COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
COORDINATOR
(administrative – not legal – position)
Communications Division
(New York Office)
Application Deadline: March 28, 2013

Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking a Coordinator to provide administrative assistance to its Communications Division and to run the global press desk as part of a team.  This position reports to the Communications Director and also supports other members of the Communications Division.

Responsibilities:

1. Proofread, format, and distribute press materials, such as news releases and media advisories;

2. Respond to queries from journalists, editors, and bookers;

3. Help maintain and build Human Rights Watch’s global media contact database;

4. Monitor media coverage;

5. Assist Human Rights Watch researchers and advocates in planning and implementing media strategies;

6. Pitch story ideas to relevant journalists;

7. Assist with preparation for news conferences, meetings, and special events;

8. Recruit and coordinate interns;

9. Coordinate translations, including the recruitment of translators, arranging and tracking payments, and distributing training materials;

10. Provide substantive, logistical, and administrative assistance to Communications Division staff, including processing departmental finances, filing, assisting in travel plans, drafting and editing correspondence; and

11. Carry out other duties as required.

Qualifications:

Education:  Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, international affairs, or other relevant field is required.

Experience:  2-3 years of relevant work experience. 

Related Skills and Knowledge: 

1. Excellent reading and oral communication skills in English are required; proficiency in one or more languages is strongly preferred.

2. Prior office/administration experience and strong organizational skills are required.

3. Strong interest in international human rights and media, including social media, is strongly preferred.

4. Strong interpersonal skills are required.

5. Ability to work well under pressure while juggling multiple tasks simultaneously is required.

6. Ability to prioritize with minimal supervision and work independently as well as function as a member of a team is required.

7. Knowledge of Excel and Microsoft Outlook is a plus.

8. Must be detail-oriented.

9. Must have patience and sense of humor.

10. Some evening and weekend work required.

Other: Applicants for this position must possess current US work authorization valid for a minimum of two years from start date.

Salary and Benefits:  Salary range starts at $42,535.  Human Rights Watch offers comprehensive employer-paid benefits, including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, an outstanding retirement savings plan and twenty (20) days vacation per year.

Contact: Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a brief writing sample (unedited by others), and contact information for three references to pressjobs@hrw.org.  Please use “Coordinator Ref: COMMS-13-1012-A” as the subject of your email. 

Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool.

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.