Human Rights Officer / Investigator (Temporary)

About the role

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is seeking two Human Rights Officers/Investigators on a temporary basis to support the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. Working under the Investigation Team Leader, the incumbent will conduct investigations, analyse data and contribute to reporting on human rights, humanitarian and criminal law violations.

Key responsibilities

• Research, collect and analyse information and documentation on human rights, international humanitarian and criminal law matters.
• Design and apply investigative methods and tools under guidance.
• Conduct investigations, including interviews with victims and witnesses, to gather and corroborate evidence of violations.
• Monitor trends and patterns of violations and employ mapping tools, open‑source material and satellite imagery for geolocation and verification.
• Identify alleged perpetrators using agreed information‑gathering methods.
• Draft analytical reports and contribute sections to the Commission’s overall report, ensuring gender‑sensitive analysis.
• Participate in and organise fact‑finding missions to sites of violations.
• Protect victims and witnesses in line with the ‘do no harm’ principle and ensure secure handling of investigation data.

Required profile

• Strong knowledge of human rights, international humanitarian and criminal law, and the political, ethnic, gender and socio‑economic dimensions of violations.
• Familiarity with the mandates, policies and procedures of human‑rights organisations.
• Excellent research and analytical abilities, including source identification, data collection and report writing.
• Ability to integrate gender perspectives and conduct gender‑sensitive analysis throughout investigations.
• Experience in drafting analytical documents and contributing to comprehensive reports.

Required skills