Project Manager, Media Freedom Coalition Secretariat

Join an exciting initiative that is supporting governments around the world to protect and promote media freedom!  

The Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) is the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. As an independent charity we work to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive economies, and promote human rights. We combine our unique media development and legal services to drive systemic change through news, capacity strengthening, free legal assistance, and convening initiatives. 

TRF provides a Secretariat function to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC). The MFC is a partnership of 51 countries from six continents working together to advocate for media freedom and the safety of journalists at home and abroad. The MFC works closely with civil society and a panel of legal experts, among others, to promote media freedom through a range of activities – including public and private diplomacy to support journalists at risk, coordinated action through embassies, events and the promotion of legal reforms. The MFC was established in 2019 while the Secretariat was established in 2022. More information about the MFC can be found here.  

The MFC Secretariat plays a central role in maximising the impact of the Coalition. It does this in four areas:  

• Administration and operations: engaging with and supporting members of the Coalition; delivering activities including events and briefings; coordinating responses to cases of concern (in which journalists and news organisations are facing threats to their reporting); supporting embassies to act on media freedom; organizing meetings and maintaining the MFC’s network of contacts; 

• Communications: communicating the MFC’s activities and impact externally, via website, social media and mainstream media coverage; supporting public-facing events; keeping the MFC’s network informed about activities and opportunities to take action;  

• Policies and strategy: ensuring policies and processes are in place to facilitate an efficient, effective and responsive coalition; supporting strategic decision making; monitoring the latest developments in the media freedom context; 

• Monitoring and evaluation: tracking and understanding the MFC’s outcomes and impact, and learning lessons from this.   

The Secretariat is supported by grants from Global Affairs Canada, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, and Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.  

We are seeking an organized and resourceful Project Manager to join our team. The Project Manager will lead on two key areas of the Secretariat’s work: (1) supporting and facilitating the MFC’s work on cases of concern, in which journalists and media workers are under threat, and (2) promoting greater engagement with diverse member countries of the MFC.  

As part of the role you will interact with a wide range of government officials, civil society experts and legal experts from different parts of the world and establish improved processes for MFC interventions and engagement. The ideal candidate will be able to take the initiative while working collaboratively and will have excellent problem-solving skills. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to deepen their engagement in the media freedom, human rights and/or democracy fields through working with leading experts and cutting-edge issues.  

The role is based in Canary Wharf in London. The role is full time and you would be expected to attend TRF’s offices two or more days per week.  

This is a 12-month fixed-term contract (depending on availability). The contract may be extended beyond this, conditional on further funds being secured for the Secretariat’s continued operation.  We expect the 12-month term of the contract will result in tangible and meaningful outcomes, such as improvements to processes and strategy, and more engaged member countries.  

Some travel is anticipated as part of this role.  

About The Role 

As the Project Manager you will: 

• Oversee and manage the MFC’s Secretariat’s work on cases of concern, looking for ways to optimize the speed, relevance and impact of MFC interventions while ensuring that they do no harm 

• Improve processes on cases of concern in collaboration with government and civil society colleagues 

• Build relationships with a range of MFC member countries in multiple regions, explore their needs, and develop and deliver bespoke support packages as applicable 

• Identify case studies of interesting work by member countries on media freedom, and pass these on to the Secretariat’s Communications Manager for development into communications materials 

• Contribute to strategic decision making on how to engage member countries and build a stronger Coalition 

• Stay abreast of developments in the field of media freedom, particularly regarding media freedom cases of concern and media freedom developments within member countries  

• Ensure sound record-keeping and lesson-learning from case interventions and member engagement 

• Contribute to grant management, reporting, and donor relations where needed 

• Work closely and collaboratively with the remainder of the Secretariat team and MFC stakeholders including the MFC co-chairs and Executive Group, Consultative Network, High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, and UNESCO 

• Handle sensitive situations and information appropriately  

• Represent the Secretariat at meetings and events (in-person and virtual) 

About You

To be our Project Manager, you will likely have: 

• Excellent organisational skills with a high degree of creative and flexible thinking  

• The ability to create, maintain and improve systems to keep track of activities  

• Excellent interpersonal skills – able to establish and maintain positive working relationships both internally and externally, with people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds, in both junior and senior roles 

• Resilience, including the ability to deal with challenges calmly and proactively 

• A diplomatic approach, including the ability to see issues from others’ perspectives and to spot and mitigate potential risks 

• Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly, and to adjust communication style to fit the audience 

• The ability to think strategically so that activities contribute to longer-term objectives  

• Ability to facilitate meetings or dialogues so that they lead to a tangible outcome or action points 

• Fluency in English; other languages would be an advantage.   

It would be useful if you also have: 

• Understanding of, or interest in, media freedom issues 

• Experience of working with government officials (in central government and/or embassies) 

• Experience working effectively as part of a remote or hybrid team on collaborative initiatives 

What’s in it For You 

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

• Global Perspective and Impact: Interested in working for a dynamic global organization with a focus on social impact? With hubs all over the world from Bangkok to Madrid to Rio de Janeiro, join a truly international team with a shared goal of helping to build societies around the world that are free, fair and informed. 

• A Unique Approach: Our expertise in media and the law is world class; we combine the power of both to address the critical issues faced by humanity.  

• Our Relevance: With a focus on advancing media freedom, fostering more inclusive economies and promoting human rights, our work has never been more needed than right now. 

• Benefits: We offer competitive salary packages and market-leading benefits. 

• Learning & Development: We are dedicated to the continual professional development of our employees and offer access to both in-house and external training opportunities. 

About Thomson Reuters Foundation 

The Thomson Reuters Foundation is 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.