Human Rights EdTech Manager | Human Rights Careers

Human Rights EdTech Managers work at the intersection of human rights and education technology. They oversee the development and implementation of educational technology (EdTech) programs and initiatives focused on equipping learners with the skills, knowledge and values they need to take action for human rights. Human Rights EdTech Managers work for NGOs like Amnesty International or Equitas, or for intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations. They may also be called UN Training Officers, Instructional Designers or Human Rights Education Advisors.

Tasks | Skills | Salary | Requirements | Workplaces | Career Paths | Related Courses | Master’s Programmes

Tasks: What Does a Human Rights EdTech Manager Do?

Human Rights EdTech Managers combine two skills: human rights education (HRE) and education technology (edtech). They use this skills to establish and run educational online platforms, to design online learning experiences or to manage a team of educators or instructional designers.

• Choose, manage, operate and maintain learning management systems and other educational tools
• Develop learner-centered, participatory, accessible, inclusive and action-oriented HRE learning journeys
• Utilize a variety of methodologies and e-learning formats to reach educational goals of their organization
• Standardize, template and scale e-learning productions, processes and evaluations
• Train, support and advise human rights colleagues, internal and external stakeholders and activists
• Monitor, analyze, evaluate, report on learner analytics to improve learning effectiveness
• Keep abreast of e-learning innovations and online learning trends that can be utilized to enhance human rights

Skills: What Skills Does a Human Rights Officer Need?

Human Rights EdTech Managers need a strong understanding of online learning, online pedagogy and the technical expertise to advise, design and implement learning solutions. This encompasses in depth knowledge of learning management systems, authoring software and other educational tools.

• Knowledge of learning management systems and authoring tools
• Strong human rights education skills especially in the online space
• Excellent interpersonal skills to liaise with all stakeholders involved in the production of learning outputs
• Solid knowledge of HTML, CSS, UX design, and accessibility standards
• Strong human rights skills to write or curate human rights content for online courses
• Team management skills to effectively inspire, motivate and lead teams

Salary: What Do Human Rights Officers Earn?

Salaries of human rights edtech vary greatly depending on the organization they work for. While small NGOs typically pay a smaller salary, large NGOs and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, the Fundamental Rights Agency and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe pay significantly better. A human rights officer working at OHCHR in Geneva at P3-Level (higher entry level) earns around 11000 CHF per month, while a human rights officer at a small NGO might earn around 30,000 EUR annually. The table below provides an overview of human rights officer salaries at the UN.

Note: UN salaries consist of base salaries plus post adjustment. Post adjustment is a fancy term for a payment bonus you receive every month depending on your duty station and other factors. In the table below Afghanistan includes danger pay and hardship allowance. The UN salary numbers below include post adjustment.

Workplaces: Where do human rights officers work? 

The most prominent workplace for human rights officers is the United Nations and more specifically the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Another employer of human rights officers is the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), in this case the job title would be Fundamental Rights Officer. Human rights officers also work for governmental entities and national human rights commissions or for human rights NGOs. The list below lists some examples of workplaces for human rights officers.

Career Paths: How to become a human rights officer?

Like with most human rights jobs there is no one set career path. However, if you are aiming for a human rights officer position at the UN you might first want to gain experience at human rights NGOs and a master’s degree. Early career UN human rights officers are scarce and highly competitive. It can be easier to enter the UN as a human rights officer after you have gathered a few years of experience. Studying an online course can give some foundational knowledge but a master’s degree is required for most Human Rights Officer positions.

Related Online Courses

If you want to become a human rights officer, the courses below can help you develop basic skills and they are a great way to explore your own interests. They are not a replacement for a higher education degree. You can audit the courses for free or opt-in for a paid certificate.