Terms of Reference for Administration and Event Coordinator
Thomson Media (TM) is seeking to hire an Administration and Event Coordinatorfor the project: “Media Innovation Europe 3.0”.
BACKGROUND
Thomson Media supports journalists and media organisations worldwide often in challenging and emerging economies. Our work promotes ethical reporting and ensures independent, trusted sustainable media businesses developments. Thomson currently implements several media support programmes in the regions of Western Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. The focus of Thomson’s work is to provide guidance to media outlets for sustainable development and operation through business mentorship, testing and implementing new and innovative business modalities, supporting media to attract and engage new and underrepresented media audience(s) including young, female, minority groups and diaspora. Thomson is looking to hire an Administration and Event Coordinator to become part of the wider Western Balkans and Central and Eastern European team and support implementation of its programmes.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Media Innovation Europe: towards resilient public-interest media ecosystem (MIE 2026-2028) is a two-year programme co-funded by the European Union aiming to provide support to the European newsrooms and individuals through business needs assessments and personalised advisory, grants, training and mentorship to media managers and journalists that work or are building working in and building newsrooms that are moving towards a full digital transition. MIE's overall goal is to empower media outlets to navigate a changing media context, providing tools and guidance to align their journalistic products, business structures, and means of discovery and distribution in an audience-focused and sustainable way. The project is delivered by a consortium led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) together with the Berlin-based Thomson Media (TM), The Fix Foundation (TFF) and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN).
As part of the project, Thomson Media will implement the following programmes:
a. Ideation – following the open call for support, selected beneficiaries will pass the series of three ideation workshops (September - November 2026). The three main objectives of ideation sessions are to (1) have innovative and articulated ideas, (2) inspire and support out of the box thinking and (3) secure quality and committed candidates for its programs that will ensure impact. Workshops will engage with two types of beneficiaries are (1) new media outlets, journalists or collectives of journalists/media professionals with a start-up plan for a sustainable new media model and (2) experienced media professionals and decision makers in established newsrooms. Selected participants will get familiar with key concepts su ch as ideation techniques, steps they have to complete to be able to better understand testing and validation. They further have the chance to brainstorm ideas with facilitator support that they can possibly turn into project proposals and apply for funding from Thomson or other donor organisations. Upon the completion of the series, participants will have three potential trajectories: have a reserved spot in our Validation Booster program (to validate ideas they previously articulated through the workshops), or to take part in networking and collaborative activities and fellowship program, Thomson and its partners plan to organize within this project, or beyond.
b. Validation Booster (VB) - tailored for smaller media outlets, content producers, journalists, communication/media startups and networks. Validation Booster is structured as a guided program consisting of up to 12 workshops, related resources and tasks designed to help beneficiaries to learn how to validate and test their business idea that imply new digital products/services, diving into the process of rethinking a media’s potential and feasibility in the digital environment. The goal is for beneficiaries to be acquainted with the necessary tools, knowledge, and directions to properly understand and implement validation methodology for their business idea. After completing Validation program key beneficiaries will be: a) equipped to present their ideas and mission clearly; b) capable to validate on their own any business idea they may have within their outlet in the future; c) develop materials to present and communicate their validated idea to interested parties and potential funders and d) present their idea, if validated, to broader pool of funders and investors. Besides structured mentorship, beneficiaries will receive funds through grant schemes (up to EUR 3.000) to implement all validation program related tasks. The program will be driven through one cycle (February – June 2027). Up to 12 beneficiaries will be involved in this support stream.
c. Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) - tailored to support larger media with significant absorption capacities, developed strategic or business plans and/or validated ideas. Media outlets will be supported through grants (EUR 30.000), technical support (1-on-1 mentoring, capacity building). The program will be implemented from January 2027 until December 2027. Only one cycle will be organized, with a defined number of beneficiaries (up to 5 under the Business Innovation Synergizer programme). BIS’ overall objective is to improve the business sustainability of professional media and make journalists and media outlets more resilient to any external threat.
