The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights is seeking a Program Manager / Research Scholar to join the team to work on issues related to the role of social media companies in a democracy. Over the past four years, the Center has published a series of reports analyzing problems such as the spread of disinformation and other harmful content on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. We have used these reports as the basis for advocating more vigorous self-regulation by the tech companies and oversight of the industry by the federal government. Working with the Center's Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, who has led our efforts in this area, the new Program Manager will help refine and deepen our tech program by doing independent research; drafting reports, op-eds, and other written material; and participating in our ongoing advocacy for adoption of our policy recommendations.
Our basic premise is that social media platforms can serve a number of salutary purposes, enabling users to communicate, organize, entertain, and do business. But as the platforms have grown to an enormous scale and become increasingly pervasive, their potency as tools to stoke divisiveness, undermine trust in elections, and even incite political violence has come into focus, as well. The major social media companies bear responsibility for preventing this abuse of their sites, and they have made incremental progress. But overall, their self-regulation has fallen short, and the serious nature of the societal harms in question necessitate that the government now step in. The Center, working with like-minded organizations, has made preliminary proposals for how this oversight could work. The new Program Manager will have an exciting opportunity to help us sharpen and advance both our critique of the industry and our recommendations for mitigating the deleterious side-effects of widespread social media use.
Master's degree or doctoral degree required. Preference for candidates with undergraduate or graduate level work on technology and its effects on democracy and society.
Preferred three years or more of work experience in technology, particularly within the social media industry, and/or business and human rights within a company, advocacy organization, university, or think tank, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Familiarity with human rights challenges related to the technology sector.
Experience managing and completing complex, sensitive projects with multiple stakeholders.
Excellent writing skills. Ability to produce rigorous, analytical research that is accessible to business, government, civil society, and the media.
Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with people from different backgrounds.
A self-starter with the ability to adapt quickly and motivate others to achieve strategic objectives in a collaborative manner.
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