Senior Project Manager – Middle East

About MiCT

Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) is a German nonprofit organization working at the intersection of media, conflict, and social transformation. Since 2006, we have supported independent journalism and strengthened local media ecosystems across more than 15 countries on three continents.

In the Middle East and North Africa, MiCT has built an extensive track record across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen. Our work spans journalist training and capacity building, conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive reporting, journalist protection and the Fellowship for Critical Voices, election coverage support, peace media and CVE/PVE programming, and media research and monitoring. We work in close partnership with local media outlets, journalist networks, and civil society organizations, with localized collaboration at the core of everything we do.

Our structure is decentralized: a Berlin-based management team works hand in hand with partners and in-country experts in our project countries. MiCT's MENA portfolio is primarily funded by GIZ, UNDP, and the German Federal Foreign Office (AA/GFFO).

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Project Manager to take on a leadership role in our Middle East portfolio. You will manage a diverse range of active projects, drive new project development, and build and maintain strong relationships with donors and partners across the region. This is a substantive role at the heart of MiCT's core programming area, with real responsibility and scope for shaping the direction of our work.

The role requires significant travel to project countries and a genuine appetite for working in complex, often volatile environments.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation and quality management of GIZ-, UNDP-, and AA/GFFO-funded projects in the Middle East, including budget oversight, procurement, and donor reporting
• Develop new project concepts and proposals, including in the areas of CVE/PVE and conflict-sensitive media, in response to calls for proposals and through proactive donor engagement
• Manage relationships with local partners, journalist networks, and civil society organizations across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the wider MENA region
• Contribute to MiCT's strategic positioning in the region, including participation in relevant donor and sector networks
• Support financial and administrative compliance in line with German public funding regulations and GIZ contractual frameworks
• Travel regularly to project countries for partner meetings, project monitoring, events, and field assessments — including to contexts with active security risks

Required Qualifications

Regional expertise

• Deep, nuanced knowledge of the political landscape, conflict dynamics, and media environment across the MENA region
• This is not a role for generalists: we are looking for someone who understands the specific fault lines, actor constellations, and development policy contexts across multiple country settings, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and at least one other country in the region
• Familiarity with the challenges facing journalists and independent media in conflict-affected and authoritarian contexts is essential

Project development

• Proven track record designing and developing international media development or peace/governance projects in the MENA region, including proposal writing and participation in tender processes
• Demonstrated ability to proactively acquire funding from German and/or international donors including GIZ, UNDP, and the German Federal Foreign Office

Project management

• Solid experience in the administrative and financial management of grant-funded projects with a minimum volume of EUR 200,000, including budget oversight, procurement procedures, and preparation of financial and narrative reports
• Proven ability to manage remotely based staff and teams across multiple countries simultaneously, including in contexts where communication infrastructure is unreliable and in-person access is limited
• Experience managing local partner organizations with varying levels of administrative capacity

Language skills

• Fluent Arabic and English, written and spoken, at professional/negotiation level

Desirable Qualifications

• Existing relationships with GIZ, UNDP, or AA/GFFO programme teams in the MENA region
• Familiarity with German public funding regulations (Zuwendungsrecht, ANBest-P, UVgO)
• Experience with gender-responsive programming or reporting on gender-based violence
• Experience working in or traveling regularly to fragile or conflict-affected contexts with active security risks

What We Offer

• A meaningful role with a mission-driven organization working at the nexus of journalism, conflict, and democracy
• A collaborative, international team and a flat organizational culture
• Competitive salary based on the German public sector pay scale (TVöD)
• A Berlin-based workplace with substantial international travel to project countries
• The chance to contribute to work that directly supports journalists and independent media in some of the world's most challenging environments