Director, New Initiatives

International Center for Journalists; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) seeks a Director of New Initiatives in Washington, DC to lead proposal development and new programs. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on grant writing and program design to advance journalism worldwide.

The successful candidate will turn ideas into scalable initiatives, build systems to support innovation, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, while upholding ICFJ’s mission of independent, quality journalism.

Qualifications

• Experience drafting competitive proposals for U.S. government or private foundations.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multidisciplinary programs.
• Excellent writing and storytelling skills with a focus on impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead the proposal development process and advance new areas of business.
• Create systems that ensure ideas scale across the organization.
• Work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and manage multiple priorities.

Skills

Proposal development

Grant writing

Strategic leadership

Program management

Job description

Fact-based journalism is under unprecedented attack at a time when a free, independent news media has never been more important. The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) works to ensure that the cornerstone of healthy democracies - reliable, trustworthy news – stays strong for generations to come. We give journalists the support and tools they need to do their jobs better. Through our work, journalists are enhancing news coverage and connecting more deeply with their audiences. ICFJ’s network is truly international - in the past five years alone, we have worked with 132,000 journalists from 173 countries. Our programs have impact: Stories produced by our participants have led to the fall of corrupt governments, promoted better laws and made communities safer and healthier.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Director, New Initiatives is a critical position within ICFJ and plays a key role in leading the proposal development process and advancing new areas of business. To succeed in this role, the ideal candidate will have experience in preparing and submitting competitive proposals for U.S. government and private foundations and be an impeccable writer and an out-of-the-box thinker who understands journalism and the media landscape. The role requires innovation, creativity, leadership and the ability to turn ideas into impactful global programs. The director will be responsible for creating systems that ensure that new ideas and innovation cascade through the organization. The director is someone who works well in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment and will be able to work independently and efficiently while handling multiple priorities.

The director will act as a full and active member of the New Initiatives team to ensure that ICFJ maintains the highest standard of quality and efficiency in all its projects. ICFJ runs more than 80 programs each year for journalists in the form of training, mentoring, fellowships or financial support. This programming falls under five areas critical for journalism today: Media innovation, investigative journalism, critical-issues reporting, financial sustainability, and research and resources. ICFJ prides itself on being a mission-driven organization with a global impact. We take employee growth and experience seriously and try hard to make sure that every staff member has the opportunity to grow and rise through the ranks.