Senior Researcher, LGBT Rights

FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY

SENIOR RESEARCHER

LGBT Rights Program

Multiple Locations Considered

Application Deadline: May 10th, 2026

The LGBT Rights Program of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a Senior Researcher who will focus on advancing human rights related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The LGBT Rights Program works to advance human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people globally and conducts a wide range of work, including investigation, report writing, advocacy and media work.

Located within a mainstream human rights organization, the LGBT Rights Program aims to strategically frame rights concerns related to SOGIESC within wider human rights frameworks and discourses. Its authority derives from its rigorous research standards and the ability to locate SOGIESC-related right violations within broader violations of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. We work strategically to defend rights gains at national and international level, while simultaneously advancing rights where there is the opportunity to do so.

The Senior Researcher reports to the Director of the LGBT Rights Program, based in Berlin. This full-time position will be preferably based within commuting distance of one of the following HRW offices: Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, London, or Tunis. The successful candidate will be expected to work from the office on an as-needed basis.

Responsibilities:

1. Research and investigate the rights of persons identifying as LGBTQI in the MENA region in line with the priorities of the LGBT Rights Program;
2. Conduct trauma-informed interviews in a time-efficient manner with a wide range of people, including directly impacted people who identify as LGBTQI, family members, community members, and others. Conduct effective interviews with government officials, local media, NGOs, witnesses, journalists, and others in the field;
3. Research, monitor, and document SOGIESC-related human rights abuses, legal and policy developments by collecting and analyzing information from a wide variety of sources;
4. Write and/or produce and publicize reports, briefing papers, letters, news releases, op-eds, and submissions to national and international bodies based on the findings;
5. Develop and implement research-based advocacy strategies to change laws, policies, and practices, designed to respect the rights of people identifying as LGBTQI; directly and/or through coalition partnerships.
6. Place abuses within the broader political, social and economic contexts and present human rights concerns to government officials, opinion leaders, partner organizations, inter-governmental agencies, donors and the media;
7. Respond to and/or anticipate news events to assess if, when and where to make public interventions; if appropriate advance coverage of SOGIESC-related rights issues and work creatively to use technology, campaigns, communications and social media to generate public support for human rights issues and further advocacy goals;
8. Assist the LGBT Rights Program and HRW’s Development and Outreach Department in conducting fundraising;
9. Work closely with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local human rights organizations to ensure that HRW’s work complements and enhances their own work;
10. Deliver outputs in a timely manner and be consistent with the agreed strategy and priorities of the Program;
11. Advance the LGBT Rights Program team’s work, including through innovative and creative research and advocacy projects and plans;
12. Supervise junior staff as needed;
13. Work collaboratively across HRW’s programmatic divisions and support their work and interventions on SOGIESC-related rights; and
14. Perform other tasks, as may be required.

Other: International travel will be required for research, team gatherings, or other work-related events. HRW may not be able to secure work authorization in all hiring locations, and the final hiring location will be dependent on HRW's ability to legally and safely employ staff in that location.

Qualifications:

Education: An advanced degree or equivalent work experience in journalism, law, or related studies is required.

Experience: A minimum of seven years of relevant experience in SOGIESC-related human rights research is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge

1. Knowledge of and experience working in the MENA region is required. Lived experience in the MENA region is desirable.
2. Ability to envision and identify strategic research and advocacy projects related to SOGIESC and human rights and execute them with initiative, follow-through, creativity, strategic insight and minimal supervision is required.
3. Ability and sensitivity to conduct interviews with a wide range of people, including survivors and witnesses, is required. Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the structural barriers that inform the lived experiences of people identifying as LGBTQI in all their diversity are required.
4. Experience and familiarity with laws governing SOGIESC, international human rights law, and human rights research is required.
5. Ability to write and edit accurate, persuasive, well-organized, analytical, and timely reports and media products, grounded in a legal and policy analysis of human rights related to SOGIESC, is required.
6. Excellent oral and written communication skills (including editing skills) in English and Arabic are required.
7. Strong initiative and follow-through, the capacity to think creatively and strategically, excellent writing and editing skills, and a dynamic public speaking ability.
8. Strong interpersonal skills in order to work collaboratively within the LGBT Rights Program and HRW more broadly, as well as with local partners, government officials, media, and other external partners is required.
9. Ability to effectively organize work, including having good planning, organizational, and project management skills and ability to work under pressure are required.
10. Demonstrated ability to think strategically about the global and local media environments and how to use the media and electronic media to further advocacy goals.
11. Demonstrated ability to supervise junior team members and foster team dynamics that reflect the values of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits.

HRW offers a relocation assistance package and will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization where we have the ability to do so if required. Citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply. Applicants who identify as LGBTQI and have lived experience in the MENA region are highly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by May 10th, by visiting our online job portal at http://careers.hrw.org and attaching a cover letter and CV or resume, preferably as PDF files. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require a disability-related accommodation, please email recruitment@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.

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.

Fluency in Arabic and English