminating knowledge about justice, and thereby informing public and political debate and contributing to policy and practice reform. Underlying all ICPR’s work is a commitment to the principles of justice, fairness and human rights.

This opportunity would build on your experience as an early career researcher in academia, civil society, the United Nations, governmental organisation, or research consultancy. If this sounds like the role for you, apply today!

Salary and benefits:

£43,265 to £49,394 per annum, (rising to £43,636 - £49,683 from 03/2025), Grade 7 of the College's London Pay Scale which includes a consolidated Weighting/Allowance that applies only to staff whose normal contractual place of work is in the London area.

Birkbeck offers a competitive salary and generous pension scheme, 31 days paid leave, flexible working arrangements and some of the most generous benefits in the HE sector, all while being located right in the heart of Bloomsbury, Euston, London.

Contract:

Fixed-term, three year contract. Full-time (35 hours a week). Please submit a CV for consideration. Closing date: Monday 11 November 2024, interview date: Monday 25 November 2024.

Enquiries:

If you would like to know more about the role, please click on apply below or contact Mai Sato, Professor and incoming Director of the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research, via m.sato@bbk.ac.uk

If you have difficulty using the recruitment portal, please contact jobs@bbk.ac.uk providing your name and the job reference number of the position. While we are happy to respond to all informal enquiries, only formal applications through the online system will be considered. Visa sponsorship will be considered for this role. 

We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. The College is committed to improving the gender and cultural diversity of its workforce, holding an Athena SWAN award and operating Disability Confident & Mindful Employer schemes -www.birkbeck.ac.uk/jobs