Assistance for Research, Events and Communications at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights

The Bonavero Institute invites applications from graduate research students within the University of Oxford, interested in assisting the Institute with the organisation and communication of our academic research and events. The Institute is looking to recruit an assistant with an established interest in the broad field of human rights and they will support research, events and communications at the Bonavero Institute.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to get involved with a variety of activities at the Bonavero and become an integral member of the Bonavero team. They will work alongside two other research assistants, already working at the Institute and will be offered a dedicated space at the Bonavero Institute, working closely with the academic, research, events, finance and programmes teams at the Institute.  The assistant will also support the Director, Head of Research, and the Programmes Manager at the Institute. They will also work closely with the Institute’s events coordinator and programmes administrator, plus other research staff. 

Duties will include: 

• writing, editing and proof-reading academic reports/outputs and website;
• working on project pages, news and events items, blog posts, social media, etc.
• assisting with event programming, invitations and organisation;
• liaising with the student-led networks that are based at the Bonavero Institute (Oxford Business and Human Rights network, Oxford Children’s Rights Network and the Law and Democracy Network);
• reviewing transcriptions and recordings;
• writing brief reports on the Institute’s research and event activities for publication;
• posting communications via social media and editing/posting recordings related to the Institute’s programme of work;
• providing technical assistance for before and during events, supported by the IT and AV teams;
• attending bi-monthly events planning meetings;
• General event and research support: e.g. liaising with project members, administrators, and assisting with e-mail inbox management, etc

Duration and hours

Working hours: The assistant will work at least 250 hours but no more than 330 hours.

Start date: 1 December 2025, or as soon as possible after this date

Date by which the work must be completed: 30 June 2026

Reporting

The Assistant will report to the Director of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights

Requirements

Essential Criteria:

• A primary degree in a field related to human rights, the rule of law and democracy and/or public international law;
• Current registration as a graduate research student at the University of Oxford;
• A solid understanding of and strong interest in the broad field of human rights;
• Excellent writing, editing and proof-reading skills, with the ability to write and edit publicity material, event reports and compose compelling social media posts;
• Demonstrable social media, and general communications skills;
• A highly organised, motivated individual with a willingness to work flexibly;
• The capacity to work well in a diverse team.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of using Drupal or other website content management systems;
• Experience of video editing;
• Good IT skills, including Zoom, PowerPoint, Excel and MS Teams.

The assistant’s normal place of work will be the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights based at Mansfield College where a desk will be provided.  It is expected that the work will be undertaken in the UK and in term time, as this is not a role suited to remote working in term time.

In all cases the work must be undertaken in the UK. 

Please note that you will be required to complete a Right to Work check before starting work. The Law Faculty HR Team will contact you directly to arrange for the appropriate check to take place. What is a right to work check? | Staff Immigration (ox.ac.uk)

Eligibility

The post is open to current graduate research students at the University of Oxford working or interested in the broad field of human rights, democracy and/or the rule of law. 

Rate of Pay

The work will be paid at £18.80 per hour, which equates to University Grade 6, point 1, on the basis of completed and approved timesheets, which must be submitted to payroll@law.ox.ac.uk by the last Friday of each calendar month for payment on the last working day of the following month.

In addition, paid annual leave will be assumed to be taken in the month in which it was accrued.

Funding

This opportunity is funded by the Bonavero Founders Fund 

Funding reference number: BAD00130-BA00.01

How to Apply

A short CV and cover letter (including a letter from the applicant’s supervisor indicating their support of the application) should be sent by email to (bonaveroihr@law.ox.ac.uk) by noon on Friday 21 November 2025. Please explain how you meet the requirements for the role, and give details of your availability. 

Supervisors may be asked for a reference.  Interviews, if the committee consider they are needed, will be held online. 

Enquiries about the post and work involved are welcome, and may be addressed to either rosie.stuart@law.ox.ac.uk or sarah.norman@law.ox.ac.uk. General queries, e.g. about the appointment process, or eligibility, may be addressed to recruitment@law.ox.ac.uk. 

Guidelines for Faculty members, line managers and students

Work must not commence without a letter of engagement or variable hours contract and a right to work check having been carried out by the Faculty Personnel Officer.

Graduate student engagement opportunities in the Faculty of Law usually fall into one of three categories: Research Assistant; Graduate Teaching Assistant; or Blog Editor. 

The University guidance on paid work for Oxford graduate students recommends that full-time graduate research students ensure that any paid work should still allow them to spend at least 40 hours per week for a minimum 44 weeks of the year on their studies. Full-time graduate taught students are recommended not to undertake more than 8 hours’ paid work each week during term-time study periods.  There are additional rules for students with visas wishing to undertake paid work. 

Students may not work for their own supervisor without the approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Students.

Any queries regarding the eligibility of a particular student should be directed to Geraldine Malloy in the Faculty Office.