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Research & Policy Officer

Location: Remote

Reports To: Director of Programs  

The Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) is a Syrian human rights organization that pursues meaningful justice and accountability for crimes committed in Syria.

Position Summary

SJAC seeks a staff member with a deep understanding of human rights in the Syrian context to draft articles and reports based on primary documentation and communicate findings with policymakers.

General Duties and Responsibilities

  • Closely follow news from within Syria, including attending weekly documentation team calls
  • Collaborate with the Executive Director to select thematic topics relating to ongoing violations to prioritize publication
  • Review Arabic language interviews as well as open-source information related to prioritized violations, and work with documenters inside Syria to receiving additional information as needed.
  • Draft short articles and a quarterly report on human rights violations inside Syria, with support from the documentation team. Draft responses to requests for information from policymakers and government agencies.
  • Collaborate with partner organizations publishing on Syrian human rights documentation, ensuring that SJAC’s work is not duplicative and is creating added value.  
  • Connect with policymakers in the U.S. and EU to disseminate SJAC’s recommendations and provide briefings on the current human rights situation in Syria.
  • Convene private round tables with stakeholders focused on priority issues.
  • Track and participate in global policy discussions on Syria and transitional justice, to identify opportunities to elevate SJAC’s goals and influence policy and decision making among governments.

 Skills and Experience

  • University degree (advanced degree preferred) in human rights, law, international affairs, or another relevant field.
  • Knowledge of the Syrian conflict, associated human rights violations, and transitional justice processes.
  • 3+ years of professional experience in research, policy and government affairs, or related fields.
  • English and Arabic (Syrian dialect) proficiency, written and spoken.

Pay and Benefits:

Salary: Salary will be dependent on the location in which a candidate is hired, based on education and experience within established bands of compensation. For SJAC’s DC office, starting salary will range between $70,000 and $90,000.  

Other Benefits and/or Policies include: The below describes SJAC’s benefits package in its DC office. Precise benefits will differ for remote employees.

SJAC has a hybrid work policy. While employees are occasionally expected to report to the office for in person events or meetings, they are otherwise free to split their working time between our DC office and their home within the Washington metropolitan area according to their preferences

  • Vacation Leave: 15 days in years 1-3 of employ; 20 days in years 4+; Flex Fridays, every other Friday
  • Family and Sick Leave: 10 days/year
  • Annual Holidays: At least 13 holidays including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
  • Parental leave: 20 days of paid leave + 40 days of unpaid leave
  • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Savings and Retirement Plans: automatic 2% employer contribution, and up to 7% matching contribution
  • Pre-tax commuter benefits
  • Short-term disability and life insurance
  • Worker’s compensation insurance and unemployment insurance

SJAC is a diverse organization made up of 40+ team members around the globe. We pride ourselves in our ability to implement programming that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all Syrians and believe that our own team’s diversity of viewpoints and experiences helps us to achieve that goal. We encourage all interested applicants to apply, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

Apply

Candidates should send their CV, cover letter, and a writing sample to [email protected], subject line: Research & Policy Officer.