Call for a Media Consultant - Safety Net Mechanism

The European Endowment for Democracy (EED) is a grant-making organisation which has been established by the European Union Member States, and the European Union institutions to foster and encourage democratisation and deep and sustainable democracy. EED has been established as an independent private law foundation with its seat in Brussels.

Profile

EED is looking for a Media Consultant to assist the Safety Net mechanism. The overall objective of the Safety Net is to sustain the independent information space in Eurasia and protect it from the expansionist influence of authoritarian regimes strengthened by the withdrawal of US-backed democratic and free media, including the weakening of RFE/RL which has been affected by an acute funding crisis.

The consultant will be selected on the basis of their reputation and experience, their knowledge and understanding of media ecosystems in Eurasia, donor landscape and grant-making processes.

Tasks

1. Assessment of proposals and processing of support requests: The consultant will contribute to the assessment of applicants and their requests, including content review, information verification, and reference checking. The consultant may also be requested to coach applicants following initial submissions, helping them refine their proposals for consideration under the Safety Net mechanism.

2. Knowledge consultancy and outreach: The consultant may be requested to produce reports, updates, and reviews of media ecosystems relevant to the Safety Net mandate. The consultant may also be requested to identify and engage with actors whose work is relevant to the Safety Net mandate.

3. Assessment of deliverables and results: The consultant will be requested to assist in the review of narrative reports submitted to EED by Safety Net beneficiaries.

4. Stakeholder reporting and engagement: The consultant will be requested to prepare progress reports, briefings, and other inputs for stakeholders, particularly donors.

5. Administrative and operational support: The consultant will contribute to the implementation of the Safety Net mechanism, including through event coordination, commissioning of external experts, and preparation of contracts and other documentation.

Communication and reporting

The consultant will work under the direct guidance of a Safety Net Project Manager and under the general supervision of the EED Executive Director.

Terms of Contract

An initial consultancy contract shall be concluded for a period of 12 months, and with a possibility of extension. The contract may be part-time depending on the current situation of the selected consultant.

The consultancy contract fee rate shall be based on a competitive salary depending on the level of experience.

Required Expertise

• relevant professional media experience

• experience of working with grant-giving or media support organisation

• thorough knowledge of English and Russian;

• ability to keep full confidentiality about all assigned tasks and related documentation as well as able to exercise confidentiality, discretion and tact when dealing with diverse groups of people;

• ability to develop strong working relationships internally and externally at all levels;

• high personal and professional culture;

• ability to work in a multicultural environment;

• references as to the suitability for the performance of duties.

How to apply

Should you be interested in this position and meet the criteria, please submit your CV, a motivation letter and contact information for two referees. Applications should be made by clicking on "Apply now" on this page. After successfully submitting your application, you will receive an automatic email confirming receipt of your application. Please no phone calls/emails/letters.

The application deadline is 6 September 2026 at midnight Brussels time.

Unfortunately, we cannot respond to every application, therefore only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. The information provided in the applications is subject to EU legislation on protection of personal data and confidentiality of information.