We are hiring an Operations Assistant to provide key administrative support with the day-to-day operations of the organization. The Operations Assistant, as part of the Operations Team, will provide support in the areas of general operations and administration, organizational knowledge management, IT, and human resources.

ABOUT WITNESS 

We are a global human rights organization, a collective of passionate human rights activists with remote team members all over the world. WITNESS’ mission is to help people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights. We are a 50 person multi-disciplinary team with staff based across 5 continents. We are registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit in the U.S, but with staff members (as well as consultants, interns, fellows and a vast community of partners and collaborators) based around the world and reflect a group of activists with diverse skills and backgrounds.

WHAT WE DO

WITNESS pairs grassroots community support with advocacy at a systems level. Our team works holistically on a global scale to understand how communities are using and want to use video and technology for human rights.  With a cellphone camera, anyone can become a human rights defender and expose injustice, making it harder for perpetrators to hide or for systems of oppression to remain invisible.  But using video for community organizing, justice and accountability can be dangerous – videos can put defenders (or those they film) at risk, can be used against communities in court or deceitfully discredited by tired old power narratives.  Filming is almost never enough – for videos to make a difference they need to work alongside strong advocacy or legal strategies; they also need to be created, preserved and shared in ways that avoid creating more harm or trauma. New threats to human rights are emerging at the intersection of artificial intelligence, misinformation and disinformation and a global wave of rising authoritarianism.

When it comes to systemic challenges we are on the watch for both existing problems – like how large amounts of critical human rights footage are lost because of the arbitrary decisions of platforms – but also emerging threats and opportunities, such as those posed by ‘deepfakes’, new ways to manipulate media to make it look like someone said or did something they never did.

WITNESS 2021 Year in Review 

ABOUT THE TEAM 

Committed to the organization’s mission and vision, you will be part of a dynamic, global team of activists who work across the world and in different time zones. The Operations Team works very closely with the HR/People Team and IT Teams and ensures effective collaboration across the organisation and supports the administration to help the organisation run smoothly.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

General Operations Support

• Support the management of vendor contracts and relationships that are pertinent to the day-to-day administrative operations, such as preparing invoices for payment and working with vendors and the finance team to submit any supporting documentation for payment processing.
• Train new and existing staff as needed in information systems, organizational policies and processes, as well as legal compliance.
• Respond to general information inquiries via phone or email, and/or direct more specific inquiries to appropriate staff members.
• Initial point of contact for general staff inquiries related to administrative and operational materials.
• Initial contact for some IT issues and resolve low level issues
• Support the Knowledge Management Coordinator in insurance renewals and maintaining legal compliance.

Knowledge Management Support

• Update and keep current the Operations Manual, as well as other relevant guidance and documentation.
• Support the Knowledge Management Coordinator in building and actively updating our shared intranet.
• Support the relocation and organization of institutional digital files from our existing shared server to cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox.
• Support the Knowledge Management Coordinator and IT in effective implementation of internal systems and processes across the organization.

HR Support

• Coordinate and notify staff of office closings, and other important announcements.
• Support HR recruitment; job postings and scheduling interviews.
• Support internship program recruitment.
• Provide support in onboarding and offboarding of staff.

IT Support

• Support IT related vendor and invoice/payment processing
• Support researching, composing and organizing IT-related materials such as org-wide announcements or staff guides around tools and systems.
• Support IT team in ordering supplies and equipment as needed.

Meetings and Events

• Coordinate weekly staff meeting agendas and facilitators, as well as capture notes and recordings during meetings to later distribute to all staff.
• Provide logistical support for large organizational-wide events such as the WITNESS Global Team Retreat.
• Assist with travel arrangements and visas as needed.

Support of any other operational tasks and projects as they arise.

PRINCIPAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Director of People & Systems
• Knowledge Management & Operations Coordinator
• Senior Manager of IT
• HR team
• External vendors

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Work Experience:  

• A minimum of 1-2 years of experience in administrative support.
• Experience performing data management related tasks such as capturing, organizing, storing, and the ongoing maintenance of information and documentation
• Experience with vendor management.
• Strong research skills.
• Experience in a nonprofit setting preferred.
• Experience in supporting and maintaining efficient, effective, consistent systems would be an added advantage.

Organizational and Interpersonal: 

• Demonstrated relationship-building and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Flexibility and strong multi-tasking skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• High attention to detail and precision in all work.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality, work under pressure and coordinate many details.

Systems & Technology:  

• We are a remote digital workforce and this role requires strong computer literacy and a comfort with digital communication and collaboration tools. 
• Comfort and familiarity with Apple hardware, Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox would be a plus.

