Investigations Manager

THE POSITION

Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) is an independent, non-profit organisation comprised of human rights lawyers and jurists working in fragile and conflict affected areas globally, with field offices in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. LAW has a particular focus on gender equality and sexual and gender-based violence, the rule of law and accountability and transformative justice – working to bring justice to those who need it most. LAW’s portfolio includes multiple ground-breaking cases, which utilise creative legal strategies on behalf of victims and survivors from some of the most challenging contexts, representing more than 1000 clients. LAW’s ground-breaking work has received international media coverage, including in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, BBC News, France24, The Independent, Voice of America, Huffington Post and Foreign Policy.

LAW seeks an Investigations Manager to support and manage its survivor-centred investigations across LAW programmes. You will work in close cooperation with LAW’s Head of Litigation and will play a crucial role in the effective management and oversight of investigations of core international crimes and international human rights violations. These investigations rely on both open-source intelligence (OSINT) and closed source techniques, to support cases in domestic, regional, and international courts, including cases brought under principles of universal jurisdiction as well as submissions to UN Treaty Bodies. Your responsibility will include providing strategic, technical and logistical advice and support to the teams in the field; providing investigative oversight and recommendations; streamlining internal processes and procedures; liaising and coordinating with experts, investigator consultants, and partner organizations. You will report to LAW’s Head of Litigation based in New York and work closely with LAW’s Programme Managers and Legal Advisors in the field.

MORE ABOUT THIS POSITION

Where: The position will be based in Geneva. International travel to LAW Programmes including field missions will be required.

Duration: This position is funded on a full-time basis on a 12-month contract. Extension is subject to funding.

Salary: Competitive rates of pay and benefits will apply depending on experience.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Investigations Manager will ensure that LAW’s investigations across programme are survivor centered and of the highest quality. The post holder will perform duties in accordance with the responsibilities outlined below:

Global

• Oversee development of LAW investigative strategies, including the identification of cases to bring on behalf of survivors in domestic, regional, and international courts as well as UN Treaty Bodies,
• Develop investigations, information gathering and operational plans in accordance with best practices, including on the integration of gender perspective,
• Manage investigations and case-building for teams across time zones, including helping teams:
  • develop investigation plans,
  • identify and pursue leads, including through intermediaries,
  • advance lines of inquiry,
  • analyze crime patterns, and
  • liaise with experts and consultants.
• Oversee field missions to interview witnesses, document sites of violations, or other places as required, to build comprehensive case files. Participate in field missions as needed to support teams’ specialized needs (interview of children, insider) or surge capacity to meet a court deadline,
• Deliver technical advise to teams and senior management on responding to witness protection needs,
• Manage teams’ use of open-source investigative techniques to gather relevant evidence to corroborate witness evidence and build case files, including through online media and social media networks,
• Identify and approve effective local referral pathways (psycho-social, medical) that are suitable for a client’s particular needs including based on their age, gender, religion, sexual-orientation, gender identity, and other status,
• Draft clear and concise legal memoranda summarizing the findings of their investigations and research to provide recommendations to inform legal actions and/or public advocacy efforts,
• Liaising with domestic, regional, and international bodies (ICC, UN Mechanisms for Syria and Myanmar, domestic prosecutors and investigators),
• Represent LAW at meetings with key stakeholders, as well as in public events, roundtables, and international fora,
• Other investigative tasks needed for case-building as requested by the Executive Director and Head of Litigation.

Technical

• Design and implement best practices on evidence collection and storage, OSINT investigations, witness protection, building a case file, interviewing vulnerable witnesses (SGBV survivors, children, elderly), and other investigative matters,
• Develop internal guidance through overseeing the drafting of LAW’s Investigations Manual,
• Develop trainings for LAW staff and NGO / grassroots partners on investigative topics such as interview skills,
• Review and streamline internal record keeping, reporting processes and procedures aligned with best practice,
• Support and assist in resource mobilization and reviewing of grant proposals relevant to LAW’s investigative work.

ABOUT YOU

• The legal right to work in Switzerland is a strong preference;
• A degree in law or international criminal law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law; (An advanced degree in one of these topics is preferred);
• 10 years’ experience as an Investigator or Investigations Team Leader for a UN Fact-Finding Mission, Commission of Inquiry, Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, or other similar role managing investigations of international human rights violations or international crimes;
• Proven track record to manage many teams remotely across a range of time zones and with diverse needs and litigation partners,
• 5 years demonstrated experience interviewing vulnerable survivors of crimes, including children (preferred) and survivors of sexual and gender-based crimes as well as insiders and suspected perpetrators,
• Minimum 2 years’ experience with OSINT principles and techniques,
• Knowledge and ability to identify sources for data collection, research and analyze information, and draft legal reports and memoranda having evaluated and integrated information from a variety of sources
• In depth understanding of fundamental principles underlying a trauma-informed, survivor-centered, intersectional approach to investigations and litigation,
• Excellent written and oral communications in English; fluency in Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Ukrainian, Russian, Burmese, Rohingya, or other local language is an asset;
• Experience of working in conflict environments;
• Excellent organizational skills including ability to effectively coordinate multiple investigations in a fast-paced environment and to effectively problem solve;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and strong technical literacy;
• Ability to meet deadlines and take on tasks from beginning to fulfilment; Ability to develop strong interpersonal relationships at all levels.

International travel to LAW Programmes including field missions will be required.