Lead Investigator

ABOUT STICHTING WHITE HELMETS FOUNDATION

Stichting White Helmets Foundation (SWHF) is a not-for-profit organisation based in the Netherlands. The Foundation aims to provide aid to communities and persons recovering from conflicts and disasters; provide support and orientation to refugees and communities in hosting countries; support justice, human rights efforts, international advocacy and research activities.

Stichting White Helmets Foundation is an equal opportunities employer and applications are actively encouraged from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

SCOPE OF WORK

Under the supervision of the Investigation Support and Case-building Manager (ISCM), and within the frameworks given by the Senior Legal Officer (SLO) within the Investigation Support and Case-building Unit (ISCU), the Lead Investigators are responsible for conducting factual investigations needed for legal outputs. The Lead Investigators are supported by at least one data analyst. Lead Investigators also support and advise the wider team, including senior management team, on the viability of investigations.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Duty station: The Netherlands
• Line manager: Investigation Support and Case-building Manager
• Line management Responsibility: Data Analyst
• Full-time/Part-time: Full-time

Tasks and activities:

• Based on guidance from the SLO and instructions from ISCM, identify the relevant elements of crime, incidents and patterns, and their potential perpetrators, including production of timelines, analytical reports, statistics, relational charts and maps as needed for the legal submissions.
• Identify the organisational systems of the parties, groups and networks under investigation (conflict, political, etc.), including their key members, communications, premises, deployment, logistical and financial resources.
• Take responsibility for the identification of required activities and advise the team about potential sources of evidence, including various kinds of data, documents and witnesses.
• Assist in the collection of relevant evidence, through the identification and exploitation of archives, communication records, interviews of insiders and experts, and open sources. This includes, when advised by the ISCM, through cooperation with national and international partners, field missions in areas of armed conflict, and through online investigations.
• Convey the relevant analysis through accurate analytical products sourced against specific items of evidence, including reports, relational charts, databases, and maps.
• Maintain up-to-date and well-organised documentation and case files.
• Be prepared to travel for meetings and training sessions.
• Provide evidence before judicial or quasi-judicial institutions, when required.
• Supervise and manage Data Analysts.
• In coordination with the ISCM, work closely with the Field Coordinator to obtain missing or needed evidence for the field.
• In coordination with the ISCM, cooperate and manage relationships with WH partners on certain investigations and cases.

Required qualifications: Education, Experience and Competencies:

• Degree in Criminology, Law, Political Science, International Relations, or other relevant area.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in law enforcement, criminal investigations or other investigations involving serious crime. Experience in doing so on crimes occurring in conflict settings within international legal frameworks is desirable.
• Strong reasoning skill, including ability to understand complex scenarios of crime, handle simultaneously conflicting information and hypotheses, to identify source biases, and to develop sound logical inferences.
• Good communication and negotiation skills; ability to communicate effectively and establish a good rapport with victims, witnesses and other external partners.
• Basic knowledge of the requirements of international criminal law concerning the elements of crimes and modes of liability.
• An understanding of conflict settings, preferably also an understanding of the Syrian conflict.
• Excellent drafting and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with and experience in the use of various research methodologies and sources, including digital sources.
• Cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills, and able to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff and stakeholders.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English & is required.
• Fluency in Arabic is desirable.
• High standards of confidentiality, reliability and discretion.
• Integrity by sharing the SWHF’s values and ethical standards.