Communications:  

• Strong and thoughtful communication skills, both verbally and in writing
• Experience creating clear distinct content such as training materials and guidance to support cross-organizational implementation of knowledge sharing, policies, and processes within the organization.
• Experience working with remote teams and collaborating across geographic, and cultural boundaries would be a plus.

Languages:

• We are a global team who use English as our shared language, as such this role requires a high proficiency of written and spoken English.

Other Important Skills & Characteristics:  

• Previous experience in conducting staff training would be a plus.
• Previous experience supporting organizational legal compliance would also be a plus. 

JOB LOCATION: Remote

• We are a globally distributed remote workforce and this key role will involve working with staff across our whole team, to help facilitate this, a candidate based around the Eastern Atlantic regions of the Americas, Europe, or the Western / Southern Africa will have the most crossover and collaborative time with the majority of staff and with this role’s key collaborators;
• Ideally this means candidates will be between the timezones UTC/GMT-6 and UTC/GMT+1;
• At this time, our team members are working through hybrid office arrangements, combining remote at-home work with intermittent use of offices and/or co-working spaces;
• The successful candidate must have the legal right-to-work in the location in which they will be based.

COMPENSATION: 

• WITNESS operates a salary localization policy using a combination of regularly reviewed foreign exchange rates and location adjustment multipliers; 
• Based on current rates, gross salaries for some of our current locations are given as an example: 
  • USA – USD 46,000
  • Canada – CAD 46,800
  • Brazil – BRL 161,450
  • UK – GBP 35,950
  • South Africa – ZAR 518,900
• Note: Currency conversions of these salaries would not apply in different locations. If your location is not listed, and you are shortlisted we will be happy to confirm the local salary which will be applicable.

Duration:

• This is a full-time fixed term contract with a flexible start date and end date of October 31, 2024.

BENEFITS:

Health:

• WITNESS also offers competitive and robust medical benefits that cover an individual’s medical, dental and vision and covers a percentage of the individual’s dependents.

Life Insurance & AD&D: 

• WITNESS provides life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment cover while employed by the organization.

Remote Work Stipend: 

• WITNESS recognizes that flexible working arrangements are key to equity and inclusion in the workplace and we provide a $175 USD monthly remote work allowance, we are happy to talk about the type of flexible arrangements that might work best for you. This remote work stipend is provided to all staff members to pay for extra equipment, electricity, stationery, internet, wellness, or whatever an employee deems necessary in order to work remotely. Please note that a computer and basic accessories are provided to all employees at the time of hire.

Pension Contributions: 

• After 1 year of service at the organization, WITNESS will contribute 3% of an individual’s gross salary towards a global retirement fund.

Paid Time Off: 

WITNESS has a range of paid time off types that support our staff.

• Vacation leave: that meets local statutory levels or 15 days whichever is higher, in addition to staff’s local public holidays.
  • The vacation allowance increases by 5 days after 3 years of service.
• Personal / Wellness leave: 5 days staff can use at any time to recharge in recognition of the importance of supporting positive mental well being.
• End of Year closure: which usually is equivalent to a minimum of 5 days leave in addition to any public holidays across the last week of December and early January.
• Sick Leave: follows local statutory guidance however; 
  • WITNESS ensures a minimum of 10 days paid time off for occasional sickness and health related absences.
  • A minimum of 6 weeks of full pay in instances of longer term absence.
• Sabbatical Leave: At the 10 year mark we offer staff 10 weeks of paid time off in order to take a break, gain new insights and expand their horizons.

Work/ Life Balance: 

• WITNESS believes in creating a healthy work environment in which  flexible schedules are available, we also understand that sometimes an employee may just require a few hours to take care of personal issues in which case they can adjust their hours to make up for the time instead of taking a full day of leave. Both are allowable once agreed upon with the departmental supervisors.

Mental Health Policy: 

• WITNESS feels that all employees should feel supported both physically as well as mentally while they are at work and realizes that many times the issues that we deal with, the materials that we watch and the events surrounding some of the work that we do, can lead to feeling “unwell” and not in a “good space”. The organization looks to provide as supportive an environment as possible should staff find  themselves in need of additional time or support in relation to their mental health.

Professional Development: 

• In support of the growth and development of our staff, WITNESS regularly seeks opportunities for professional development, exposure to new skills and supports a culture of learning. 
• As part of this we offer staff Reading Days (1 day per month) where staff can take a day to read, study and connect more deeply with peers, partners and colleagues to further functional knowledge relevant to their role or deepen their general understanding and ability to support human rights work. 

