OSINT 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 field investigations, legal analysis, and open-source research to examine the role of Russian police and other law enforcement agencies operating under the occupation and to support ongoing accountability efforts by Ukrainian authorities.

The Opportunity: OSINT Investigator – Russian Law Enforcement Investigation Project

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

Job Summary:

The OSINT Investigator, reporting directly to the Project Lead, supports PEJ’s investigation into Russian police and other law enforcement operations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by identifying, collecting, preserving, verifying, and analyzing open-source evidence.

The OSINT Investigator supports the identification of relevant actors, institutions, operational structures, incidents, and patterns of conduct through publicly available information and digital evidence. The role ensures that OSINT materials are collected and documented in a structured manner consistent with investigative standards and Ukrainian criminal procedure and evidentiary requirements.

Working closely with investigators, the Legal Analyst, and the Project Lead, the OSINT Investigator contributes to evidence development, analytical products, and final reporting. The role also supports advanced OSINT methods, including verification, geolocation, chronolocation, metadata review where available, and integration of open-source findings into broader investigative narratives.

Key Deliverables

• Open-source evidence identified, collected, preserved, verified, and documented in support of project investigations.

• Reports on OSINT investigations prepared in accordance with the Berkeley protocol.

• OSINT-based actor identification, incident documentation, and operational mapping products.

• Verification assessments, source evaluations, geolocation and chronolocation analyses, and supporting documentation packages.

• Contributions to investigative reports, analytical products, and mapping of Russian law enforcement structures and activities.

• Organized OSINT databases and evidence repositories supporting project analysis and reporting.

• Documentation of OSINT methodologies, workflows, and best practices.

Key Responsibilities

OSINT Investigation and Evidence Collection

• Conduct open-source investigations into Russian police and other law enforcement actors operating in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

• Identify relevant individuals, units, institutions, locations, incidents, and operational relationships through publicly available information.

• Collect, preserve, verify, and document digital and open-source evidence in accordance with investigative standards.

• Conduct advanced OSINT research using publicly available records, social media platforms, imagery, video content, databases, and other digital sources.

• Apply verification methodologies to assess authenticity, reliability, provenance, and evidentiary value of open-source materials.

• Conduct geolocation, chronolocation, source validation, and corroboration analysis where appropriate.

• Support integration of OSINT findings into investigative files, analytical products, and final reports.

Evidence Documentation and Quality Assurance

• Maintain organized records of OSINT research, sources, findings, and analytical assessments.

• Prepare source assessments, verification notes, and documentation packages.

• Preserve open-source evidence with appropriate documentation, including available metadata and collection information.

• Identify evidentiary gaps and recommend additional research or investigative steps.

• Support quality assurance processes to ensure OSINT products are accurate, transparent, and usable for accountability purposes.

Investigative and Analytical Support

• Work closely with investigators and the Legal Analyst to support integrated case development.

• Contribute to actor identification, command structure mapping, incident analysis, and crime pattern assessments.

• Support the development of timelines, relationship maps, and analytical products.

• Provide OSINT findings and technical input for investigative reports and other project deliverables.

• Assist in validating information collected through witness interviews and documentary evidence.

Field Investigation Support

• Support investigative missions through remote OSINT research and preparation of background information on relevant actors, locations, and incidents.

• Provide OSINT support to investigators during evidence collection activities.

• Assist in ensuring open-source findings are incorporated into broader investigative analysis.

Documentation and Knowledge Management

• Develop and maintain OSINT workflows, templates, and documentation standards.

• Document methodologies, lessons learned, and good practices emerging from project activities.

• Support the development of internal reference materials and analytical tools.

• Contribute to knowledge management processes and continuous improvement of investigative methodologies.

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.