Job Opening: Assistant Researcher

Hafıza Merkezi Berlin
with Forensis

Job Details

• Salary Range: 44.000 – 48.000 Euro (full time) 
• Contract Duration: 1 year (with the possibility of extension)
• Start Date: March 3, 2025 (negotiable)
• Location: Berlin, Germany

How to Apply

Please send your CV, portfolio, and cover letter to [email protected] by February 7, 2025, 23:59 CET. We encourage early applications. 

Role Overview: Assistant Researcher

Hafıza Merkezi Berlin is seeking to hire an early-career researcher to take part in a new collaborative project between Hafıza Merkezi Berlin, Forensis and Forensic Architecture (details of each organisation are below). Within that collaborative context, the Assistant Researcher will be part of a team conducting innovative investigative research on one or more human rights cases within the existing shared thematic priority areas of the two organisations.

The Assistant Researcher will have demonstrably strong technical skills in use of 3D modelling softwares, strong organisational skills, the capacity and desire to work considerately and professionally in a team environment, and a keen interest in applying existing skills, learning new skills, and leveraging new technologies towards investigating human rights and environmental violations by state and corporate actors. 

Under the supervision of senior research team members, the Assistant Researcher will participate in investigative casework, which could extend across 3D and cartographic analysis, graphics, contextual research, and contribution to the production of video investigations, text reports, and public presentations, potentially including gallery exhibitions. 

The Assistant Researcher will develop their skills as a junior member of a cross-organisation research team, benefiting from a broad range of expertise across other team members and leadership of Forensis and Hafıza Merkezi Berlin. The Assistant Researcher will be involved in each phase of a project, from observing the early conceptualisation of an investigation to active participation in the project’s development, and design, and finally in the production and presentation of our findings. They will be invited to contribute conceptually and work analytically to cross-check and consolidate research as it evolves.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct open-source and archival research as part of a research team.
• Analyze spatial and media data.
• Produce 3D models, animations, videos, or software tools for digital investigations.
• Organize and manage research files and data.
• Assist in presenting findings through reports, publications, and presentations.

Requirements
Below are the required and desirable criteria for the role. Selection will be based on how well applicants meet these criteria.

Essential Criteria

• • Master’s degree or a comparable level of professional experience in architecture, design, or a related field
  • Technical expertise in 3D modeling and animation.
  • Proficiency in software such as Blender, QGIS, Adobe Suite, and/or Unreal Engine
  • Strong skills in spatial, urban, or environmental research and design
  • Ability to contextualize and understand the ethical and political implications of the work
  • Fluency in English and Turkish (written and spoken)
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team

Desirable Criteria

• • Background in architectural practice, academic research, NGOs, investigative journalism, and fieldwork
  • Ability to integrate the philosophical and theoretical with spatial practice
  • Skills in programming, platform design, or data visualization
  • Familiarity with Forensic Architecture’s research methods
  • Experience in collecting sensitive information or investigating sensitive topics
  • Fluency in German
  • Fluency in Kurdish

Outside of the above-outlined specific criteria, the successful applicant will uphold a commitment to the principles of justice and equality, a capacity and desire to confront oppressive social, racial and patriarchal dynamics, a collaborative spirit rooted in solidarity and collective empowerment, and respect for, and responsibility towards, individuals marginalized and harmed by systems of power.

Please also note that where qualifications are required, employment is conditional on the verification of them. Qualifications (must be original documents) will be checked on the first day of appointment.

For more information about the role, please contact [email protected] 

December 2024

About Forensis

Forensis e.V is a non-profit association committed to counter-investigating violence and repression by state and corporate actors around the world, using techniques pioneered by the pioneering Forensic Architecture agency. 

Forensis is dedicated to the interdisciplinary research and development of new investigative technologies and methods, working at the intersection of architecture, art, science, software, filmmaking, and law for the investigation of violations of human and environmental rights. The evidence produced by these investigations will be presented through participation in or the establishment of cultural, political, and legal forums, including courtrooms, inquiries, tribunals, and truth commissions, as well as through lectures, seminars, publications, and exhibitions in art and cultural institutions.

About Hafıza Merkezi Berlin

Hafıza Merkezi Berlin e.V. is a non-profit association that aims to adopt innovative methods, foster transformative encounters, and support networks of transnational solidarity and resistance in response to the global rise of authoritarianism and nationalism. Founded in Berlin in 2018 by scholars and civil society professionals from Turkey, Hafıza Merkezi Berlin leverages its position outside of the country, to mobilize diaspora resources and strengthen Turkey’s civil society through a comparative perspective.

In the face of severe constraints on civic space both in Turkey and globally, Hafıza Merkezi Berlin seeks to create opportunities, spaces, and resources for radical imaginations. It aims to support civil society by providing innovative tools, conducting multi-dimensional research, and embracing an interdisciplinary approach.

About the Project 

The project, ‘Forensic Architecture as an Investigative Toolkit for Human Rights in Turkey,’ aims to introduce forensic architecture as a cutting-edge methodology to document human rights and environmental violations in Turkey. By leveraging spatial analysis, this initiative seeks to promote accountability and challenge impunity in the country.

This one-year collaborative project, with potential extension to two years, is jointly led by Forensis and Hafıza Merkezi Berlin in partnership with Forensic Architecture. The project will produce and publish one or two major investigative reports addressing human rights cases in Turkey.