U. S. Business and Human Rights Senior Researcher

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) is seeking an experienced researcher to help lead our latest efforts to prevent corporate backsliding on human rights commitments in the United States, after 25 years of progress towards more responsible, rights-respecting business conduct. The researcher will be responsible for tracking and analyzing the human rights policies and practices of top US companies across four key sectors – energy, apparel, technology, and food and beverage; developing briefings and reports to share this evidence base and analysis; and engaging with civil society, investors, companies and decision-makers. The researcher will base this work on our existing tracker and benchmark approaches. They will distill key learnings from this pilot work and make recommendations for how it can be applied in other contexts.

Details

Reports to: Co-Head: Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders Program

Salary (part-time, 3.5 days/week): $56 000 commensurate with experience.

Closing date: 14 March 2025

Interview dates: 18, 19, 20 March 2025.

Location: Preferably Washington, D.C. or surrounding areas, possibly New York or surrounding areas.

Contract type: Part time (24.5 hours/week), 1 year initially (with possibility of extension)

Annual leave: 16 days/year plus bank holidays, and 5 days for office closure in August and year-end.

Start: As soon as possible

To apply

Complete and submit this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that this application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo, Ocampo@businuess-humanrights.org

About the Organisation

BHRRC is an international organisation with 80 Global Team members in over 30 locations worldwide. We are a UK-registered charity. With partners and allies worldwide, BHRRC seeks to put human rights at the heart of business to deliver a just economy, climate justice, and end corporate abuse. We seek to deliver our mission through three strategic goals: 1) shared prosperity for society; 2) corporate duty of care for human rights and environmental justice; and 3) safe and enabling environments in which communities and workers can advocate for their rights and interests, including through free and fair negotiations.

BHRRC has four priority programmes: rights of workers in global supply chains; rights of communities seeking responsible natural resources use and a just energy transition; rights of people to accountable digital technologies; and rights of human rights defenders protected from attack and restrictions. Across these programs, we pursue our advocacy aims by building collective power with people and communities subjected to human rights harms by business; with allies, we influence decision-makers in government, investment and business to facilitate transformation to a just economy; and we provide the evidence and build the action base of our movement to increase accountability and transparency of the private sector. Gender and racial justice lenses are designed into/applied across all our work.

About the position

The successful candidate will help lead strategic research and engagement to increase transparency and accountability of the top 50 US companies in at least four high-risk sectors for human rights – extractives and energy; apparel and retail brands; tech platforms and other companies; and food and beverage/consumer good brands.  Tracking the financial sector may also be included. This will include tracking company behaviour through research to reveal backsliding on their human rights commitments; highlighting cases of better practice; and engaging directly with companies, investors, and civil society allies, to build the case for sustained commitment by business to respect human rights. Secondarily, the researcher may also track the status of the behaviour and commitments of business associations, as well as the US government’s focus on business and human rights, including participation in related multistakeholder initiatives.

The range of human rights monitored will be focused on the international business standards of the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines for Multi-National Enterprises. This includes labour rights, Indigenous Peoples’ rights,  community rights, discrimination and inclusion.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include:

• Conducting desk research and building an evidence base: Building a database in collaboration with partners of the current human rights-related policy and practice commitments of 50 of the largest US companies, including with respect to international norms and standards; company policy commitments in operations and supply chains; and commitments assumed through membership of key business and multistakeholder initiatives.
• Monitoring advances and/or backsliding: Using BHRRC’s existing issue-tracker methodologies to track progress or regression on human rights commitments by business and publish current information on BHRRC’s company dashboard pages.
• Conducting analyses and developing high quality written and digital materials: Using the evidence base to craft compelling, comparative analysis for regular briefings, as well content for our website and outreach efforts, including for our Weekly Update newsletter and blog posts for our platform and to be submitted to relevant media outlets.  This will also include developing and publishing quarterly reports on results to highlight key trends in corporate accountability commitments and practice in the U.S.
• Contributing to engagement with civil society, companies, investors, and other decision-makers: Presenting evidence and analysis to key tracked companies and other stakeholders and helping coordinate virtual and in person workshops, roundtables, and knowledge sharing spaces, bringing together various stakeholders, including allies and partners in civil society.
• Building transparency and accountability with partners and allies: Supporting partners and allies in their corporate accountability efforts in the US through provision of evidence-based analysis of changes in corporate policies.
• Contributing to organisational learning: Distilling key learnings from the research and engagement process, to inform organizational strategy and provide recommendations for continued work.

Essential skills and experience

• Business and human rights commitment and expertise: Previous experience working on issues related to business and human rights or corporate accountability is highly desirable. Three – 5 years’ experience in research and project delivery in this area as well as a clear understanding, vision, and strategic insight on human rights in business and the global economy.  Familiarity with core business and human rights instruments, standards, norms, and initiatives is essential.
• Research and analytical skills: Very strong experience in researching, data collection, and writing briefings, preferably in the field of business and human rights or corporate accountability. Skill and enthusiasm to build an evidence base and deliver compelling analysis. Able to search and identify relevant information online and, to a lesser extent, offline.
• Stakeholder engagement: Experience engaging with the private sector regarding human rights, environmental rights, and labor rights is highly desirable. Experience engaging with government officials is also a plus. Pre-existing networks of relevant partners and allies is a plus.
• Communication skills: Proven ability to effectively communicate to a broad range of audiences, through a range of channels (briefings, benchmarks, blogs, dashboards, etc.), especially on digital platforms. Excellent writing ability and English language skills are required. Spanish desirable. Strong speaking skills and experience representing organisations to external audiences are desirable.
• Values: Strong, demonstrated commitment to business and human rights. Share the values and ethos of the Resource Centre.
• Team player: Experience of working in high performing multi-cultural and international teams, working with colleagues to deliver high impact programs. Experience with remote, inter-disciplinary, and culturally diverse teams is highly desirable.
• Organisation and initiative: Able to work efficiently, independently, and methodically to support achievement of deliverables; strong prioritization skills; self-motivated and comfortable working independently within agreed framework while maintaining communication with a global team in different time zones and geographies.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities and acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in this area of work and seek to directly address that through our hiring practices. We particularly encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGTBQI+, and Indigenous Peoples.

To apply

Complete and submit this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that this application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo, Ocampo@businuess-humanrights.org

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