Barbara Frey Fellow, Research & Programs (1 Year Fixed Term)
Amnesty International USA
Posted on Feb 23, 2026
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.
Deadline to Apply and Required Documents: All applications are due by Friday, February 27, 2026, 12:00pm EST and candidates must submit a statement of interest, resume, and a writing sample (no longer than 5 pages). See application instructions below.
Job Summary
The Research and Programs team is responsible for managing the organization’s domestic human rights agenda in the United States and includes the organization's research which builds the evidence and foundation for our human rights work, and our programs which create and implement multifaceted strategies to win human rights victories and make long term human rights impact on various thematic areas.
The Barbara Frey Fellowship promotes the development of human rights leaders by funding a year of full-time employment in the field of human rights. The competitive fellowship, designated in 2026 to support this position with AIUSA, is for an exceptional graduating student from a professional or PhD level program of the University of Minnesota. The fellowship gives priority to graduating Master of Human Rights students who have demonstrated an interdisciplinary commitment to pursuing a career in human rights and who have an invitation to work at AIUSA. The Barbara Frey Human Rights Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation is sustained by the generous contributions of friends of human rights.
The Barbara Frey Fellow, Research and Programs will have the opportunity to work on advocacy on human rights issues at AIUSA, specifically supporting our portfolio related to growing authoritarian practices and the closure of civic space. This is a central theme to the new Strategic framework that we expect to be approved in March 2026, and the Fellow would be joining at a pivotal time for human rights but also for AIUSA as we transition towards our new strategy. The Fellow will be housed in AIUSA’s Research and Programs Unit, reporting to the National Director, Research and Programs. This is a one-year fixed term role open to 2026 graduates of the University of Minnesota Masters of Human Rights or Graduate Minor programs.
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 ideal candidate should have strong written and analytical skills and can work to advance a human rights-first approach to United States government policy.
Essential Responsibilities
Research, advocacy and policy support
- Research, analyze and make policy recommendations on emerging federal or state policies that are constraining freedom of expression, association, right to peaceful protest, etc.
- Research, analyze and make policy recommendations on corporate behavior/policies enabling civic space closure including through technology/surveillance; analyze trends in civic space restrictions
- Monitor and summarize relevant congressional hearings
- Monitor media stories and articles related to civic space and authoritarian practices
- Digitally monitor protests
- Draft materials for written outputs related to advocacy, research, campaigns, and activism
Project Management
- 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
- Provide administrative support on civic space-related campaign materials and events
Collaboration and External Relationships
- Identify influential stakeholders in the United States government, including potential champions of human-rights aligned policies
- Under guidance of manager, build relationships with external stakeholders as needed and participate in coalition or government meetings
- Collaborate closely with the National Director of Research and Programs and Senior Director, Authoritarian Practices and other Amnesty International staff on issues related to authoritarian practices and human rights in the United States and globally
- Work with relevant staff, AIUSA members and volunteer leaders on campaigns, policies, and other assigned tasks
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications and Experience
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
- Strong written and analytical skills, experience working on human rights issues
- Knowledge of United States law and institutions
- 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
- Proven ability to write comprehensive policy memos, issue briefs, and other advocacy and human rights documents
- 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 overlong 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
Education and Experience
- Masters or PhD, and this position is only open to graduates of the University of Minnesota Masters of Human Rights or Graduate Minor programs
- 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
- Experience working in hybrid/remote organization preferred
- Experience working in a collaborative environment and with a team desired
Physical Requirements
- Prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer
Travel Requirements, Weeknight or Weekend Work
- Ability to occasionally travel required, e.g., staff retreats, regional office visits, annual AIUSA conference
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS/ ACCOMMODATIONS
Deadline to Apply and Required Documents: All applications are due by Friday, February 27, 2026 by 12:00pm EST and candidates must submit a statement of interest, resume, and a writing sample (no longer than 5 pages). Please combine the writing sample and resume as a combined PDF and upload under “resume.”
All applications must be completed online as a PDF document through our application portal, and we do not accept submissions via email. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted due to the high volume of applicants. Please monitor your emails from Paycom, where you can check your application status. Please review our Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) section for additional information on our hiring process.
AIUSA does not assist employees or applicants for employment with obtaining or maintaining employment authorization or employment-based nonimmigrant status. This includes, but is not limited to, sponsorship, financial assistance, preparation of documentation for an application for a visa or nonimmigrant status, preparation of training plans, or any other form of support required to obtain work authorization. Candidates must already have authorization to work in the United States that does not currently or in the future require AIUSA’s intervention.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require accommodations during the application process, please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org
OUR EEO STATEMENT
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.
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.
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. To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/about-us/idea/
REMOTE AND HYBRID WORKPLACE POLICY
We conduct interviews virtually. Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid or remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.