Investigations Coordinator at Zinc Network

About Zinc

Zinc Network is a business dedicated to meaningful, measurable change. Zinc conceptualizes and creates programs, interventions, and strategic communications campaigns around some of the world’s most complex problems – from disinformation to extremism, media capture to authoritarianism.

We are headquartered in London with offices in Washington, D.C. and Warsaw with 80+ team members from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Zinc works with a broad range of governmental, NGO, and private sector clients, including the UK Home Office (HO); the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the U.S. Department of State (DOS); UN agencies and missions; and foundations.

Introducing the role

The Investigations Coordinator will be based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The Investigations Hub under the USAID Information Integrity Program runs investigations and in-depth research into information manipulation and hostile actors with local partners. The investigations aim to attribute information manipulation and hostile influence to malign actors by revealing their financial, personal, and ideological connections. It aims to hold to account malign actors by imposing reputational, financial, and legal costs on spreading disinformation.

The Investigations Coordinator will primarily monitor and supervise the investigation process as well as the dissemination and promotion of findings. Key responsibilities include:

• Identify Strategic Areas and Investigation Projects: Select overarching topics in coordination with the Technical Data Information Specialist (TDIS) based on concrete leads emerging from Zinc’s ongoing waves of research, our partners in the Information Integrity Coalition, or ongoing political developments.
• Identify and Mentor Potential Partners: Map potential partners for investigations and mentor them to enhance their investigative capacity. This involves guiding new and upcoming investigative journalists, ensuring they develop the necessary skills for impactful investigations. The Coordinator will lead the Mentorship strand, focusing on smaller-scale investigatory pieces that address emerging disinformation trends.
• Lead Ad-hoc Investigations and Build Investigative Capacity: Develop and manage the strategic approach to ad-hoc investigation grants. This includes overseeing the redistribution of awards to support mentorship, guiding mentees through investigation processes, and delivering timely investigatory pieces on disinformation trends.
• Integrate Audience Impact: Work closely with Zinc’s digital marketing, PR, and influencer teams to ensure the investigations have a real-world impact, whether through PR, influencer activations, targeted campaigns, or partnerships with international media.
• Reporting and Coordination: Act as the central point for reporting on investigation findings, including briefing the client, donors, and other relevant stakeholders. Work with the COP/DCOP to draft investigation plans, timelines, and deliverables, and coordinate with media outlets.
• Support Program Implementation: Ensure smooth program implementation, including the delivery of quarterly and annual targets, reviewing MEL plans, and aligning with award requirements, rules, regulations, and program objectives. Elevate risks and opportunities to senior management.

Requirements

• 4 years of experience in media, with investigative work highly preferred, preferably for a Georgian outlet.
• Experience in project management is required; experience managing/coordinating donor-funded programs is preferred.
• Experience in PR, digital marketing, or campaigning is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in mentoring or capacity-building within the media or investigative journalism sector.
• A deep knowledge of and interest in news and current affairs in Georgia is desired.
• Excellent formal writing and presentation skills in both English and Georgian are mandatory.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and cooperating with a diverse group of beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Working proficiency in the Russian language (written and spoken) would be preferable. 
• Experience in guiding and supporting emerging journalists and building investigative capacity.

Benefits

• 24 days of annual leave
• 12 days of sickness absence
• Parental leave as per Georgian Law
• Private health insurance
• 12 mental health counselling sessions per year