Indigenous Peoples Rights Fellow (18M Fixed Term)

DEADLINE TO APPLY: All materials due by Thursday September 12, 2024, at 5:00pm EST. See full instructions below. 

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization. 

The Fellow will be housed in AIUSA’s Programs Unit, reporting to the National Director of Programs. Programs are ongoing bodies of work on human rights issues staffed by experts who create and implement strategies to win human rights victories and make long-term human rights impact. Programs help build the foundation for successful campaigns, which are shorter-term, highly focused, time-bound, and winnable projects that advance long-term programmatic work. You can read our report on the failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence here.  

The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Fellow will have the opportunity to work on federal advocacy on human rights issues in the Washington, D.C. office (hybrid) of AIUSA, specifically on efforts to end sexual violence against Indigenous women. The Fellowship is full-time and requires an 18-month commitment. The Fellow will also have one long-term project completed over the fellowship. The salary is $112,500 for the 18-month fixed term (based on an annual salary of $75,000) plus benefits. 

The Fellow will gain and strengthen their expertise in human rights research and advocacy including, but not limited to, developing and implementing advocacy strategies and materials, contact with governmental bodies and officials, conducting legislative research, drafting memoranda and blogs, managing databases, analyzing emerging areas of relevant law and government policy, tracking the progress of legislation in the United States Congress, and learning about the international human rights framework. The Indigenous rights fellow will help build and maintain coalition partnerships to help pass relevant legislation in Congress and to change/advance relevant policy and rules in the administration (including through the Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs).  

The ideal candidate will have: 

• strong written and analytical skills, understands the Washington policy environment regarding Indigenous People’s rights, and can work to advance a human rights-first approach to United States government policy. 

• knowledge of United States Indian law and related institutions.  

Essential Responsibilities 

• Build and maintain close relationships with policymakers in Congress and across the federal government 

• Identify influential stakeholders in the United States government, including potential supporters and opponents, and takes advantage of political opportunities to push forward human rights goals  

• Identify opportunities for relevant human rights progress related to U.S. Indian law and policy and build and implement strategy to achieve this progress 

• Collaborate closely with the National Director of Programs, the Director of Gender, Sexuality and Identity, and other Amnesty International staff on issues related to human rights of Indigenous people in the USA 

• Provide administrative support for ongoing advocacy work including by preparing briefing materials, drafting backgrounders, and taking meeting minutes, thereby ensuring internal and external stakeholders and partners remain on deadline and on task 

• Build and sustain contacts with key U.S. Government partners in the Executive and Legislative branches 

• Build and sustain key partner contacts and build and sustain coalition to move forward shared human rights priorities 

• Engage with Members of Congress and administrative agencies as needed and appropriate 

• Works with relevant staff, AIUSA members and volunteer leaders on campaigns, policies, and other assigned tasks 

• Other duties as assigned 

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities 

• Strong written and analytical skills, experience working on human rights issues related to Indigenous people in the USA 

• Knowledge of United States law and institutions related to Indian law and human rights, particular experience working on relevant sexual assault law and policy a plus 

• A background developing and nurturing partnerships with civil society and grassroots organizations, understands the Washington policy environment, and can work to advance a human rights-first approach to United States government policy 

• Experience conducting policy analysis; should possess strong analytical skills, with the ability to digest and summarize data and policy related to human rights, domestic policy, and political and economic affairs and related to Indigenous people in the USA 

• Proven ability to write comprehensive policy memos, issue briefs, and other advocacy and human rights documents 

• Documented history of cultural sensitivity and a demonstrated record of dealing effectively with Indigenous communities and survivors of sexual assault 

• Experience in presenting human rights or related topics and analyses to diverse audiences 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to inspire and motivate officials/their staff and partners 

• Demonstrable ability to initiate, develop and sustain positive working relationships over long periods of time with a wide range of individuals and groups, including those from different cultural backgrounds 

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple and detailed tasks and produce high-quality work under short and fixed deadlines 

• Experience working on issues related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to inspire and motivate staff and partners 

• Ability to objectively assess situations to determine action-oriented solutions 

• Must live near, and be able to attend meetings in Washington D.C.  

• Some weeknight and weekend work may be required 

Education and Experience 

• B.A./ B.S. and/or 3-5 years of relevant experience 

• Experience working in hybrid/remote organization preferred 

• Experience working in a collaborative environment and with a team desired 

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings. 

HOW TO APPLY AND OUR EEO STATEMENT 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: All materials due by Thursday September 12, 2024, at 5:00pm EST. We will not accept submissions after this time which are not “complete.” 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Please submit the statement of interest as a single PDF under the cover letter upload section. Please submit the resume and writing sample as a single combined PDF under the resume section.

1. A statement of interest indicating your interest in this Fellowship listing relevant qualifications and experience  

1. Resume 

1. A writing sample, no longer than 5 pages, related to the subject matter of this fellowship 

All applications must be completed online, and we do not accept paper submissions. Please visit the AIUSA Careers Page to review all current job postings.  You must complete the entire online application, and electronically sign, for an application to be considered “complete.” We send emails via Paycom so please check your spam folders for any updates. Please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org for technical difficulties ONLY.  

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply. 

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA) 

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected. 

As an international, intercultural, intergenerational, and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/ 

REMOTE AND HYBRID WORKPLACE POLICY

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually. Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.