[NOW CLOSED] We’re recruiting: Grants Officer

Role summary

We are currently looking for a Grants Officer to join our small and dedicated team to support our emergency defence programme and build long-term relationships with our partner organisations throughout the world.

About Media Defence

Media Defence is a charity that helps media to defend their rights. We support independent media, journalists and citizen journalists who are under legal threat by making sure that lawyers are available to defend them. We engage in strategic litigation to improve the regulatory environment for media freedom, make grants to organisations in various countries to run media defence programmes, and build the capacity of the lawyers and organisations we work with on issues of media law.

Media Defence was set up in 2008 and has established itself as a leader in the field. To date, we have supported over 1,000 cases, helping hundreds of journalists in over 110 countries. Our work has helped prevent over 300 years of detention for media workers and avoided £500m in damages. We have supported 40 partners and have trained 144 lawyers.

Main Responsibilities

Emergency defence programme

We ensure quality legal representation is available to journalists by paying for legal fees, connecting them to a lawyer if they do not have one, and providing lawyers with technical legal support thanks to our in-house legal team.

As grants officer, you will:

• Support journalists when applying to us for financial support to help cover their legal fees, and assist with research and outreach to potential beneficiaries.
• Oversee the individual emergency defence grant application process and administer grants, including application assessment, approval process, payments and grant compliance.
• Build strong and lasting relationships with the journalists we support and their lawyers in order to monitor the impact of our support, broaden our networks, and continue to offer support in future cases.
• Work in collaboration with other press freedom organisations that support journalists around the world.

Funded partners programme

We build capacity around the world by providing grants and technical support to organisations in key countries. This enables them to provide free, high quality legal support directly to journalists and media outlets locally.

As grants officer, you will:

• Be the first point of contact for current or potential partners, assessing applications and managing the grant-making process, including contracting with the grantee, setting key performance indicators, financial management and reporting requirements.
• Monitor the progress of the grants, including administering changes in contract and budget amendments and reviewing interim and annual reports.
• Build strong relationships with our partners and provide additional support as may be required by them, as well as exploring possibilities for collaboration and cross-pollination.
• Travel internationally, visiting our partners on site when necessary.

Other

As grants officer, you will also:

• Be responsible for accurate record keeping and data collection and for the good administration of Media Defence’s grants database (Odoo).
• Assist team members by providing material for news stories and accurate information for knowledge management and donor reporting.
• Monitor the situation of press freedom with outreach to individuals and organisations where appropriate.
• Act as one of the primary conduits between our organisation and the networks of NGOs in the sector.
• Represent our organisation at external events and meetings.
• Identify and carry out any other duties which fall within the scope, spirit and purpose of the post as requested.

Person specification

Essential

• Good general education to degree level
• A strong interest in human rights
• An interest in freedom of expression and press freedom questions
• An experience in grant administration and a taste for grant management (including financial management)
• Good written and spoken English, good editorial skills and the ability to communicate with diverse communities
• Ability to analyse and synthesise complex information quickly and effectively
• Ability to work creatively and flexibly in a small team, supporting other colleagues, and with a strong commitment to learning and improvement
• Able to work in a team as well as independently
• Right to work in the UK

Desirable

• Experience working for human rights organisation or an international NGO
• Good working knowledge (spoken and written) of Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish or other language would be a significant advantage
• Legal training or experience of working hands on in a legal environment and the management of legal documentation would be an advantage

Equality and diversity are fundamental to our mission. We are committed to the recruitment and retention of individuals from diverse backgrounds and who reflect the diverse communities in which we operate.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for this role, please send your application, referencing ‘Grants Officer’, to recruitment@mediadefence.org. Your application must include:

• your CV (max. two pages); and
• a covering letter (max. two pages), explaining your motivation for applying for the role, along with how you will meet the criteria in the Person Specification.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 5 February 2023.

Interviews will be held virtually in the week commencing 13 February 2023.

If you have any questions relating to the role or the process, or would like any adjustments made to accommodate your needs, please contact us at recruitment@mediadefence.org.

To see the full role description, salary range and job specifications, please click here.