Information Saves Lives | Internews

Department:                                       Environment

Job Family:                                         Project Implementation

Job Sub-Family:                                Project Implementation Management

Location:                                                  Africa

Workplace Designation:                   Fully Remote

Duration:                                             Fixed term February 2026 – October 2028

Reporting to:                                      EJN Senior Program Officer

Salary range:                                      Competitive salary within local market

Supervisory Responsibilities:          FGMI Africa Coordinator (50% LoE) and project consultants as required

GENERAL FUNCTION

Internews is seeking a Project Director to lead an exciting new three-year project which will leverage the power of media and civil society to drive more sustainable and fair forest governance in a selection of countries in Asia and Africa. The project, which is funded through the FCDO Forest Governance Markets and Climate (FGMC2) programme, will support journalists, media and civil society in Cameroon, Liberia, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia to increase and enhance media coverage of forest governance issues, increase public awareness and engagement and influence decision makers to support more equitable and sustainable forest management.

The Project Director will lead the project across its countries of implementation as well as acting as Internews’ primary representative on climate and environment work in Africa. They will supervise all aspects of project implementation and ensure quality control of project deliverables, lead financial and programme management, donor engagement and reporting, impact measurement, learning and evaluation. In addition to ensuring overall compliance with Internews’ policies and funder requirements, the Project Director will also supervise project staff, maintain strong relationships with local partners and relevant donors and ensure coordination between consortium partners across Asia, Africa and Europe by leading regular steering committee meetings. The Project Director will report to the EJN Senior Program Officer and will closely coordinate with the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Programme team and relevant regional and portfolio teams at Internews.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES include the following, with other duties upon request:

·        Provide the overall strategic direction and managerial and technical leadership to ensure that we achieve and surpass project goals, in coordination with the EJN Senior Program Officer. Identify new opportunities to maximise impact as and when they arise during implementation.

·        Plan and establish operational objectives for the Project, delegating tasks as required for the achievement of short- and medium-term operational results. This includes engaging effectively with other teams within Internews and ensuring they understand and deliver on their contribution to those objectives.

·      Compile and produce regular programmatic reports to funder which communicate the project’s impact and drive for continual improvement; serve as key project representative to the donor; prepare regular briefings for donor and other stakeholders as required.

·        Write or produce regular program updates for EJN’s monthly newsletter; coordinate with EJN’s and Internews’ website, social media and communications teams to disseminate stories, project updates and other comms products.

·        Review calls for applications and project-related comms materials.

·        Explore and deliver on fundraising opportunities on collaboration with Internews’ development team, creating relationships with potential funders and contributing/leading on new project proposals.

·        Oversee the administrative and operational aspects of the project, including staff management and adherence to security protocols.

·        Provide high-level budget direction for the project in coordination with the Business Officer, Finance Manager, Senior Program Officer and project staff.

·        Coordinate with the Senior Program Officer, MERL Officer, and project staff on tracking progress towards project deliverables and assessing impact. Lead the collection of project outputs and indicators, and ensure they are entered into the AirTable database on a quarterly basis. Lead quarterly and periodic reflection sessions to evaluate project impact and develop plans to operationalize strategic adjustments.

·        Communicate with colleagues outside own department on broader Internews strategies or issues that pertain to the project, including relevant regional, subject matter or organisational policies, practices, and procedures. Align with and contribute to Internews’s broader organisational strategy.

·        Review tipsheets and other resource materials produced for the project; keep up to date on local, regional, and international news related to forest governance policy and processes.

·        Travel to attend FGMC Annual Stakeholder Forums, represent Internews at conferences, with donors and at other in-person project activities, as required.

·        Line manage the Africa-coordinator and project consultants as required. Supervise the Asia-based coordinators and other project staff.

·        As needed, influence others outside the project on policies, practices, and procedures.

·        In all duties, uphold Internews’ Core Values and demonstrate commitment to fostering a culture of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Required

• Minimum 7 years relevant work experience, including 5 years’ experience in successfully managing projects funded by major international donors in relevant thematic areas (media development, journalism, environment, biodiversity, forest governance, etc.)
• University degree or equivalent professional experience
• At least two years’ experience in senior management roles
• Fluency in English (written and spoken)
• Excellent English-language written and verbal communication skills
• Technical proficiency, including familiarity with Microsoft Office, additional software programs.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including leadership skills, diplomacy, tact, and ability to give and receive feedback.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others and problem-solve in a multicultural, remote work environment.

• Flexibility to adjust working hours as needed to accommodate periodic shifts in workload and colleagues in different time zones.

   

   

Preferred

• Prior experience working for an international nonprofit or in the international development sector.
• Experience implementing UK or other government-funded projects, or other projects with significant reporting, evaluation and compliance components.
• Experience in or understanding of relevant EU and international forest governance policy and processes, such as FLEGT, REDD+, EUDR, VPA, etc.
• Proficiency in a language relevant to project focus countries.
• Familiarity with the local media context in one or more of the project’s focus countries.
• Prior experience managing and/or mentoring staff. 

• Specific technical software/proficiencies or willingness to learn.

   

   

WORK ENVIRONMENT:  

Expected office hours are generally Monday through Friday from 09:00am to 5:30pm. 

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Vacancy Timeline: 

Deadline for applications: Thursday 19 February 2026

The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the associate a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of their position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.