Senior Researcher, Immigrants Rights

FULL-TIME JOB VACANCYSENIOR RESEARCHER, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES

United States Program

Multiple US Office Locations Considered

Application Deadline: September 21, 2025

The United States Program (USP) of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking applicants for the position of Senior Researcher on Immigrants’ Rights in the United States. The Senior Researcher will research, identify and monitor human rights abuses experienced by people as a result of federal, state, local, and labor policies affecting immigrants, including immigration law enforcement; and advocate for laws, policies and practices designed to protect the human rights of immigrants living in or arriving to the United States.

The Senior Researcher should have demonstrated experience conducting research on and advocacy against human or civil rights abuses experienced by immigrants, including links to racial discrimination. This work aligns with our desire to work in close partnership with organizations both within the United States and across borders, and our overarching aim of ensuring racial justice and equity in the United States.

This full-time position will be based in one of HRW US offices with an option to work remotely, and will report to the Director of USP.

Responsibilities:

1. Research and investigate the rights of immigrants in the US or subject to the authority of the US government in line with the priorities of the US Program.
2. Conduct trauma-informed interviews in a time-efficient manner with a wide range of people, including directly impacted immigrants, asylum seekers, family members, community members, and others. Conduct effective interviews with government officials, including immigration and law enforcement officials.
3. Research, monitor, and document human rights abuses by collecting and analyzing information from a wide variety of sources including immigrants, their family members, immigrant community members, government officials, policy makers, journalists, and other relevant actors; as well as through state and federal public records requests, caselaw, and open source investigations.
4. Write and/or produce and publicize research reports, multimedia products, briefing papers, regulatory, policy, or legislative comments, advocacy letters, news releases, op-eds, and submissions to national and international bodies, using a human rights lens, in a concise and accurate manner, with a quick turnaround time.
5. Monitor legal and policy developments related to immigrants’ rights in the US, paying particularly close attention to immigration enforcement, detention, deportation, labor rights, and the ways the US executive and legislative branches of government, state, or local authorities, and US foreign policies protect or violate the human rights of immigrants and their communities.
6. Develop and implement advocacy strategies based on research to change laws, policies, and practices designed to respect immigrants’ rights in the United States.
7. Advocate directly and/or through coalition partnerships for the reform or creation of laws, policies, or practices at the state, local, national, or international level that promote and protect the human rights of immigrant
8. Appear publicly and do regular media interviews on behalf of HRW, speaking on the situation of immigrants in the United States, the applicable legal context, and the organization’s work on behalf of immigrants’ rights.
9. Respond to and/or anticipate news events to advance coverage of immigrants’ rights issues; assess when and where to make public interventions; and work creatively to use technology, campaigns, communications and social media to generate public support for human rights issues and further advocacy goals.
10. Work with HRW communications staff to respond to immigration policy events in the news cycle, promote the USP team’s expertise with media outlets, and plan and execute media strategies in relation to products released.
11. Convene, provide strategic guidance and leadership to, and participate in coalitions led by partners; often work with existing coalitions or through building new alliances; bring the contributions of HRW to those coalitions and bring the needs of those coalitions and alliances to HRW’s strategic planning.
12. Respond promptly to queries from HRW colleagues, the media, public, US government bodies, and colleagues in the immigrants’ rights and human rights fields.
13. Liaise effectively with HRW staff located in multiple locations when relevant to ensure effective coordination and delivery of research and advocacy activities.
14. Travel regularly inside the United States, to border communities, to Mexico and throughout the world to conduct and lead research and advocacy work, and to meet with colleagues.
15. Deliver products in a timely manner and maintain consistency with the agreed strategy and priorities of the US Program.
16. Perform other responsibilities, as may be required.

Qualifications:

Education: A US law degree or an advanced degree or equivalent experience in US immigration law/policy, journalism, or a related field is required.

Experience: A minimum of seven years of relevant work experience in immigration and/or relevant criminal law practice, research, documentation and/or US immigration policy advocacy is required.

Given the US Program’s substantive work focus and theory of change, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as individuals from families and communities impacted by the immigrant experience are encouraged to apply. Candidates who are traditionally underrepresented in the human rights sector are enthusiastically encouraged to apply if they feel they can succeed in this role, even if they do not have all the formal skills and qualifications listed.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

1. Knowledge of and experience working with US federal, state, and local immigration law, regulations, and policies is required.
2. Demonstrated ability to envision and identify strategic research and advocacy projects and execute them with initiative, follow-through, creativity, strategic insight and minimal supervision is required.
3. Experience and familiarity with US immigration law, international human rights law, refugee law and human rights research is required. Familiarity with US criminal law is desired.
4. 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 and US immigration law, is required.
5. Excellent oral and written communication skills (including editing skills) in English and Spanish are required. Additional language skills to facilitate successful work with immigrant communities are desired.
6. Experience combatting structural barriers that entrench anti-immigrant and racial discrimination in the United States, preferably including work with or alongside organizations led by directly impacted people is required.
7. Ability to think creatively about the use of images, audio, data, and online tools in the presentation of findings and in advocacy is desired.
8. Interpersonal skills to work collaboratively within the US Program team 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. Good judgment and the ability to make sound decisions consistent with functions is required.

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. The salary range for this position is USD 88,000 – 96,000.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately by September 21, 2025 by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and attaching a cover letter and a resume or CV. No calls or email inquiries, please. Applications must be complete to receive considerations, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require accommodations during the application process, 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 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 the human rights-related policies and practices of governments and international institutions.