Media Development Manager - Thomson Reuters Foundation

Join a team that combines the power of journalism and the law to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive economies, and promote human rights.

For over 35 years, we have promoted the highest standards in journalism by training reporters worldwide 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 our funding of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.

We are seeking a highly organised Media Development Manager with excellent management skills and knowledge of media development to support the Foundation’s Media Freedom team. The team provides technical oversight to media development projects, develops new and innovative approaches and products, explores collaboration and research with external stakeholders, and engages and supports our network of over 20,000 alumni.

The ideal candidate must be a self-starter with the ability to deliver on competing tasks, communicate and solve problems effectively. As TRF projects are multi-layered and leverage the expertise of a variety of teams, they require a high level of cross-team coordination. Accordingly, the candidate will also have risk-management, trust-building, and prioritisation skills to achieve project success in a fast-paced organisation.

About the Role

As the Media Development Manager at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, you will work with the Media Freedom team and other TRF teams to strengthen our media development programming. This involves management of several workstreams, including:

• Key internal initiatives, such as working closely with the Senior Media Initiatives Manager to set up, launch, and run a Quality Management System ensuring the highest quality assurance of our Learning & Development work, and liaising with requisite teams to update and maintain our databases and produce analysis reports.
• Management of external-facing initiatives and engaging with key stakeholders including our TRF alumni and TRF consultant communities.

• Manage and track discrete internal and external initiatives, providing regular and accurate reports.
• Maintain and develop TRF’s media development resources, producing data and analysis reports to support Media Freedom thought leadership, product development, and stakeholder engagement.
• Research and build a network and relationships across media, policy, academia, government, civil society groups, and international bodies.
• Build and manage relationships with a range of stakeholders, notably TRF consultants and alumni.
• Stay abreast of the latest developments in the Media Freedom and Media Development sectors.
• Act as the Media Freedom programme focal point for other teams.
• Coordinate and provide support across all Media Freedom team workstreams, offering logistical and administrative support as needed.
• Assist with other duties as required.

About You

To be our Media Development Manager, you will have:

• Strong understanding of journalism, capacity building, or the media legal environment, with a demonstrable willingness and capacity to learn.
• A proactive, highly motivated, self-starting, and problem-solving attitude, including attention to detail and follow-through capabilities.
• Excellent communication, risk management, prioritisation, and relationship-building skills.
• Prior experience in relevant project management or development work, including project inception, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure phases.
• Experience in building relationships and working with networks across organisations, and working constructively with a diverse range of people.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage changing priorities and time pressures.
• Experience in administrative or finance processes and excellent numerical skills. Competency with Microsoft Office is necessary; experience with databases (e.g., Salesforce) is an advantage.
• Fluency in English; other languages are desirable.
• At least 3 years of relevant working experience.

Please note, this is a fixed-term contract of 24 months with an opportunity to extend.

About 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 media and legal services to drive systemic change.

What’s in it For You

At the Thomson Reuters Foundation, our people are our greatest assets. Here are some benefits we offer for your personal and professional growth:

• Global Perspective and Impact: Join a truly international team with a shared goal of building societies worldwide that are free, fair, and informed.
• A Unique Approach: Our expertise in media and the law is world-class, addressing humanity's critical issues.
• Our Relevance: With a focus on advancing media freedom, fostering more inclusive economies, and promoting human rights, our work is more needed now than ever.
• Benefits: We offer competitive salary packages and market-leading benefits.
• Learning & Development: We are committed to the continual professional development of our employees, offering both in-house and external training opportunities.