Director, Media

FULL-TIME VACANCY
Director, Media
Media Division
Multiple Locations Considered
Application Deadline: March 18, 2026
 
The Communications Department at Human Rights Watch shapes the organization's public voice and influence, ensuring our research and advocacy inform global debates, reach key decision-makers, and drive accountability for human rights abuses wherever they occur. Reporting to the Global Communications Director, the Media Director manages a team disbursed across the US and the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa to maximize strategic coverage of HRW’s research on traditional and emerging media platforms. 

This position will be based in HRW’s New York Office, with candidates willing to work from the office 2-3 days per week. 

Responsibilities 
1. Set and lead editorial vision for HRW’s media engagement to advance advocacy priorities, strengthen institutional voice, and maintain prominence and relevance across traditional and emerging platforms;
2. Provide strategic leadership to the media division, driving performance, cohesion, and accountability while aligning divisional priorities with the goals of the wider Department and organization, while ensuring effective support and coordination across time zones and a sustainable approach to workload and resourcing;
3. Translate HRW’s global strategy into clear media priorities, ensuring the division’s work is focused on moments, audiences, and channels where influence is most effectively exercised; 
4. Oversee the development and deployment of media products and interventions to meet the changing influence and technology landscape, maintaining consistent editorial standards and judgement to determine appropriate formats, levels of activation, and timing; 
5. Direct budget planning and resource allocation to prioritize high-impact interventions and emerging opportunities while maintaining operational discipline; 
6. Build and sustain relationships with influential external audiences, including senior journalists, editors, commentators, podcasters and newsletter writers, and represent HRW when needed in high-level public and international forums; 
7. Working closely with senior leadership, especially the Executive Director, to strategically shape their visibility and thought leadership;
8. Act as a strategic advisor internally, working closely with leadership in the Communication Division, the Executive Committee and Program teams to inform organizational decisions on public positioning, opportunity and risk; 
9. Lead HRW’s crisis communications capability, ensuring rapid and authoritative responses during high-risk moments, with clear messaging and effective spokesperson deployment; 
10. Set and maintain high editorial standards across all media outputs, overseeing messaging, press materials, op-eds, and media engagement to ensure news value and strategic focus;
11. Direct HRW’s media planning, managing the editorial calendar and making deliberate decisions on activations, including embargoes, exclusives, press conferences, and op-eds (etc.) to maximize impact;
12. Drive a data-informed approach to media outreach, using audience and performance insights to guide engagement across elite outlets and emerging platforms, including online news, newsletters, podcasts, and other influential formats; and
13. Strengthen organizational media readiness and learning, including media training, performance review, and continuous improvement based on monitoring, analysis, and feedback; and
14. Perform other tasks as may be required. 

Qualifications

Education: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in communications, media, journalism, marketing, human rights, or similar related field is required. 

Experience: A minimum of ten years of relevant work experience and at least five of team management experience, is required, preferably within a global, large-scale, diverse, and dynamic mission-driven organization operating internationally. 

Required Competencies
• Collegiate: Engages with staff, external partners, donors, and Board members in collegial and collaborative consultation on important matters and facilitate agreeable solutions in complex situations. 
• Strategic: Works strategically to leverage the diversity of skillsets, expertise, experience, and identities on the team and in the organization. 
• Inclusive: Creates an inclusive and positive work environment including by engaging in DEI strategic planning processes, incorporating DEI values and practices into the organization’s work, soliciting diverse points of view, collaborating with leadership and staff on DEI efforts, and proactively addressing microag