Investigator

About Project Expedite Justice

Project Expedite Justice (PEJ), founded in 2016, is a United States-based NGO with 501(c)(3) charitable organization designation.

PEJ’s mission is to use all available legal options to seek justice for individuals inadequately protected under the law, who cannot access legal resources, and who are exploited by governments, corporations, or others.

PEJ applies a novel, victim-centered approach to addressing mass atrocities. PEJ’s 3-step model includes training, mentoring, and providing independent legal consulting. We partner with and train local lawyers and investigators to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence according to international legal standards. Without evidence, there can be no accountability. We further build local capabilities and advance the justice process through case-specific mentoring and strategic guidance to local legal practitioners and investigators. Finally, we partner with local NGOs, pro bono law firms, and legal clinics to represent victims of international crimes and serious human rights abuses in court or alternative judicial mechanisms.

PEJ has projects in several countries. Our inclusive team includes people working remotely from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the US. We are deeply committed to increasing opportunities for lawyers and other human rights defenders from the global majority or global south to participate in international rule-of-law-based nonprofit work.

About the Project

PEJ is implementing the ‘Investigating Russian Police and Law Enforcement Operations in Occupied Ukraine' project to strengthen accountability for international crimes committed in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The project combines open-source research, field investigations, and legal analysis to examine the role of Russian police and other Russian law enforcement agencies operating in temporarily occupied territories, with the goal of supporting ongoing accountability efforts by Ukrainian authorities.

The Opportunity: Investigators — Russian Law Enforcement Investigation Project

Job Summary:

The Investigators play a central role in PEJ’s investigation into Russian police and other law enforcement operations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Working closely with the Project Lead, Legal Analyst, OSINT Investigator, and other members of the investigative team, the Investigator investigates the role of Russian law enforcement agencies in Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories, including allegations of IHL and ICL violations, supports the identification of relevant actors, documentation of incidents, collection of witness accounts, and preservation of evidence.

The roles focus on developing factual records of Russian law enforcement actors' activities, identifying patterns of conduct, and ensuring that collected evidence is organized, verified, and preserved in accordance with international investigative standards.

Key Deliverables

• Completed investigative plans and factual chronologies related to identified incidents and actors.
• Evidence collected and registered in accordance with internal procedures.
• Witness interview notes, summaries, and source documentation.
• Structured digital evidence folders with relevant documentation and metadata.
• Incident analysis and investigative memoranda, including identification of evidence gaps.
• Verified evidentiary packages supporting project analytical products and accountability efforts.

Key Responsibilities:

Investigation Planning and Fact Development

• Conducting investigations into Russian police and other law enforcement actors operating in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
• Support identification of relevant perpetrators, command structures, incidents, and patterns of conduct.
• Develop investigative plans, interview strategies, and evidence collection approaches.
• Build factual chronologies documenting events, actors, locations, and circumstances.
• Conduct interviews with victims, witnesses, former officials, law enforcement personnel, and other relevant sources.
• Prepare witness interview plans and support the collection of personal accounts during field missions.

Evidence Collection and Verification

• Collect, review, and organize documentary, testimonial, digital, and open-source evidence.
• Gather relevant materials, including official documents, photographs, videos, online records, geolocation information, and other investigative materials.
• Conduct field-based evidence collection activities when security conditions permit.
• Verify information across multiple sources and identify inconsistencies, gaps, or additional investigative needs.
• Support the preservation of evidence in accordance with PEJ procedures and international documentation standards.

Evidence Management and Documentation

• Maintain organized investigative files and digital evidence repositories.
• Prepare source logs, witness summaries, interview records, and internal investigative memoranda.
• Ensure evidence is properly documented, searchable, and available for analytical review.
• Identify evidentiary gaps and recommend follow-up investigative steps.

Field Mission and Operational Support

• Participate in investigative missions to Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Dniprowithin assigned oblasts and other locations as required.
• Support planning and execution of interviews, evidence collection activities, and field investigations.
• Coordinate with the Project Lead and other team members to ensure safe and effective field implementation.
• Follow PEJ security protocols and operational procedures during field activities.
• Work closely with the Project Lead, Legal Analyst, OSINT Investigator, and other PEJ team members.
• Provide investigative input to analytical products, including mapping and crime pattern analysis.
• Support coordination with Ukrainian authorities, local partners, and relevant stakeholders.

Organizational Engagement and Reporting

• Participate in project meetings, security briefings, and coordination calls.

• Contribute to future proposals, concept notes, donor reporting, and fundraising initiatives related to Ukraine accountability programming, as needed.

Profile (Qualifications and Attributes)

• Bachelor’s degree in law, social sciences, journalism, international relations, criminology, or a related field (advanced degree desirable but not required).
• At least two years of experience in conducting legal analysis in the context of war crimes or human rights investigations, including experience drafting reports on factual and legal findings. Experience conducting interviews and collecting sensitive information from witnesses or affected communities.
• Understanding of investigative methodologies, evidence preservation, and documentation standards.
• Ability to organize and analyze large volumes of information from multiple sources.
• Strong attention to detail, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive information.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Ukraine when security conditions permit.
• Experience working in conflict-affected environments is an asset.
• Fluency in Ukrainian and/or Russian is an asset. Professional proficiency in English is required.
• Commitment to PEJ’s mission and victim-centered approach to justice and accountability.

How to Apply:

Email [відгукнутися] with «Application: Investigators- RP» in the subject line, and attach:

• CV/resume (maximum of two pages); and
• Cover letter; and
• Written samples (can be redacted).

Please know that we can offer an Independent Consulting Contract for Aug-Nov 2026.

By submitting your application, you consent to a reference check, where we will contact up to three professional references you provide.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis to fill this position as soon as possible.