Application Deadline: Open until filled.

We are seeking an entrepreneurial individual to help implement a game changing legal defense organization to protect investigative reporters worldwide from legal harassment from corrupt government officials, organized crime and other nefarious actors.

About Reporters Shield

Reporters Shield is a new global program defending investigative reporting from legal threats meant to silence critical voices. It has been developed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Cyrus Vance Center for International Justice of the New York City Bar Association; and it is being incubated by OCCRP. Legal harassment, particularly SLAPP suits (“Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”), have long been used by the rich and powerful to intimidate journalists, human rights defenders and independent media. Reporters Shield protects investigative reporting organizations from defamation, libel and other vexatious lawsuits by covering the costs of lawyers, providing training on how to handle legal complaints and offering pre-publication review. Beyond providing coverage and protection, the ultimate aims are deterring bad actors from waging these suits and strengthening the entire field of investigative reporting. If you want to join this important movement to protect reporters and help build an exciting new organization, please apply below!

Position Overview

Reporters Shield is seeking a Program Assistant with strong administrative and project management skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for investigative journalism. This person will work with the Program Coordinator to assist with day-to-day administration and program management. They will contribute to the initial vetting process for member organizations with an advisory board, and assist with member intake, case management, and budgeting. The assistant will also communicate with members in relation to their legal needs. Because Reporters Shield is still in the start-up stage, the post holder may be asked to carry out other tasks as may be reasonably assigned. This is a hands-on role in a small team in a young organisation; your input will contribute greatly to the success of the organisation and you’ll work with people at all levels.

We are focusing on growing our membership in the Americas and ability to work in Spanish is essential for this position.

Although remote, you must be within a time zone that is within 6 hours of UTC, or be willing to shift your working hours to have regular meetings with team members who are based within 6 hours of UTC. Reporters Shield members are based around the world and from time to time, you may be asked to have a call or online meeting outside of traditional working hours. There is a limited amount of travel associated with this role, including possible attendance at conferences. So, the ideal candidate must be willing to travel occasionally (1-4 times a year).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work with the Program Coordinator and the Director to build and embed a range of organizational processes, including client communication, claims handling and document handling.
• Assist in the recruitment and vetting of potential member organizations.
• Assist in the implementation of information security systems.
• Regular communications with possible and current member organizations and tracking member feedback.
• Receive and process claims from member organizations.
• Implement additional membership benefits including legal trainings, forums and tools.
• Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of the overall program and contribute to reports for government and private donors when necessary.
• Assist with program promotion.
• Other duties as assigned.

Performance:

• Patient and understanding person who works well with people from all over the world.
• Top-notch communication and collaboration skills when working with colleagues and members from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds.
• Timeliness, accuracy, thoroughness and attention to detail in information management and reporting.
• A basic understanding of nonprofit finance and operations.
• A high degree of emotional intelligence.
• Highly organized.

Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Project administration experience.
• Excellent IT skills, including ability to work with different cloud-based office suites and to quickly learn to work with new tools.
• Able to practice digital security.
• Good writing and editing skills; proficient in English.
• Spanish language at a professional level.

Desirable:

• Experience in nonprofit administration, whether at project or program level.
• Experience working in start-ups or small teams.
• Experience working with CRM software.
• Having worked in, or with organisations and people from, countries and regions in the world other than the one you call home.
• Proficiency in a widely-spoken language such as Arabic, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, or Urdu (we do not envisage being able to operate in the People’s Republic of China for the foreseeable future so Mandarin will not be a highly useful language).

What’s In It For You?

• Competitive compensation (specifics depending on location).
• Working in an innovative organization that is at the forefront of protecting investigative journalism.
• Being able to work from home.
• Working with a small but friendly team.
• Professional development opportunities are available depending on your goals.

To Apply

To apply, please email your CV as well as a Cover Letter explaining why you are a great candidate for the job to jobs[at]occrp.org.

All applications must be submitted in English. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We regret that the high number of applicants greatly exceeds our capacity to respond to each person. We apologize that we will not be able to reply to any unsuccessful applicants and are unable to sponsor work visas.

Reporters Shield is a start-up and does not yet have its own human resources infrastructure. It is incubated by, and staff will be hosted by, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. As an equal opportunity employer, OCCRP values having a diverse workforce and strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We are actively building a diverse team. We do not discriminate against any person based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, medical conditions, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics. If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process, please contact info[at]reporters-shield.org