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in joining the WITNESS team, please apply through BambooHR. You will need to attach your resume, cover letter, and contact information for 3 references.

In your cover letter, we are interested in hearing about what you’ve done, how you match the position requirements, and why you’d like to join WITNESS.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Applications accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled; early applications encouraged. Please note that due to the volume anticipated, we will not be able to respond individually to each applicant.  We kindly ask that you do not send duplicate applications via mail or email, and no phone calls. 

WITNESS is a global human rights organization and aims to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the communities we work with. We are interested in building a talented team that brings their true selves with diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. We are interested in receiving applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. 

WITNESS is an equal opportunity employer. People of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, religions, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, and individuals protected by any other statuses under international federal, state or local laws, including but not limited to, disability, marital, domestic partnership, familial, caregiver, transgender, military or veteran statuses, are encouraged to apply. 

We recognize the great risks that environmental defenders take to stand up to power, and understand that the collection of visual evidence is only one strategy communities use to protect their environmental human rights. We hope to support this resistance by sharing the Video as Evidence Environmental Defense Guide throughout the coming months via our global campaign that amplifies the calls for Earth Justice. Join us by re-posting our materials or retweeting us using the hashtag: #Video4Earth. 

Read from the full blog post by Dalila Mujagic and Meghana Bahar.

Sam Gregory on WITNESS’ new strategic vision to ‘Fortify the Truth’

If Sam’s name sounds familiar – it should! He has dedicated over two decades to WITNESS, most recently directing our programs and strategy. In that capacity, Sam has supported WITNESS’ global teams and partners in more than 100 countries addressing urgent issues such as land rights, state violence, and war crimes – as well as spearheading our pioneering work on emerging technologies such as deepfakes and AI. Sam brings both the history and an ambitious vision for the future of WITNESS. You can read his full bio here.

Sam steps into this role at an exceptional moment for those concerned with information technology and human rights. This era of omnipresent video, growing misinformation, synthetic media, and declining trust in a shared reality presents a serious threat to the idea of truth itself. Sam has led a global effort to ‘prepare, not panic’ for the new digital landscape, fighting for preservation of truth, trust in critical voices, and media integrity efforts. He is also a fierce advocate for centering the voices of those most removed from decision-making centers yet most profoundly impacted by the proliferation of new technologies.

WITNESS started out democratizing access to cameras, quite literally putting the power of video in the hands of activists around the globe. Today, we take that mission forward, fighting to ensure that global human rights defenders not only have access to skills and emerging tools, but are the deciders on how new tactics are used ethically and with impact, and are central voices on the development of new technologies that will hurt or could help them. -Sam Gregory

Sam’s appointment concludes an extensive global search led by a search committee, assisted by an international recruitment firm, and informed by wide-ranging input from our global staff and stakeholders. We believe Sam brings the expertise, vision, and leadership required by this moment of transition for WITNESS. Sam’s track-record and commitment to fostering a participatory culture and systematic listening also creates an invaluable opportunity for WITNESS to strengthen its DEIJ commitments across the organization.

We would also like to extend our enormous gratitude to our outgoing Executive Director, Yvette Alberdingk-Thijm, for her exceptional leadership over the past 15 years, shaping WITNESS into the global human rights organization it is today. 

Thank you for stepping up, Sam!

With Pride and Gratitude,

The WITNESS Board
Monica Aleman and Polly Fields, co-chairs

Access to data about policing has become the subject of increased advocacy and police misconduct data has become increasingly available in the United States, leading to a growing cottage industry that has arisen around collecting, analyzing, and publicizing information about policing. Unfortunately, these efforts are often disconnected from organizing aimed at effecting change by reducing and eliminating police profiling, violence and criminalization. 

In an attempt to address these issues and discuss the potential benefits and harms of collecting and disseminating policing data, WITNESS co-hosted a 4-day online convening in collaboration with the Invisible Institute and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Full Disclosure Project in November 2021.

The event brought together grassroots organizers, advocates, data scientists, journalists, lawyers, advocates and funders. The full report from our convening is now available and aims to share the key principles, tensions and practices that we discussed; help guide ongoing conversations and development of best practices; and inform future project planning and funding decisions. 

Some of the key themes that emerged from our conversations include: 

• The importance of protecting privacy, agency and humanity of people whose experiences of policing are reflected in the data, and offer prevention tools and material support.
• Involve those who are most directly impacted by policing in the data collection, analysis and dissemination process. 
• There is no “objective” data.
• Decisions about which data to collect and how to describe and publicize it are subjective and political.
• Institutions and organizations with greater access to data must commit to making the information available and sharing it with directly impacted communities.