The Administration and Event Coordinator provide comprehensive administrative, financial documentation, and logistical support to ensure effective implementation of project activities. The role focuses on maintaining accurate transaction records, ensuring proper filing of supporting documentation, supporting financial compliance processes, assisting with travel and event logistics, and providing administrative assistance to grant management functions, including third-party grant compliance checks and financial reporting preparation. The position ensures that all administrative, financial, and logistical processes are properly documented, traceable, and compliant with donor and organizational requirements.
SCOPE OF WORK
Main Tasks and Responsibilities
Maintain a complete register of all project-related financial transactions and ensure proper documentation of each transaction.
Collect, verify, and systematically file all supporting financial, administrative, and procurement documents.
Support the Grant Manager in reviewing third-party grant documentation and performing basic compliance checks.
● Assist in preparation of financial reports by compiling and organizing required supporting documentation.
Ensure reconciliation and consistency between financial records and supporting documentation for reporting and audit purposes.
Coordinate travel arrangements for staff, consultants and participants, including logistics, documentation, and expense tracking.
Organize and support on-site project events, including logistics, participant coordination, and documentation.
● Provide general administrative and compliance support, including communication with vendors and maintaining organized project records.
Regular communication with the program team to ensure smooth coordination of activities, timely exchange of information, and alignment on administrative, financial, and logistical requirements.
Deliverables
The Administration and Event Coordinator is expected to produce and maintain the following deliverables:
• Comprehensive Transaction Register - up-to-date log of all project financial transactions with references to supporting documents.
Complete Documentation Archive - organized and accessible repository of all financial, administrative, and travel-related supporting documents.
Grant Compliance Support Files - verified documentation packages for third-party grants, including checklists and compliance verification records.
Travel Management Records - documentation of all travel arrangements, including approvals, itineraries, receipts, and expense reconciliations.
Event Implementation Files - Complete event folders including agendas, participant lists, logistical arrangements, materials, and post-event reports.
Audit-Ready Documentation Sets - fully prepared and traceable documentation packages for internal and external audits.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Education: A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies including postgraduate studies or at least 5 years of work experience in the field of in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Public Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
Language: Fluency in English and at least one of the languages spoken within the Western Balkans.
Professional Experience:
• At least 3–5 years of professional experience in administration, project support, or grant-funded project coordination.
Proven experience in maintaining financial and administrative records, including transaction tracking and supporting documentation management.
Demonstrated experience in supporting financial reporting processes, including compilation and verification of expenditure supporting documents.
• Experience in grant administration support, including review of third-party documentation and basic compliance checks.
Experience in logistics coordination, including travel arrangements, procurement support, and expense documentation.
Experience in organizing and supporting events, workshops, or field activities, including on-site coordination and post-event documentation.
• Experience working in donor-funded projects (EU, UN, or other international donors) is an asset.
Proven ability to work with structured filing systems (digital and/or physical) and ensure audit-ready documentation.
Other skills:
Strong administrative and organizational skills, with ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to work effectively with diverse teams
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); experience with document management systems is an advantage;
Strong logistics and coordination skills, including travel and event organization.
Collaborative working style with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
Proactive, adaptable, and able to respond effectively to changing project needs and priorities.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive financial and administrative information responsibly.
DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT
Assignment will commence on July 2026 and will last until May 2028, and it involves a total of 92 consultant days with a daily fee of 110 EUR that will be dispersed and charged monthly through approved TS’s and issued invoices.
LOCATION
Remote work covering the Creative Europe countries. Travel per need and planned in advance with the Thomson program team.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates should submit their resume, cover letter and offer to jobs(at)thomsonfoundation.org by 30.06.2026.
REVIEW AND AMENDMENTS
These Terms of Reference may be reviewed and amended as needed to meet the evolving needs of the project and organization.