Evidence and Case Officer

Brief description of the organization

Yazda Iraq is a local organization registered in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It operates as a subsidiary of the global Yazda organization and adheres to the same mission: supporting vulnerable communities, particularly those affected by genocide and mass atrocities. In Iraq/KRI, Yazda implements programs focused on advocacy, legal assistance, humanitarian aid, and community and survivor empowerment initiatives. The Country Director leads these efforts, ensuring they align with organizational goals and respond effectively to local needs.

Background

The Documentation and Justice Programme was launched in October 2015 to document the genocide committed against the Yazidi community by ISIL. Since then, Yazda has collected thousands of survivor testimonies and documented crime scenes across Sinjar and Nineveh Governorate to support justice, accountability, and transitional justice processes.

Under the Global Initiative Against Impunity (GIAI) project, Yazda continues strengthening survivor-centred documentation, evidence processing, and case-building to support national and international criminal investigations and prosecutions. The project contributes to the development of prosecution-ready case files while promoting meaningful survivor participation in accountability processes.

Job Purpose

The Evidence and Case Officer supports the Documentation and Justice Programme by conducting survivor interviews, documenting crime scenes, collecting and processing evidence, translating and reviewing evidentiary materials, and assisting in the preparation of prosecution-ready case files. The position works closely with survivors, accountability actors, and internal teams to ensure documentation is collected, managed, and prepared in accordance with survivor-centred, trauma-informed, and ethical standards.

Main Responsibilities

• Conduct survivor, victim, and witness interviews using survivor-centred and trauma-informed methodologies.
• Conduct field missions to document crime scenes, mass graves, captivity sites, execution sites, and other locations relevant to accountability efforts.
• Collect, organise, translate, review, and securely manage evidentiary materials.
• Review and redact documentation for safe sharing with judicial authorities and accountability mechanisms.
• Support the development of prosecution-ready case files through evidence organisation and documentation.
• Conduct background and open-source research to support evidence verification and case-building.
• Maintain accurate documentation within Yazda's documentation and case management systems.
• Coordinate with survivors, community representatives, and relevant national and international stakeholders, as assigned.
• Prepare activity reports, field mission reports, and documentation required for project implementation and donor reporting.
• Ensure compliance with Yazda's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), safeguarding policies, confidentiality requirements, and Code of Conduct.

Qualifications

• Minimum Experience:

  • Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in documentation, investigations, human rights, criminal justice, legal documentation, transitional justice, or related fields.
  • Experience conducting survivor or witness interviews is highly desirable.
  • Experience working with NGOs, UN agencies, or accountability mechanisms is an asset.

   

• Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in Law, Human Rights, International Relations, Political Science, Criminology, Social Sciences, or another relevant field.

• Training in documentation, investigations, human rights, or international criminal law is an advantage.

Preferred Skills

• Strong interviewing and communication skills.
• Knowledge of international crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
• Familiarity with survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches.
• Excellent analytical and organisational skills.
• Experience with documentation databases and evidence management systems.
• Strong report-writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and within multidisciplinary teams.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Fluency in Shingali-Kurmanji, Arabic, and English (spoken and written). Knowledge of additional languages is an asset.
• Willingness to travel frequently to field locations and work in challenging environments.

Interested applicants must send their CV and Cover letter to jobs@yazda.org with a subject “Evidence & Case Officer- JV24726“

Important Notes:

1. When applying, please specify the possible start date and Salary expectation. 

2. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Applications that do not meet the minimum requirements or are submitted after the closing date may not be considered. The interview process may include a technical written test.

3. Due to the urgency of this position, the vacancy may be closed prior to the deadline indicated.

4. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the posting period