This convening builds off WITNESS projects and collaborations with groups like El Grito and Berkeley Copwatch in which we have co-created resources and guidance to support grassroots organizations in collecting, organizing and analyzing videos and data about the police. In 2018, we also co-hosted a convening in Chicago with the Invisible Institute to cover similar topics. Learn more about this work, the convenings and our partners here.  

CORAL is an initiative that spans the continent and seeks to share tools to strengthen community communication, with emphasis on the use of audiovisuals for the defense of the territory and the telling of their own  narratives. From September to December 2022, CORAL held the 1st Latin American School of Communication for Land Defense, in which the closing modules took place in Paraty, Brazil and Mexico city, Mexico. After the gatherings CORAL network has grown significantly to include the participants of this first school. Find more about this initiative in https://redcoral.la 

After seeing the violent response of the Peruvian government to the mobilizations that started on December 7th, the CORAL network released the following statement. Laboratorio Popular de Medios Libres and WITNESS have also joined forces in an open call for video evidence of human rights violations using an autonomous server, and working together with other members of CORAL, such as Maizal and Radio Kurruf, to create an archive that can preserve multimedia coming from Peru. More about this initiative here.

Read this statement in Portuguese and in Spanish.

To the independent, free, community, alternative media at Abya Yala  and beyond,

To international civil society,

To the governments and international organizations that are meant to protect and guarantee human rights,

We the undersigned, as representatives of community and alternative media, members of Indigenous and afro-descendant peoples, communities, and organizations of our Abya Yala continent, denounce the serious social and political situation that the Republic of Peru is experiencing, as a result of the legislative coup that has broken the rule of law in that sister nation.

We strongly reject the repressive use of the police and military forces that have murdered 39 protesters in 35 days, since December 7th, 2022, with direct shots to the body during the demonstrations and/or using snipers. In total, the number of deaths from the current social protests amounts to 47 people and hundreds of people injured.

Despite reaching office democratically, since the beginning of President Castillo’s administration in July 2021, the Peruvian congress has been characterized by a racist, classist and violent vision and narratives, and put forth a fierce fight for Castillo’s dismissal. The congress has dedicated itself solely to block the work of the executive branch, which has prolonged the stagnation of the State and the country. Six presidents in four years demonstrate the political instability that obviously generates discomfort in Peruvian society.

We express our concern about the tepid role of international bodies; the UN and OAS, that are already per se delegitimized, reiterate their position at the service of the interests of local oligarchies and international corporations to prevail over the needs of the population in general.

As independent communication media and collectives, we stand by the generalized rejection against  the media concentration that exists in Peru, where the radioelectric space is monopolized by a handful of companies that use it to spread a racist, classist and patriarchal narrative that confuses and polarizes public opinion.

We denounce that the state of national emergency, decreed by who currently usurps the presidency of Peru, is an open letter for the violation of all human rights, a history sadly repeated in the territories of our Abya Yala where repression gave rise to barbarism; a situation which we deeply regret again in Peru.

We urge the national and international actors involved to channel mechanisms for the restoration of constitutional order and respect for human rights in Peru.

We call on governments, institutions, international bodies and civil society throughout the continent to ensure that the Peruvian State respects and acts in accordance with the principles that govern human life on the planet; peace and respect for life, self-determination and autonomy of the peoples.

We invite the various free, popular and community communication groups to articulate in the dissemination and denunciation of human rights violations against the Peruvian people and their just demands.

From all Latin America we send our solidarity and support to the sisters and brothers of Peru. We are peoples of peace weaving the word to communicate the defense and care of life and territories.

Abya Yala, January 11, 2023.

Ms. Cai has over a decade of experience working with and leading teams responsible for creating and maintaining policies that define acceptable behavior and content in online communities and platforms. As a trust and safety expert, Ms. Cai helps tech companies think about how to develop effective content moderation while also supporting employee well-being, and educating the public about why such practices are valuable to a healthy internet. 

Ms. Diniz is an award-winning academic, filmmaker, and activist who has expertise in using video and research for evidence-based advocacy, policy change, and strategic litigation for human rights. She is internationally recognized for her longstanding commitment to reproductive rights and health and efforts to combat violence against women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean. She is an active presence on social media platforms where she engages in dialog with thousands of followers and community members. In 2020, Ms. Diniz won the prestigious Dan David prize, a lifetime achievement recognition for her contributions to gender justice.

