Administrative Officer, Office of the Chief Operating Officer and Office of the Chief Financial Officer at Human Rights Watch

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking an Administrative Officer to provide joint operational, project, and administrative support to both the Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The Deputy Executive Director/COO oversees all of the organization’s operations functions (development, finance, human resources, information technology, security, and facilities) and is responsible for supporting our institution and colleagues to ensure that HRW continues to build our organization for maximum impact in the world today. The Chief Financial Officer oversees Finance and Administration teams which includes Accounting & Audit, Financial Planning & Analysis, Financial Operations, and Administration, and serves as the organization’s chief financial strategist, providing clear guidance to the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the DED/COO, and senior management on all financial and administrative matters. 
• This full-time position will be based in the East Coast time zone of the US, with a preference to be based in New York or Washington D.C, and will report jointly to the Associate Director, Chief Operating Office based in New York and the Chief Financial Officer based in Washington, D.C. 
• The successful candidate may have the option to work remotely. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the calendars for the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to promote the most effective use of their time;
• Take initiative to ensure effective time management and anticipate opportunities to facilitate workflow; 
• Coordinate domestic and international travel schedules, including all logistics and appointments, of the COO and CFO; 
• Plan and coordinate key internal and external meetings, including preparing agendas, minutes, documents, reports, and presentations, and coordinating follow-up on key actions;
• Provide administrative support for the execution of Audit and Risk Committee and the Finance Committees meetings of the Board, including preparing for and taking minutes at meetings, preparing meeting materials, responding to inquiries, and conducting follow up to meetings;
• Organize and facilitate regular meetings of staff in the COO and CFO Offices;
• Implement and manage digital filing systems, document and content management systems, or other databases as needed;
• Gain an overall understanding of strategies and objectives of the organization and COO and CFO Offices;
• Project manage and coordinate key initiatives;
• Coordinate online information sharing and learning, including applicable resource pages on HRW’s Intranet;
• Respond to internal requests for and support information sharing across operations divisions and with program so that the DED/COO’s Office can effectively manage the organization; 
• Support communication with the Board of Directors;
• Maintain effective working relationships with staff across the organization, including with relevant staff across the Operations Leadership Team;
• Support the recruitment of new staff and onboarding as needed;
• Manage sensitive and confidential interactions between key internal and external individuals; 
• Process the COO and CFOs expenses and other relevant expenses and invoices; assist with tracking of the COO and CFO Office’s finances; and 
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications:

• Education:  A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience or training, preferably in business administration, nonprofit management or a related field, is required. 
• Experience:  A minimum of three (3) years of high-level administrative experience is required, preferably providing administrative and project support to a senior level executive in a global organization. Experience and/or interest in international affairs and human rights is highly desirable.

Related Skills and Knowledge:  

• Ability to perform administrative tasks at the executive level and work independently on self-directed projects are required.
• Excellent organizational, administrative, project management, and analytical skills are required. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required; fluency in another language is an asset.
• Good judgment, discretion, and the ability to maintain confidentiality are required. 
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, are required.
• An innovative and proactive approach to improving existing internal process and structures is highly appreciated.
• Excellent interpersonal skills are required to interact diplomatically with high-level individuals including Board members, donors, and other external contacts.
• Ability to function under pressure, prioritize competing demands with minimal supervision and handle numerous tasks simultaneously and with accuracy are required.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with a team of talented professionals in multiple global locations is required.

Application Deadline: October 29, 2023