Remote Vacancy! The International Fund for Public Interest Media (the International Fund) is looking for a Regional Program Associate for Africa and the Middle East: Apply!!

Position: Regional Grants and Program Associate for Africa and the Middle East

Location: In region with strong preference for Accra, Ghana.

Overview

The International Fund for Public Interest Media (the International Fund) is looking for an outstanding individual with strong understanding of the media and grant-making sectors in Africa and the Middle East to join our growing team. The ideal candidate will have a commitment to upholding freedom of expression and be able to demonstrate a curiosity about the future of journalism. The successful candidate will support our work to sustain and rebuild public interest media in the region.

The Role

The Africa and Middle East regional team is expanding our grantmaking, bolstering our technical assistance, and pursuing new opportunities to advance public interest media in the region. We are seeking a dynamic Regional Program Associate who is comfortable operating in a rapidly evolving organization to work directly with the Africa Regional team and other colleagues to help implement the International Fund’s regional and global strategy and objectives.

The International Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), an equal opportunity employer. The International Fund is committed to creating an inclusive work environment where diversity is valued and where there is equality of opportunity. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and therefore welcome applications from qualified candidates of all regions, countries, cultures, and backgrounds.

Selection of candidates is made on a competitive basis, and we do not discriminate on the basis of national origin, race, color or ethnic background, religious belief, sex, gender identity and expression or sexual orientation, marital or family status, age or ability. 

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

Reporting directly to the Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East, and working very closely with the Regional Grants and Program Manager, the Program Associate will: 

• Provide strong programmatic and administrative support to the Africa and Middle East regional team across operations (including IT), grant pipeline development and management, grantee relations, partnership management and donor management (including donor reporting)
• Project management across various regional work streams for the International Fund
• Conducting research as required e.g. on potential grantee-partners
• Coordinating the receipt and progression of grant applications through the IFPIM grant process. 
• Provide support to IFPIM applicants, including answering general enquiries
• Drafting of regular regional update reports to donors
• Support the regional teams to organize events, webinars and conferences
• Preparation of materials (e.g., agendas, presentations and minutes) and coordination of meetings
• Perform other related duties as assigned 

Knowledge, Skills, and Capabilities

The ideal candidate will possess exceptional attention to detail, quality writing and editing skills, strong interpersonal skills, and strong grantmaking experience. They will have integrity, be committed to advancing the mission of the International Fund, and invest in building strong relationships with members of the team. 

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, and able to effectively manage multiple projects and competing demands.
• The flexibility, accountability, and team-orientation needed to succeed in a small organization, which involves both partnering with others and working independently without close oversight.
• Strong experience in grantmaking, with interest in growing their knowledge;
• experience and interest in public interest media in Africa and the Middle 
• Experience in working across cultures and geographies, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and across countries in a remote-office environment.
• Openness to ongoing learning, feedback, and growth.
• Commitment to advancing public interest media and media sustainability and viability;
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.); willingness to learn additional applications and accessible technology as necessary.
• Fluency in English and French; other languages such as Arabic will be a bonus.
• Experience working with grant-based mechanisms in international development
• Experience of working with bilateral and/or multilateral donors
• Experience with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning frameworks and tools
• Familiarity with the public discourse around media sustainability and good governance.
• Experience working in lower- and middle-income countries

Travel Requirements

Although the successful candidate will likely be based in Ghana, this role will require frequent travel across Africa, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. Travel frequency and destination is contingent on necessity, availability of budget, and consultation with the Regional Director.

About the International Fund for Public Interest Media

The International Fund, currently fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, provides a fresh, ambitious, coordinated, and well-resourced strategic international response to the crisis facing independent media around the world. The International Fund aims to radically increase the amount of funding available to support ethical, non-partisan, fact-based journalism, and to enable media to work for democracy. The International Fund will support media through this period of existential threat and aims to develop lasting solutions to the current media market failure. The Fund will complement existing efforts in the media development sector and will catalyze new money as a globally coordinated but fully independent vehicle that can act quickly to provide critical funding and support to hundreds — if not thousands — of public interest media organizations worldwide. 

The Fund is co-chaired by Maria Ressa, journalist, CEO of Rappler, and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Sir Mark Thompson, CEO of CNN and former CEO of the New York Times Company and Director General of the BBC. More details can be found at www.ifpim.org. 

A Regional Approach

The International Fund has been designed with a decentralized regional structure, with leadership on grant-making activities sitting squarely within its regional teams. The regional team will work to build strategies for these countries designed to complement and, where appropriate, financially contribute to existing capacity building strategies by national and international media support actors, but their central purpose would be to increase the financial or human resources available to independent public interest media.

In Africa and the Middle East, the International Fund will focus on Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Tunisia during its initial stage of operations.

Contact Information

Please submit your CV and a short cover letter explaining (with examples) why you are a suitable candidate via the Bamboo HR applicant portal.