Ms. Owono is the executive director of Internet Sans Frontieres, an affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and an inaugural member of the Meta Oversight Board. She founded the Content Policy and Society Lab at Stanford University, which prototyped a novel approach to multi stakeholder collaborations on major content policy challenges. With expertise leading academic and non-governmental organizations, she regularly convenes representatives from companies, governments, civil society, with content moderators and researchers to exchange ideas and collaborate on the creation of rights-based policies and regulations to support a truly global internet. She recently published an analysis of Content Governance in the Metaverse. 

“We welcome Adelin’s and Julie’s deep, global experience and practical expertise on how to make the internet a more equitable space for participation and free expression,” said WITNESS Executive Director, Yvette Alberdingk Thijm. “Debora’s knowledge on gender equality and her leadership in video advocacy as a tool to realize rights will bring essential insights to our global team. As members of our Board of Directors, we look forward to drawing on their valuable guidance as we embark on our new “Fortifying the Truth” Strategic Vision, continuing to support the most vulnerable and marginalized communities turning to video and technology to create human rights change.”

Read more about Adelin Cai here, Debora Diniz here, and about Julie Owono here.

And read more about our full Board of Directors here. 

ABOUT WITNESS 

We are a global human rights organization, a collective of passionate human rights activists with (mostly remote) team members all over the world. WITNESS’ mission is to help people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights. We are a 45+ person multi-disciplinary team with staff based across 5 continents. While we’re legally a non-profit that is registered as a 501(c)3 in the U.S, we are a global collective: our staff members (as well as consultants, interns, fellows and a vast community of partners and collaborators) are based around the world and reflect a group of activists with diverse skills and backgrounds. 

WHAT WE DO

WITNESS pairs grassroots community support with advocacy at a systems level. Our team works holistically on a global scale to understand how communities are using and want to use video and technology for human rights.  With a cellphone camera, anyone can become a human rights defender and expose injustice, making it harder for perpetrators to hide or for systems of oppression to remain invisible.  But using video for community organizing, justice and accountability can be dangerous – videos can put defenders (or those they film) at risk, can be used against communities in court or deceitfully discredited by tired old power narratives.  Filming is almost never enough – for videos to make a difference they need to work alongside strong advocacy or legal strategies; they also need to be created, preserved and shared in ways that avoid creating more harm or trauma. New threats to human rights are emerging at the intersection of artificial intelligence, misinformation and disinformation and a global wave of rising authoritarianism.

When it comes to systemic challenges we are on the watch for both existing problems – like how large amounts of critical human rights footage are lost because of the arbitrary decisions of platforms – but also emerging threats and opportunities, such as those posed by ‘deepfakes’, new ways to manipulate media to make it look like someone said or did something they never did.

WITNESS 2021 Year in Review 

ABOUT THE TEAM 

Committed to the organization’s mission and vision, you will be part of a dynamic, global team of activists who work across the world and in different time zones. You’ll be closely partnered with and supportive of the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director in this role, you will function as a key connector in this global team, ensuring that the organization runs smoothly and efficiently in all respects, and information flows smoothly between staff and consultants, as well as with our external allies and supporters. You will frequently interact with and partner with WITNESS Board members, donors and supporters, and consultants.

THE ROLE

Your role, particularly, will help be the ‘glue’ to ensure the organization runs smoothly, anticipate any roadblocks, and partner effectively internally and externally to achieve its mission and vision. Your role is pivotal in helping to realize and support WITNESS’s vision of a globally-distributed, diverse and empowered team focused on advancing human rights through video and technology.  This position reports to the Executive Director, and works closely with the Deputy Executive Director and the Board.  

WITNESS organizationally prides itself on placing great emphasis on high levels of collaboration, professionalism and effectiveness. As the Executive Associate, you will provide comprehensive support for the Executive function through preparing, organizing, and driving meetings and organizational priorities. Your support ensures the seamless, fast-paced execution of the Executive Director (“ED”) and Deputy Executive Director’s (“DED”) priorities and daily schedule with a high degree of professionalism, attention to detail, follow through, speed, and attentiveness to issues requiring the organization’s attention.  You will maintain key Executive relationships, including external stakeholders and supporters.  In particularly you will function as the primary liaison directly for the WITNESS Board, including engaging directly with Board members, supporting and organizing Committee and Board retreats and meetings, working closely with the Board to dynamically maintain and update all manuals, policies, and records, supporting its DEI tracking, and conducting research on new Board members in collaboration with the Board’s Governance Committee. 

You will ensure that internal systems are cultivated and maintained to enable the highest possible functioning of the Executive function. You will provide support on day-to-day administration, such as preparing agendas, scheduling and managing schedules, as well as supporting various organizational projects. You will provide research and preparatory support on upcoming meetings to ensure the ED and DED are well-prepared for their schedule.

