Head of REACH (Strategic Communications and Fundraising)

Are you motivated by strengthening independent media in some of the world’s most challenging contexts and can you help us increase our fundraising and outreach? Who are we? At IMS (International Media Support), you will join a global community working on one of today’s defining challenges: ensuring that people everywhere can access trustworthy, fact based information. The way societies understand the world - and shape their future - depends on who produces information, how it circulates, and whether it can be trusted. IMS exists to protect and strengthen the information ecosystems people rely on. We work with bold and brave partners in contexts affected by conflict and social tension, helping ensure that ethical, public interest information can be produced and shared safely. Through long term, locally grounded partnerships, we co create practical and innovative solutions - and respond rapidly in moments of crisis or opportunity. By joining IMS, you will become part of a collaborative, solution oriented organisation that helps shape responses to today’s information challenges. The work is meaningful and relevant with real impact on people’s ability to act with confidence and agency in some of the world’s most challenging environments. The REACH unit supports the Executive Management Group (EMG) and IMS in executing the IMS Global Strategy, with a particular focus on fundraising, strengthening relations with key donors, communications and outreach, advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion (Gender/DEI) and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL). Key objectives include meeting IMS’ overall fundraising targets, enhancing IMS’ visibility and external positioning while embedding our values into every aspect of our work. Job summary The Head of REACH provides visionary and strategic leadership across IMS' global fundraising, strategic communications, Gender/DEI and MEL portfolio. Together with IMS’ four regional departments the role strengthens IMS' overall funding strategy by deepening relationships with existing institutional donors, expanding engagement with new funders and sharpening IMS' private fundraising and external communications profile. The Head of REACH applies their own expertise within the REACH task portfolio, acts as a “playing coach” and leads an experienced team. The role collaborates closely with leaders across IMS’ three other institutional support units to ensure coherence and impact across the organisation. Key functions and key responsibilities • Lead a team of experienced professionals by setting direction, establishing clear priorities, supporting professional development and performance, following up on budgets, defining KPIs and maintaining a strong focus on quality and impact. • Strengthen IMS' overall funding strategy by knowledge of the current fundraising landscape, including developing existing donor relationships, identifying and cultivating new institutional and private funding opportunities and ensuring a balanced and forward-looking funding pipeline. • Manage the unit's responsibility for the IMS fundraising pipeline and CRM system, provide timely progress updates to EMG and support regional departments in identifying opportunities and guiding application processes. • Strengthen IMS' external communications profile. • Internal and external follow-up on progress reporting and their contribution to fundraising results. • Expand IMS' reach to new funders and global funding markets. • In collaboration with the MEL adviser, ensure that MEL is closely integrated into the unit's areas of responsibility, and that evidence, learning and results inform fundraising, communications and organisational decision-making. • In collaboration with the Gender/DEI Adviser safeguard Gender/DEI as a strong and integral programmatic and organisational focus across REACH's work, maintaining the emphasis and ambition that IMS is proud of. • Prioritise and recalibrate the unit's work in response to changing organisational needs, ensuring that the team remains focused on the highest-value outcomes despite a broad mandate and complex operating environment. • Collaborate closely with EMG and other unit heads to ensure that unit-level priorities support IMS’ overall objectives and that efforts are coordinated across units. Qualifications • Approximately 10 years of relevant professional experience including: • Proven experience leading an experienced multidisciplinary team with a large mandate by setting clear priorities, making timely decisions and reprioritising effectively as circumstances change, with a hands-on approach and a willingness to contribute directly to delivery when needed. • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain high-level donor relationships, understand existing donor priorities and identify and engage new funders in a changing global funding market, including managing pipelines and working with CRM systems and structured fundraising data. • Ability to set the strategic communications direction through translation of institutional strategy, priorities and results into a clear communications approach, ensuring consistent positioning, messaging and narrative across audiences and regions. • Use of strategic communications to build visibility, credibility and thought leadership, identifying opportunities to influence key stakeholders, partners, donors and wider sector debates. • Experience using evidence-based results to strengthen communication and accountability. • Thorough understanding of Gender/DEI as an integral programmatic and organisational priority. • Ability to quickly understand the organisation and its context, build credibility and contribute at pace from the start. Ability to work effectively in a complex environment, manage ambiguity and strong at prioritisation and adapting to changing needs. • High integrity, fairness and empathy, combined with sound judgement, active listening and the confidence to make decisions at the right speed. • Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. Strong communication skills in Danish would also be an advantage; additional languages are an asset. • Master's degree, or equivalent experience, in Communications, International Relations, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Political Science, or a related field. Duration and location Place of employment: IMS headquarters, Copenhagen, Denmark. Employment type: Full-time (37 hours/week), open-ended contract. Start date: As soon as possible. Organisation The REACH unit is one of four institutional support units, alongside:

• FLOW, responsible for finance, accounting and IT.
• GROW, responsible for IMS’ people operations, HR, organisational learning and internal communications.
• ENGAGE, responsible for product development and our global engagement.

The Head of REACH works closely with the other unit heads and reports to the Executive Director. How to apply Apply by submitting your resume and application in English through the link below. We will review applications and conduct interviews on a rolling basis, so we encourage interested candidates to apply early. The deadline for submitting applications is 29 November 2026. Please direct questions about the position to Director of Change Management, Daniel Drevfors (ddr@mediasupport.org). Who can apply IMS is committed to equal opportunity and encourages candidates with the required qualifications and skills to apply, regardless of age, disability, racial or ethnic background, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or other characteristics protected by law. Code of conduct IMS has zero tolerance for any kind of unwanted behaviour at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. Therefore, all appointments will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.