Interim Executive Director

About Us

Since the early hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the team at The Fix, which has deep roots in the country, mobilised all possible resources to support our colleagues in the Ukrainian media industry.

They worked with a coalition of organisations, including Are We Europe, Jnomics Media and the Media Development Foundation, a number of volunteers, and with the support of a wide range of publishers. One of the first actions was to set up a GoFundMe to help Ukrainian media relocate, set-up back offices, and continue their operations from EU countries.

To date, we have received approx. 4+ million euros in support for the Ukrainian media sector overall, both via GoFundMe and directly (note: this does not include the over 1.8 million euros donated to Kyiv Independent, with whom we are also closely collaborating).

As a result, Stichting The Fix Media Foundation was founded as an ANBI (public benefit) foundation in the Netherlands. It aims to support free press and media in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, and to build a more resilient and connected European media community.

The foundation aims to fulfil its objectives by:

• Providing grants to journalism organisations and journalists in need;
• Connecting and networking international donors, governments, NGOs, civil society organisations, journalism organisations and journalists;
• Organising events, both online and online;
• Raising awareness of, and advocating for, media freedom issues in Ukraine and the wider European community

Moving into 2023 and beyond the foundation aims to keep providing emergency support as required, while also transitioning into a foundation providing long-term investments into innovative and resilient media in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

The Fix Foundation is looking for an experienced nonprofit leader to take on a crucial interim role in shaping the vision, structure, and processes of our organisation.

This person will work closely with the management and advisory boards to:

• Define the mission, vision and values of the foundation.
• Create a multi-year strategic plan and budget.
• Identify an appropriate team structure and draft a recruitment plan.
• Research and execute an operations plan to make sure relevant back-office infrastructure is present.
• Develop a fundraising plan.

To ensure that we have the opportunity to hire the best candidate, we are open to all discussions regarding the structure of the contract, the exact time commitment, remote work, and job shares.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to create the roadmap for a new foundation working at a critical moment. With funding secured, the board believes this organisation has the potential to grow into one of the most impactful foundations working in the sector and region. For the right person, this is an opportunity to make a real difference and join a committed team of board members and freelancers based in Ukraine and beyond.

The Person

This role requires someone with good experience of working in either foundations or non-profits, preferably in the media sector (though adjacent sectors such as human rights and freedom of expression would also be appropriate). The candidate will be able to demonstrate a proven track record of developing impactful organisations through consultancy, or as an executive leader in their own right. A very strong knowledge of the media and journalism ecosystems is essential; good knowledge of the region is also preferred.

The candidate must be self-motivated, methodical, and able to work under their own initiative. Their work should be highly structured, easily implementable, and immediately actionable by contractors and colleagues at partner organisations.

Period: One-year temporary contract.

Contract: Flexible, full-time or part-time.

Salary: Competitive, based on experience.

Contract starting date: June 2023 (or sooner if possible)

Experience: Mid-Senior level.

Location: Remote.

Interested candidates should send a short cover letter outlining their interest in the role and a CV to Daniil Bogdanovich (daniil@thefix.media) by Wednesday 31st May 2023.