This role is perfect for a self-starter who is highly organized, likes to project manage and is good at it, pays focused attention to detail, and is an excellent writer and communicator, shows sound initiative and anticipation qualities, excels in fast-paced team-based environments, and enjoys interacting with staff and partners at all levels.

You are the kind of person who gets a kick out of supporting the organization’s efficiency and smooth functioning through overall systems initiatives, you see your role not only as it relates to the Executive function, or the Deputy Executive Director , but also cross-organizationally, and enjoy improving upon those, and ensuring that there is transparent, compelling and open communication that enhances inclusivity and builds team culture. 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

The ideal candidate will need to be a masterful problem-solver and organizational expert given the complex calendar management and planning involved. You are an exceptional, inclusive communicator and have the ability to act as a cultural ambassador, supporting cooperation between cross-functional teams and building relationships across the broader WITNESS ecosystem. 

You are a self-motivated, highly organized team player to assist the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director and provide comprehensive support for the Executive function through preparing, organizing, and driving meetings and organizational priorities, as well as liaising with the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and allies of WITNESS. 

Executive Function

• Support the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director in cross-organizational planning, including tracking and monitoring cross-organizational initiatives, gatherings, and coordinating meets with set agendas and following up on action items, and assisting with managing organizational consultants
• Provide support on preparation for meetings including as requested, appropriate research
• Provide support to the Sr. Leadership team, including preparing meetings, conducting preparatory research, overviews or other documents, tracking action items and monitoring agendas, taking notes in team meetings, and following-up as needed with relevant material and/or additional calls

Board

• Help secure the smooth and effective functioning of the Boards’ function, as a primary board liaison, engage and inform all stakeholders, designing effective systems and workflows, maintaining schedules, preparing agendas and meetings and tracking follow-ups, and taking and filing notes accordingly  
• Partner with the Executive Director and relevant Committees in managing Board governance, recruitment, onboarding, engagement and inspiration, as well as maintenance of relevant policies, DEI data, and compliance with the organization’s bylaws
• Maintain a “resource hub” for board members including onboarding documents, WITNESS information on programs, board structure and committee mandates, etc. 
• Conduct new board member research and maintain a comprehensive document to outline current prospects, track data including DEI policy and data, ensure timely conversations and status updates

Systems

• Identify, maintain and improve upon systems and workflows that foster and enable knowledge and information to accessible and shared and found by the relevant team members, as related to Executive function and Board (e.g. Board “hub” or board member recruitment matrix and documentation) 

Administrative

• Manage monthly credit card reconciliations, reimbursement requests, timesheet allocations, and related admin functions for the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director
• Add and maintain information as well as contacts within Salesforce, Gmail Contacts and other applicable data or organizational records related to Executive function, the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director
• Plan and schedule internal and external meetings as appropriate

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE: 

Experience: You have 2-3 years work experience, and a track record of hard work. Your work experience speaks to your administrative, organizational, communication, and project management achievements, interests and skills.  You can demonstrate a knack for solving problems and creating effective workflows. 

Human Rights: Background in or passion for human rights; committed to social justice and WITNESS’ values/mission and to a global, human rights perspective.

Project Management: Proven track record of effective project management, ability to take initiative and superb levels of organizational administration.   

Communications: You are a natural communicator. Exceptional interpersonal communication and writing skills. Ability to communicate effectively and compellingly with internal and external stakeholders. With colleagues across  the world,  you will be equally adept at working and providing support virtually or in an office environment.

Languages: We are a global team who use English as our shared language, as such this role requires a high proficiency of written and spoken English. Additional languages are a plus.

Organization: Excellent organizational, attention to detail and quality control, attentiveness, advanced time management skills, ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced environment. 

Systems: Ability to make systems work for you and the organization (incl. Yesware, Concur, Zoom, Dropbox, and other relevant project management applications), adaptness at and prior experience particularly with G Suite, Microsoft tools. 

Education: You can tell us about your degrees, but we’re more interested in what your passions are and what you can do. If your degrees are part of that story, great!  (But no formal education required).

Other Characteristics: 

Strong interpersonal skills and aptitude for cross-cultural communication. Team-minded. A doer. Espouses good humor under pressure; inspires others.

Strong desire and ability to keep a range of communications confidential.   

You have and use your emotional intelligence, and have a strong aptitude for systems-thinking.

Location: We are a globally distributed, remote workforce; this is a full-time position, with preference for a candidate located in the U.S who is within commuting distance from NYC to allow for periodic in person meetings.

