Job vacancies

The Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford proposes to appoint a Director to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ). The Director will play a major role in continuing to shape and develop the Institute with the support of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The new Director will report to the Head of the Department. The post will be for three years and is fixed-term, but may be renewable. 

1. What we are looking for

The next Director will need to have the strategic vision, academic credentials and public engagement skills to sustain this momentum and ensure that, in a period of intensifying challenges to journalism and media, the Reuters Institute continues to thrive and to inform crucial wider debates about the role and practice of journalism in today’s society and to harness global philanthropic support for research and education in this field. 

The Director is expected to contribute to the research and publications of the Institute; the primary responsibility of the role is to sustain its activities and to develop the Institute as a centre with a reputation in both academic and journalistic circles globally.  

They will have the standing to engage with the wider academic community as well as with the world of journalism, nationally and internationally; with the global media business; and with governments and public policy institutions. 

The post-holder will be actively involved in the recruitment and oversight of Institute staff, and the management of the Journalist Fellowship Programme. They will be responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic plan for the Institute to address short and long-term research strategy, public events and seminars, financial management and fundraising priorities. The post-holder will be a member of the Department of Politics and International Relations.  

2. The Director’s duties

• To work closely with the Steering Committee to review and implement a strategic plan, for approval by the Steering Committee and confirmed by the Department’s General Purposes Committee, which sets out the Institute’s academic and publication aims, its range of activities, communications and promotional aims and approaches, and its forms of engagement with the professional world of journalism. 

• To engage with journalistic communities in order to reflect, curate, contribute to and, where appropriate, lead debates about the practice of journalism. 

• To keep under review, and where appropriate renew, the ways in which the work of the Institute is distributed and amplified – especially with practising journalists in mind. 

• To take the lead in managing relationships with the Institute’s key stakeholders and external funders, including the core funder, the Thomson Reuters Foundation.  

• To represent the Institute nationally and internationally across the range of its activities. 

• To stimulate and coordinate the Institute’s academic and wider research programme in order to ensure that its members develop and maintain an international research profile. 

• To lead, engage and produce world-leading research. 

• To support the Institute’s members in submitting proposals of a high standard for research grants from the relevant funding bodies, and by doing so to generate significant research income in support of the Institute’s research programme. 

• To regularly disseminate research findings through presentations at high-profile conferences, publications, and articles in prestigious journals. 

• In collaboration with the Director of Journalist Programmes, lead the development of the Journalist Fellowship Programme as an integral part of the Institute, and to work with the Director of Journalist Programmes to ensure the proper supervision of the projects undertaken by the visiting Journalist Fellows. 

• To work closely with the other senior management team (Director of Research; Director of Journalist Programmes; Director of Leadership Development, Head of Editorial and Director of Operations) who report to the Director. The Director will work with the senior management team to review and implement an agreed strategy that fuses the perspectives of both academic and journalistic practice in a productive collaboration. 

• In collaboration with the Director of Research, lead the development of pioneering approaches/methodologies and/or research challenges, and open up new avenues of research to extend intellectual understanding. 

• To maintain and further develop the relationship with the Department of Politics and International Relations, of which it is part, and to develop relationships with other departments and centres in the University. 

• To work with colleagues in sustaining and developing the programme of events in Oxford and beyond. 

• To be responsible for the overall financial management of the Institute and to take the lead in raising funds (in addition to core funding) for running costs, for the support and endowment of posts, for research projects and for the development and expansion of the Institute’s objectives. 

• To organise and coordinate the activities of the staff of the Institute, and to play a substantial role in the recruitment process and performance reviews, as necessary.  

The Director is expected to be present at the Institute during University terms and vacations to ensure its effective ongoing management and direction. This job description is intended as a guideline and it is recognised that the precise nature of the work and responsibilities of the Director may vary from time to time in accordance with the needs of the Institute, the numbers of staff, and the particular skills and interests of the Director.

3. Selection criteria

Applications will be judged only against the criteria which are set out below. Applicants should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet these criteria. 

3.1 Essential criteria 

• A first degree and/or doctorate in a relevant subject. 

• A world-leading research track record in the practice and development of journalism and its public policy implications, an ability to add to the research reputation of the Department and the University; and/or an understanding of and/or experience of practising journalism to the highest standards and of having contributed to the debate about the issues facing the news media in the 21st century. 

• An ability to communicate effectively with journalistic practitioners as well as the academic community. 

• An ability to build and foster connections within the University and with the Department of Politics and International Relations. 

• A commitment to being the custodian of the Institute’s values tethered in the Reuters trust principles and the University’s principles of governance.   

• A commitment to the Reuters Institute's and the University’s code of practice on academic integrity in research with an understanding of and/or experience in research work. 

• Fundraising skills, including the identification and development of potential funders. 

• Leadership experience and experience of budget management.  

• Proven managerial skills and experience to develop, plan and implement the Institute’s strategic aims in consultation with the Steering Committee. 

• An ability to lead the team at the Institute and take independent charge and responsibility for the Institute’s progress and growth. 

• First-rate oral and written communication skills, enabling the post holder to represent the Institute at both national and international level, communicating its work and purposes effectively to journalists and other stakeholders and audiences through a range of media (including social media), and representing complex ideas in clear and readable language. 

• To have an international outlook. 

3.2 Desirable criteria 

• Previous experience of, and a successful track record in, high-level financial and employee management and, preferably, experience in governance and administration in a large and complex organisation. 

• Knowledge and understanding of different academic approaches and disciplines in the social sciences.  

• Knowledge and understanding of different journalistic approaches, techniques, and cultures.  

• Knowledge and understanding of the digital technologies affecting the practice of journalism as well as the business and regulation of news.  

• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), email, and social media. 

• Proficiency in languages other than English.  

4. How to Apply 

The preferred method of application is online at www.berwickpartners.co.uk/92514. 

Applications should consist of a CV accompanied by a covering letter addressing the selection criteria in the person specification. The preferred method of application is online by filling the form in this link. If you are unable to apply online please email your application to response.manager@berwickpartners.co.uk.   

All applications will receive an automated response. All candidates are also requested to complete an online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form which will be found at the end of the application process. For detailed information on how we process your personal data, please review Berwick Partners’ privacy policy.

For an informal, confidential discussion, please contact Clare Bromley at Clare.Bromley@berwickpartners.co.uk. The closing date for applications is Friday 17 January at 17.00 UK time.