Director, Audience Engagement (Leave Coverage)

FIXED-TERM, FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
Director, Audience Engagement (Leave Coverage)
Audience Engagement Division
Multiple Locations Considered
Application Deadline: June 3, 2026

Reporting to the Global Communications Director, and managing a team of 17 globally distributed engagement roles, the Director of Audience Engagement will lead the promotion and distribution of our owned channels across social media, email and web platforms in a variety of languages. This is a leave coverage position, with an expected start date in early July and an anticipated duration of eight months. 

This leadership role will support the development of a new communications strategy for HRW, ensuring our digital channels effectively inform, inspire, and mobilize audiences around the world in defense of human rights. employing digital best practices and developing efficient workflows to ensure our research and advocacy reaches the most impactful audiences online. With deep curiosity in and knowledge of the rapidly changing online information landscape, this new colleague will drive a vision for maintaining Human Rights Watch’s leadership role within that environment.

The Director also will be responsible for establishing a new audience insight function to ensure our data and analytics lead to a better understanding of our audiences and the content, platforms and technologies we need to invest in to drive impact for our major investigations and reports. In addition to building and engaging digital audiences, the Director of Audience Engagement will work closely with the wider Communications and Development teams to ensure alignment with day-to-day content strategy, media messaging, and reactive news-cycle engagement.

This position will be based within commuting distance of one of the following HRW offices, and will be expected to work from the office on an as needed-basis: London, Berlin, Stockholm, Toronto, New York, Washington DC, Johannesburg or Nairobi.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the organization’s efforts to influence new and diverse audiences with tailored, timely, and impactful digital content.
• Support the formulation of a new influence strategy for cross-platform global digital engagement, aligning social media, digital activism, and influencer tactics. The strategy should amplify HRW’s voice and promote action on human rights issues in support of HRW’s global strategy.
• Support the establishment of a new audience insights function to manage and set metrics of success and impact, reviewing performance data to assess engagement, identify opportunities, and optimize content performance.
• Lead thinking around new and innovative ways to deliver research and advocacy to online audiences, including helping research teams to develop strategy and set goals.
• Lead division-specific management initiatives to promote consistent quality, efficiency, and creativity across all digital deliverables.
• Serve as a core member of the Communications leadership team and contribute to cross-organizational planning and decision-making.
• Ensure real-time engagement, leveraging emerging trends, testing formats, activating influencers, and forging media partnerships.
• Stay current on platform updates, trends, and best practices in digital communications and campaign development.
• Manage efficient workflows and oversight of projects, timelines, budgets, and data-driven insight.

Qualifications:

Education: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent working experience in international relations, law, communications, media, journalism, marketing, human rights, or similar related field is required.

Experience: A minimum of 10 years of experience working in a major non-profit, media, communications, or advocacy organizations is required. 5 years of team management experience is required.

Related Skills and Competencies:

1. A proven track record in leading digital strategies and messaging to grow audiences, drive impact and increase audience engagement.
2. Significant experience managing staff, vendors, consultants and agency relationships.
3. Exceptional working knowledge of contemporary social media platforms, and familiarity with tools like Sprout Social, Marketing Cloud, Salesforce CRM, Engaging Networks, and Asana.
4. Experience managing cross-functional creative teams and collaborating with advocacy, media, and policy experts.
5. Excellent project management and organizational skills.
6. Strong understanding of digital analytics tools and audience segmentation.
7. Fluency in English required; proficiency in additional languages (e.g., Arabic, French, Spanish) is desirable.

Other: Applicants for this role should possess valid work authorization, HRW is not able to provide work authorization sponsorship for this role.

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. The salary range for this position is US$ 150,000 - 165,000. Salary ranges outside of the United States vary by location.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by June 5, 2026 by visiting our online job portal at https://careers.hrw.org/ and attaching a cover letter and a resume or CV, preferably as PDF files. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed 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 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.