FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
SENIOR DIRECTOR, SILICON VALLEY
Development and Outreach Department
Silicon Valley Office
Application Deadline: May 12, 2024

The Development and Outreach Department of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking applicants for the position of Silicon Valley Senior Director to lead our fundraising and outreach in Silicon Valley, California. This full-time position is preferably based in Palo Alto. The Senior Director will oversee a talented and dynamic team in the Silicon Valley Office and will report to the Managing Director of Development and Outreach in North America. 

The successful candidate will work with HRW’s most active supporters in Silicon Valley, who comprise the Silicon Valley Committee, to build support for HRW’s work at a truly critical time. The Senior Director will be charged with nurturing, stewarding, and growing HRW’s donor base and presence in Silicon Valley including by planning and executing an annual signature fundraising event. 

The successful candidate will be expected to work from the Silicon Valley office at least 2-3 days per week, with the option to work remotely the rest of the week. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position.

Responsibilities: 

1. Oversee the strategic plan for development and outreach strategy for Silicon Valley, while representing the work of HRW to existing and prospective supporters; 

2. Develop sustainable financial support for the organization by identifying and soliciting major gifts (US $100,000 to $1 Million+) and general support funds from supporters across Silicon Valley;

3. Research, identify, cultivate, steward and solicit prospective foundations and existing foundations that have the ability and affinity to give to HRW;

4. Build connections with and develop a portfolio of major donor prospects that are identified through internal prospect research, volunteer identification, cultivation events and other sources that have the ability and affinity to give to HRW; 

5. Oversee and lead fundraising, outreach and cultivation events in Silicon Valley, including the annual Voices for Justice celebration;

6. Work with Silicon Valley Committee leadership and members to develop strategic fundraising and outreach initiatives to engage and cultivate major gift prospects; 

7. Oversee strategic individual fundraising initiatives, such as: planned giving, online monthly and recurring donations, cultivation events, etc.  to enhance the visibility of the program and increase membership; 

8. Oversee income tracking & projections, expenditure budgets, event expenses and revenue, and regularly monitor the department budget to ensure that resources are allocated appropriately; and 

9. Perform other responsibilities as may be required.

Managerial Responsibilities:

1. Lead, motivate, and mentor the Silicon Valley Development team, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely constructive feedback, ensuring balanced workload, providing guidance on professional growth, and monitoring staff well-being as it pertains to stress and resilience issues and self-care;

2. Promote inclusive, creative, and positive work environment including by soliciting diverse points of views, encouraging staff to participate in efforts to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion, and proactively addressing bias, discrimination, microaggressions, etc.;

3. Model inclusive behavior and consistently adhere to HRW’s internal values;

4. Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion values and initiatives into Silicon Valley’s work; and

5. Work with staff to develop initiatives aimed at movement-building and expanding our partnership with diverse clients/donors/stakeholders and partners. 

Qualifications: 

Education: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in international relations, social sciences, or related studies is required. An advanced degree in philanthropy, business, finance, communications/marketing or law is desirable. 

Experience: A minimum of seven years of relevant experience is required. A minimum of five years of management experience is required. 

Related Skills and Knowledge

1. A proven track record in creating and stewarding major gifts programs and extensive experience managing high-level donor relationships are highly desirable. 

2. Strong oral and written communications skills in English including excellent presentation skills are required. 

3. Demonstrated experience managing a small team is required. 

4. Demonstrated experience overseeing production of large events, such as annual fundraising dinners and smaller bespoke events; including budget, revenue tracking and projections is highly desirable. 

5. Strong technology skills, including experience with Salesforce or relational databases and online conference platforms (Zoom and Microsoft Teams) is an asset.  

6. Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively within HRW as well as with external partners are required. 

7. Demonstrated commitment to human rights and/or international issues and the capacity to master and represent the mission and programs of HRW are essential. 

8. An entrepreneurial and disciplined self-starter who can work independently, but also function as a member of a development team, is highly desirable. 

9. Ability to travel locally and internationally as well as attend occasional night and weekend events is required.  

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. HRW offers a relocation assistance package and will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required, but the successful candidate must be able to start employment working in the Bay Area; citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply. This position is based in the United States and the salary range would be USD 140,000-185,000. Salary ranges outside of the United States vary based on location.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by May 12, 2024 by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and attaching a letter of interest and a CV or resume. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission or if you require accommodations during the application process, please email recruitment@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered. 

Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer. 

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high- profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.

 

Apply for this Job

* Required
resume chosen  
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
cover_letter chosen  
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)


Custom Demo Questions

At Human Rights Watch, we believe that a diverse personnel and leadership team are crucial to our effectiveness and enrich our organization and our work. We are committed to treating personnel according to principles of equality, equity, and non-discrimination, to ensuring diversity as we continue to grow and globalize, and to being inclusive of all personnel. To that end, we are constantly striving to improve our hiring practices by identifying and mitigating unconscious bias.

Your privacy is important to us and, therefore, your responses are voluntary. If you choose to respond to these questions, your responses will be used (in aggregate only) to help us identify areas for improvement in our process. Your responses, or your choice to not respond, will not be associated with your specific application and will not be utilized in the hiring decision in any way.

I identify my gender as:





I identify as transgender:




I identify my sexual orientation as:






I identify my ethnicity as (mark all that apply):










Veteran Status:




I have a physical disability:





Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Human Rights Watch’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.


Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.


Our system has flagged this application as potentially being associated with bot traffic. Please turn off any VPNs, clear your browser cache and cookies, or try submitting your application in a different browser. If this issue persists, please reach out to our support team via our help center.
Please complete the reCAPTCHA above.