[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.

The Grants Officer plays a key role at Media Defence, administering the grants that we make to partner organisations, helping assess grant applications, and helping with communications via social media and other channels.

As Grants Officer, you will also manage and administer our financial grants and non-financial support to journalists facing legal action, as well as identifying potential new grantees.

You will be flexible and creative, have exceptional communication skills and a good understanding of the realities faced by lawyers and journalists operating in various regions of the world, including under repressive regimes.

About Media Defence

Media Defence is a charity that helps journalists around the world defend their rights. We support independent media, journalists and bloggers 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, support individual journalists facing legal action by covering their lawyers’ fees, and build the capacity of the lawyers and organisations we work with on issues of media law. Founded in 2008, we have established ourselves as a leader in the field.

Main responsibilities

Grants management – 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.

Grants management – 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 for freedom of expression and press freedom questions
• 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 an advantage
• Legal training or experience of working hands-on in a legal environment and the management of legal documentation would be an advantage but is not mandatory

What we offer

By joining Media Defence, you will be part of a small and dedicated team. You will play a key role and you will be able to see the difference you make.

We also offer:

• 25 days off per year and additional closure days between Christmas and New Year, plus Bank Holidays.
• Flexible working conditions, with the possibility to work from home up to 5 days a week, or to work from our office in Central London.
• Pension scheme.

How to apply

• To see the full role description, salary range and specifications, click here.
• To apply please send a cover letter and CV with the subject line: ‘Grants Officer application’ to recruitment@mediadefence.org.
• Deadline: 30 September 2022
• 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.

• If you have any questions about the role, feel free to contact us at info@mediadefence.org.