Country Lead Consultants, Thomson Reuters Foundation

The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. As an independent charity, registered in the UK and the USA, we work to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive economies, and promote human rights. Through news, media development, free legal assistance and convening initiatives, we combine our unique services to drive systemic change.

For more than 40 years, we have promoted the highest standards in journalism by training reporters around the world to cover issues relevant to their local context, accurately and impartially. Today, we work to strengthen local and national journalism, improve media ethics, standards and regulation, combat misinformation, and explore and shape the future of the profession. We do this through newsroom consultancy, journalism training and mentoring, capacity-building, and via our funding of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.

Role

Country Leads, Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova)

Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) is looking for Country Lead consultants in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to lead and coordinate its media development activities. The Country Leads would lead on TRF’s projects in each country, managing relationships with project stakeholders including media outlets, regulators, universities, and professional journalism bodies and associations. Responsibilities would include:

• Overseeing project activities and managing key stakeholder relationships in the respective country
• Working with project partners to assess their needs and to develop solutions collaboratively with them and TRF
• Supporting partners to complete relevant due diligence processes and partner onboarding, with support from consortium colleagues
• Identifying suitable trainers and consultants for specific mentorship and training activities in collaboration with TRF
• Designing and mobilising training initiatives for journalists and journalism students, in line with the project objectives
• Contributing to quarterly narrative reports and supporting the TRF team in communicating to the project donor
• Contributing to the development of TRF’s project strategy and workplans in country
• Working closely with any consortium partner in-country teams and as well as TRF’s London-based Project Team

The Regional Experts are also expected to;

• Identify where additional more specialised mentorship is required and to inform the Project Management Team
• Support identification of other secondary trainers and/or mentors
• Provide feedback on grant requests submitted by partners
• Support TRFs monitoring, evaluation and learning approach including by providing recommendations around project change or adaptation as needed
• Continue to provide broader programme recommendations relevant to the university and media sectors
• Identify and escalate any key risks or issues

Requirements

• Substantial experience working in the media sector; ideally also in designing and shaping media development programmes, or providing consultancy support, training and/or expertise to partner organisations
• Strong, existing networks in the relevant country including with media outlets, journalists, professional bodies and academic institutions
• An understanding of academic institutions in the relevant country including their role in training future journalists
• Strong relationships with key stakeholders across media outlets, CSOs, professional bodies and academic institutions, and ability to leverage connections and relationships for the project
• Fluency in English and Georgian, Ukrainian or Moldovan as required by country. Russian is likely to be required to work with some project partners in Moldova and Georgia.
• Working experience in international media outlets and/or international organisations is desirable.
• An understanding of international journalism standards and ethics for independent media

Personal qualities

• Good communication skills and able to effectively work with remote teams.
• Ability to work well with people from diverse backgrounds collaboratively, supportively, and respectfully with others.
• Flexibility to adapt to new and sometimes unplanned situations.

Location

Flexible but ideally in-country, with the ability to travel as and when required

Time commitment

• Between 7-10 days per month in a hybrid working model, which will consist of online meetings as well as occasional face-to-face events and travel