Programme Lead Safety of Journalists

Free Press Unlimited is seeking a Programme Lead Safety of Journalists to head its global work on protecting journalists at risk. Based in Amsterdam, the Programme Lead will oversee the Safety of Journalists team, drive strategy, manage international partnerships, and strengthen Free Press Unlimited’s mission to ensure press freedom worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the Safety of Journalists team (currently 5 staff and 2 consultants), ensuring a safe and supportive work environment.
• Oversee the planning, strategy, and budget of the safety portfolio, in collaboration with the grant & compliance manager programmes.
• Represent Free Press Unlimited in key international coalitions and networks on safety (ACOS, GFMD, Journalists in Distress Network).
• Coordinate internally across departments, sharing expertise, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Continuously strengthen the organisation’s safety strategy and manage international partnerships in emergency support for journalists.
• Build and maintain a global network of organisations, individuals, and coalitions working on journalist safety.
• Act as spokesperson on journalist safety in media and external forums.
• Lead proposal development, fundraising, and acquisition in the field of journalist protection.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Conflict Studies, International Law, International Development, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing teams, ideally in international contexts, including fragile or repressive countries.
• Proven leadership and people management skills, with sensitivity to cultural differences.
• Strong organisational and fundraising skills, ideally with experience in humanitarian aid or emergency response.
• Hands-on, decisive, and solutions-oriented, with the ability to balance oversight and prioritisation.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; additional languages (Spanish, French, or Arabic) are an asset.
• High levels of empathy, integrity, accountability, and commitment to press freedom and journalist safety.

Deadline: 12 September 2025

Click here to apply.