Bureau Chief, East Africa at Thomson Reuters

The job will involve managing a small team spread across 11 countries and leading by example with a steady output of exclusive news, compelling human-interest stories and deeply reported, revelatory features. Working closely with colleagues across Africa and around the world, you will write and oversee coverage on a broad range of topics, from the civil war in Ethiopia, food crises in the Horn of Africa, climate shocks and insurgencies, to debt negotiations, energy transition plans and the region’s thriving sports, culture and fintech sectors.

You will also oversee the safety and wellbeing of the newsroom, ensuring that more junior colleagues receive the support and opportunities they need to advance and thrive. A willingness to travel at short notice, and the temperance to deal with poor communications and sometimes obstructive officialdom, are essential.

As our Bureau Chief for East Africa, you will:

• Generate great ideas; report, write and edit with authority across the file; and work closely with visuals colleagues to deliver stories in multiple formats
• Be fast and ensure Reuters clients get the news first, even as you drive longer-form and investigative features
• Have exceptional news judgment, a sound understanding of reader and client needs, and the ability to set priorities in a large region
• Be able to coordinate complex and fast-moving cross-border stories with colleagues in Africa, China, Europe, the United States and beyond
• Be a mentor who supports and inspires your team to sharpen their skills and achieve their career goals

To be our Bureau Chief for East Africa, you will likely:

• Have a deep knowledge of East Africa, including an understanding of the key issues and players, and a knack for explaining them to a global audience
• Have a proven ability to cultivate high-level sources, break news and deliver deeply reported, high-impact features
• Be a self-starter with excellent people skills and an ability to manage a diverse team working across multiple countries, cultures and languages
• Have strong diplomatic skills, including an ability to navigate challenging media environments
• Be fluent in English with strong writing skills; Swahili and/or French would be an advantage
• Have at least seven years of experience as a journalist, including working for international outlets in a real-time news environment
• Have experience working in hostile environments, including conflicts or natural disasters

What’s In It For You

At Reuters, our people are our greatest assets. Here are some of the benefits we offer for your personal and professional growth:

• Global Career: As a global company, we can offer a truly international career and progression opportunities
• Learning & Development: On the job learning and coaching. We also have a dedicated training team focused on the continuous development of our journalists
• Benefits: We offer competitive salary packages and market leading benefits including paid volunteering days
• Perks: Work alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and a team who provide unmatched, award-winning coverage of the world’s most important stories.