At this time, our team members are working through hybrid office arrangements, combining remote at-home work with intermittent use of offices and/or co-working spaces. 

These include: USA, Mexico, Brazil, UK, Netherlands, Nigeria, Kenya.

Typically, we can only consider applicants who are already legally able to work in the country in which the role is based. Visa sponsorship or relocation allowance are rare, and offered only for specialized positions. The successful candidate must have the legal right-to-work in the location in which they will be based.

Compensation:  WITNESS operates a salary localization policy using a combination of regularly reviewed FX and salary adjustment multipliers for location. 

Based on current rates, gross salaries for some of our current locations are given as an example:

• New York City- USD 55,100

Benefits:

• Health: WITNESS also offers competitive and robust medical benefits that cover an individual’s medical, dental and vision at 100% and covers a % of the individual’s dependents.
• Life Insurance & AD & D: WITNESS provides life insurance and AD&D payable at one time (1x)  the employee’s salary, to the beneficiary, in the event an employee were to expire while employed by the organization.
• Remote Work Stipend: WITNESS recognizes that flexible working arrangements are key to equity and inclusion in the workplace and we provide a $175 USD monthly remote work allowance, we are happy to talk about the type of flexible arrangements that might work best for you. This remote work stipend is provided to all staff members to pay for extra equipment, electricity, stationery, internet, wellness,  or whatever an employee deems necessary in order to work remotely. Please note that a computer and basic accessories are provided to all employees at the time of hire.
• Pension Contributions: After 1 year of service at the organization, WITNESS will contribute 3% of an individual’s gross salary towards a global retirement fund.
• Paid Time Off: WITNESS has a range of paid time off types that support our staff.
  • Vacation leave: that meets local statutory levels or 15 days whichever is higher, in addition to staff’s local public holidays.
    • The vacation allowance increases by 5 days to 20 days after 3 years of service.
  • Personal / Wellness leave: 5 days staff can use at any time to recharge in recognition of the importance of supporting positive mental well being.
  • End of Year closure: which usually is equivalent to a minimum of 5 days leave in addition to any public holidays across the last week of December and early January.
  • Sick Leave: follows local statutory guidance however; 
    • WITNESS ensures a minimum of 10 days paid time off for occasional sickness and health related absences.
    • A minimum of 6 weeks of full pay in instances of longer term absence.
  • Sabbatical Leave: At the 10 year mark we offer staff 10 weeks of paid time off in order to take a break, gain new insights and expand their horizons.
• Work/ Life Balance :WITNESS believes in creating a healthy work environment in which  flexible schedules are available, we also understand that sometimes an employee may just require a few hours to take care of personal issues in which case they can adjust their hours to make up for the time instead of taking a full day of leave. Both are allowable once agreed upon with the departmental supervisors.
• Mental Health Policy: WITNESS feels that all employees should feel supported both physically as well as mentally while they are at work and realizes that many times the issues that we deal with, the materials that we watch and the events surrounding some of the work that we do, can lead to feeling “unwell” and not in a “good space”.
  Should a situation arise in which an Employee requests support on mental health, WITNESS will award  (10) days of “WITNESS” paid leave.
• Professional Development: In support of the growth and development of our staff, WITNESS regularly seeks opportunities for professional development, exposure to new skills and supports a culture of learning. 
  • As part of this we offer staff Reading Days (1 day per month) where staff can take a day to read, study and connect more deeply with peers, partners and colleagues to further functional knowledge relevant to their role or deepen their general understanding and ability to support human rights work. 

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in joining the WITNESS team, please apply through BambooHR. You will need to attach your resume, cover letter, and contact information for 3 references.

Please include a cover letter. We are interested in hearing about what you’ve done, what you can do, and what you want to do at WITNESS.

Please note that if you are applying via a link in a 3rd party system (Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Zip Recruiter etc), be sure that you are going through the application link in BambooHR.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until candidates have been shortlisted; early applications encouraged. Please note that due to the volume anticipated, we will not be able to respond individually to each applicant.  We kindly ask that you do not send duplicate applications via mail or email, and no phone calls. No recruiters please.

WITNESS is a global human rights organization and aims to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the communities we work with. We are interested in building a talented team that brings their true selves with diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. We are interested in receiving applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. 

WITNESS is an equal opportunity employer. People of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, religions, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, and individuals protected by any other statuses under international federal, state or local laws, including but not limited to, disability, marital, domestic partnership, familial, caregiver, transgender, military or veteran statuses, are encouraged to apply. 

http://www.witness.org

These in-person gatherings are the final modules of ‘CORAL’, which started in September as an online school and has been meeting to cover topics on narratives, strategic communication, and more. The objectives of the gathering are to strengthen the strategic vision of groups and collectives working in communications, in particular audiovisual media, to advance their skills around advocacy and documentation, and to provide tools to help them train others in their communities.

