Programmes Officer

The Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) is the UK’s first charity that exists to promote high-quality journalism. Last year, we launched an ambitious ten-year mission to regenerate local news in the UK. We believe that local news is a vital part of the fabric of local communities, drawing people together around shared facts and pride in place at a time of disinformation and division. We are pursuing our mission by (1) sourcing new funds for local news; (2) advocating for supportive government policies; and (3) celebrating local news providers from the UK and around the world that are Accountable, Sustainable, in the Public interest, Innovative, Representative and Engaging (ASPIRE). Over the last year, we have successfully encouraged the UK Government to launch an unprecedented new £12m Local News Fund. We have also built support for our mission from US and UK donors. And we have launched initiatives such as the Tenacious Journalist Awards, to recognise and support independent news providers who are having a significant social impact. We have a small and professional staff team and a dedicated board of trustees, and we are now looking to recruit a Programmes Officer to support our work. I hope that you will consider joining us on this exciting and important mission. Jonathan Heawood, Executive Director Summary of the Role Title: Programmes Officer Salary: £30,000 Benefits : 33 days annual leave including Bank Holidays; 7% employer pension contribution; professional development budget; flexible working Type: Fixed-term renewable 12-month contract Time commitment: 35 hours per week, with some scope for flexible working Location : Remote, with occasional meetings in London or other UK locations, for which PINF will pay travel expenses from within the UK Reporting to: Deputy Director, who will provide overall line management and lead 60% of the Programmes Officer’s work Working closely with: Campaigns & Communications Manager, who will lead the remaining 40% of the Programme Officer’s work Purpose of the Role The Programmes Officer will support the PINF team across our three workstreams: the Local News Fund; Local News Campaign; and Local News Futures programme. · Through the Local News Fund , we work with grantmakers and social investors (including government-backed fund managers) to unlock new economic resources for local news across the UK. · Through the Local News Campaign , we work with the BBC, big tech firms, central and local government, MPs, Peers and regulators to shape a positive enabling environment for local news across the UK. · Through the Local News Futures programme, we work with academics, civil society organisations, journalism support organisations and local news providers to showcase models of local news with the most positive impact. The Programmes Officer will provide support with events , research and campaigns across these workstreams, and will also provide support with our organisational functions, including communications , fundraising and governance . By providing efficient and effective support to the team, the Programmes Officer will unlock new potential for PINF to deliver our charitable purpose. Key Responsibilities Events · Support the Deputy Director with the successful delivery of the annual Local News Forum by: o Maintaining a comprehensive and up to date project plan o Contributing to the effective marketing of the event within PINF’s network of independent local news providers and stakeholders o Managing ticket sales and maintaining an accurate database of invitees and participants o Contributing to effective working relationships with partners and suppliers, including venues and sponsors o Managing speakers o Supporting budget administration, including tracking agreed expenditure and processing spending in line with approved budgets and under the oversight of the Deputy Director o Responding promptly and efficiently to queries o Providing on-the-day support including registering participants, liaising with the venue and catering providers, ensuring smooth technical support and troubleshooting any issues as they arise Research · Support the Deputy Director with our research objectives by: o Organising and minuting twice-yearly online meetings of our Research Advisory Group o Working with colleagues to ensure the Local News Map is comprehensive and up to date o Liaising with independent local news providers to support the new Local News Audit Campaigns · Support the Campaigns & Communications Manager with our campaign objectives by: o Managing relationships with independent news providers participating in our annual Indie News Week o Supporting budget administration for campaign activity, including tracking agreed expenditure and processing spending in line with approved budgets and under the oversight of the Campaigns & Communications Manager o Supporting key campaign moments including parliamentary events, party conferences, roundtables and other online and offline event