About Us:
Wattan Media Network is an independent, secular media outlet dedicated to providing accurate, reliable, and inclusive news coverage with a focus on marginalized communities. We are committed to promoting human rights, social justice, and democratic governance through investigative journalism, mobile journalism, and fact-checking. As we face unprecedented challenges in the current media landscape, we are seeking a skilled and passionate Advocacy Officer to help us secure the resources needed to sustain our work and amplify our impact.

Position Overview:
The Advocacy Officer will play a critical role in securing funding for Wattan through strategic fundraising campaigns, donor relations, and grant writing, while also driving advocacy efforts that highlight the importance of independent journalism in upholding democratic values towards local, regional international donors. This position will be responsible for identifying and cultivating relationships with donors, foundations, government agencies, and corporate partners. In addition, the officer will work closely with senior management to design and execute advocacy strategies that raise awareness about the organization’s work and the importance of press freedom.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement fundraising and advocacy strategies: Create and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies to secure sustainable financial support from diverse sources, including grants, individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors through an extensive mapping of potential organisations.
• Donor relations: Build and maintain relationships with current and potential donors, providing regular updates on the organization’s work and impact. Ensure donor engagement and retention through personalized communication and recognition through the organisation of field visits to donors in various places.
• Grant writing and reporting: Research and identify funding opportunities and write compelling grant proposals. Ensure timely submission of progress reports and accountability to donors and grant-makers.
• Identify opportunities: Identify potential events, meetings, forums, etc. that could amplify Wattan’s network and get in contact with new potential donors.
• Active networking and outreach: Use the identified potential donors to draft and send in coordination with senior management to send urgent appeals to new potential donors.

Qualifications: Experience: At least 3-5 years of experience in fundraising, advocacy, and/ or development within the nonprofit sector, ideally in media, human rights, or social justice organizations. Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience in grant writing, donor relations, and media outreach. Proven ability to develop and implement successful fundraising strategies. Solid understanding of advocacy campaigns, policy issues related to press freedom, and the media landscape. Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to work collaboratively across teams and with external partners. Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Communications, International Relations, Political Science, Nonprofit Management, or similar). A Master’s degree is a plus. Language Proficiency: Fluency in English is required; proficiency in additional languages is an asset. Native English speakers are encouraged to apply.‎ Passion for Media and Human Rights: A strong commitment to the principles of independent media, press freedom, and social justice. Desirable Qualities: Knowledge of the media landscape. Experience working with international donors, foundations, and government agencies in the field of humanitarian assistance and/ or development cooperation. Experience with digital fundraising and online advocacy campaigns. Familiarity with Microsoft 365. High flexiblity and strong resistance to pressure for tight deadlines.