Job Location: Flexible; West Africa strongly preferred; Salary range of $40,000-$50,000 dependent on country of hire
Employment Type: Full-Time
Seniority Level: Associate
Job Category: Staff

Overview

The DFRLab is expanding its work in Francophone Africa and is hiring an Assistant Director specializing in project management and strategic communications to counter disinformation across Africa, with a primary focus on Francophone West Africa. This position will play an essential role in growing the DFRLab’s capacity across the region, building on its ongoing work documenting disinformation and other elements of the regional information environment, and providing training for local partners. The Assistant Director, Francophone Africa, will focus on building the counter-disinformation capacity of regional partners across media, civil society, and democratic institutions. This position requires French language fluency.


The Assistant Director, Francophone Africa, will coordinate and deliver trainings on understanding disinformation and communications-oriented responses to these threats in order to foster digital and information resilience across the Continent. The Assistant Director will also build and manage a network of local and regional partners and maintain awareness of the information environment and evolving trends relating to disinformation and information manipulation. They will work with the DFRLab’s internationally distributed staff and broader Atlantic Council expert community and will coordinate with local partners to achieve project goals.


We are currently hiring for an immediate start. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a candidate has been selected for this position. The DFRLab is deeply committed to diversity. We strongly encourage people from any region, women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, new parents, single parents, people with disabilities, veterans, and people of various educational backgrounds to apply.

Responsibilities

  • Manage deadlines and execute project tasks across the DFRLab’s Francophone Africa programming;
  • Build and manage a community committed to better understanding the role of online disinformation in Francophone Africa, with predominant focus on the West Africa region;  
  • Adapt curricula for and conduct local trainings on open-source investigative techniques and narrative responses to disinformation for local partners;
  • Deliver trainings related to strategic communications and communication campaigning;
  • Act as a liaison for local media, civil society organizations, public institutions, and research partners;
  • Maintain ongoing awareness of the information environment and evolving disinformation trends in Francophone Africa and across the broader Continent, as much as possible;
  • Work with the team to identify regional research avenues and contribute to regional research, as needed; and
  • Conduct briefings for government, news outlets, and civil society on relevant research and trends, as appropriate.

Qualifications

  • Professional fluency in both English and French;
  • Strong writing skills in both languages;
  • Experience running trainings; 
  • Experience with strategic communications;
  • Professional experience interacting with civil society groups and/or government officials; 
  • Public-speaking competency;  
  • Excellent organizational, time management, and project management skills, including identifying, balancing, and rapidly shifting priorities, as needed;
  • Knowledge of the regional political landscape, especially as it relates to disinformation and information manipulation;
  • Must be a detail-oriented self-starter with the ability to work independently on project outputs;
  • General familiarity with open source research methodologies, journalism, or analytical research; and
  • Proven interest in the overlap between international relations, human rights, communications, technology trends, social media, and online information environments.


Bonus Qualifications

  • Experience with open-source research methodologies;
  • General familiarity with data analysis software.


Recruitment Process + Application Instructions

The recruitment process will entail two progressive interview rounds with DFRLab staff, along with a written exercise in English and French and follow-up conversation for those advanced to the final round. The first interview will be with members of the DFRLab team who have relevant substantive expertise, while the second will be with staff who would manage or directly coordinate with the candidate.


Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a candidate has been selected for this position. All documents uploaded as part of the application should be named in the following format: “SURNAME-First Name-Resume” and “SURNAME-First Name-CL”.

Apply Now

Explore the Program

The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) has operationalized the study of disinformation by exposing falsehoods and fake news, documenting human rights abuses, and building digital resilience worldwide.

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Please note: The Atlantic Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In accordance with Federal civil rights law and District of Columbia civil rights regulations and policies, the Atlantic Council does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics covered by applicable law. The Atlantic Council provides reasonable accommodation for all qualified applicants needing assistance, employees whose disability, sincere religious belief, or other protected characteristics are protected by law, and bases all employment decisions on qualifications, merit, and business need. The Atlantic Council believes that equity and inclusion amongst our team members are critical to our success as a global organization, and seeks to recruit, develop, and advance the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Eligibility to work in the United States is confirmed with E-Verify; employment at the Atlantic Council is eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

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