Human Rights Officer/Investigator (Temporary)

About the role

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is seeking a temporary Human Rights Officer/Investigator to join the Human Rights Inquiries Branch in Panama City. Reporting to the Investigations Team Leader, you will support the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua in conducting fact‑finding missions and producing analytical reports.

Key responsibilities

• Research, collect and analyse information on human rights, international humanitarian and criminal law violations.
• Design investigative methods and tools under the guidance of the Investigation Team Leader.
• Conduct interviews with victims and witnesses, and verify allegations of violations.
• Monitor trends and patterns of violations and employ open‑source, satellite imagery and geolocation tools.
• Identify alleged perpetrators using agreed‑upon information‑gathering methods.
• Organise and participate in field missions to sites of alleged violations.
• Ensure protection of victims and witnesses in line with the ‘do no harm’ principle.
• Safeguard and preserve all investigative documentation according to established procedures.
• Draft analytical documents, including gender analyses, and contribute to the Group’s final report.

Required profile

• In‑depth knowledge of international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law.
• Proven experience analysing complex legal and human‑rights issues.
• Strong analytical abilities and capacity to develop innovative investigative solutions.
• Commitment to gender‑sensitive approaches throughout the investigative process.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to work with a leading UN human‑rights body on high‑impact investigations.
• Professional development in international law and field investigation techniques.