This work builds off WITNESS’s long-standing partnerships and projects with collectives, communities and movements working to respond to violence and aggression against their lives and the land. Through this work we’ve had the opportunity to provide documentation workshops at large gatherings of Indigenous Peoples’ in Brazil and co-created guides such as the Guide to Strategic Communication in Defense of the Territory in Mexico.

Follow our social media channels (@WITNESS_USA, @WITNESS_es and @witness_Brasil) and visit https://redcoral.la to learn more about the work. Continue reading for additional information about CORAL. 

MORE ABOUT CORAL:

#CORAL is a network of #audiovisual groups from different places, that support movements defending their land, territory and #commons. It seeks to strengthen community #communication for the #defense of the territory and the construction of its own #narratives

Faced with the excessive advance of the borders of capital and extractivism, communities, populations, social movements, civil and collective organizations need to organize themselves to respond to the violence and aggression that threaten their lives, bodies and territories.

Therefore, our focus is the training of trainers to support the continuity of processes in popular education, especially the #communication strategy for the development of the different territories and communities.

Do you want to know more? Visit: https://redcoral.la

CORAL is a network of audiovisual groups in Abya Yala (an Indigenous term used to refer to the “Americas”) that from different geographies accompany struggles for the defense of the land, territory and common goods. This articulation of regional scope seeks to share tools to strengthen community communication, with an emphasis on the use of audiovisuals for defense and the construction of their own narratives.

Thus, in the face of the advance of the borders of capital and extractivism, communities, peoples, movements, organizations, collectives self-organize to respond to the onslaught of violence and dispossession that threaten their lives, bodies and territories.

The criminalization, repression, judicial harassment and harassment of human rights defenders is on the rise. This is accompanied by different media strategies to stigmatize and invalidate any alternative that challenges the progress of the so-called “development”.

For this reason, we see it necessary to add to the strengthening of the audiovisual fronts that are formed from different latitudes to give dispute in the symbolic and narrative field in the struggles for the defense of the land, the territory and the common goods. Our commitment in this area is the training of trainers that allows us to support the continuity of processes in popular education in the communication strategy to develop from different territories and communities.

Follow #CORALTerritorioAudiovisual for more updates!

WITNESS partnered with Memorial in the mid 2000s to co-produce advocacy videos about forced disappearances, extra-judicial killings, and torture committed by the Russian military during the Chechen wars. The videos, “Missing Lives: Disappearances and Impunity in the North Caucasus” and “Crying Sun: The Impact of War in the Mountain of Chechnya,” centered the voices of communities directly impacted by so-called “counter terrorism operations,” and called for accountability.  

Based on our experience with Memorial and many other groups over the past 30 years, we know that frontline witnesses are navigating immense risks as they capture and share video documentation of potential human rights violations and war crimes. 

Building on learnings from these collaborative experiences, we evolved our training model to provide resources and best practices to millions of people. For example, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, we tailored and began distributing resources for witnessing war in multiple languages. And we continue to support documentation efforts during the protracted conflict. 

Memorial’s decades-long efforts to document abuses by the government against its people led to it being disbanded by the Putin regime last year. But its legacy lives on. And the voices of its leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov and Natalia Estemirova, head of Memorial’s Chechnya office who was murdered in 2009, will not be silenced. 

We thank Memorial for its lasting contribution to the global movement championing video for human rights. 

As organizations that regularly seek funding to support our documentation and archival work, WITNESS and our partners at Texas After Violence Project (TAVP) – have seen how “traditional” funding requirements and guidelines often become significant impediments to our work, despite funders’ best intentions. With this in mind, we drafted an open letter that highlights five key challenges and offers constructive recommendations to center community and care in archives grantmaking.

Join us in adding to this conversation and making funding for community archives more impactful! One of our hopes for this open letter is to spark conversation within community archives across the country on how to advocate for this work. Head over to the Sustainable Future’s blog to read all recommendations. We encourage you to share it and welcome your thoughts.

Explore some of WITNESS’s archiving resources and projects below:

• People’s Database for Police Accountability with Berkeley Copwatch
• Policing the Police with El Grito
• Rohingya Genocide Archive with Rohingya Vision
• Should I Collect and Archive These Videos? tipsheet, co-created with Texas After Violence Project
• Activists’ Guide to Archiving Video