Project Director, International Counter Violent Extremism Programme en Zinc Network

About Zinc Network

Zinc Network uses behavioural science and AI to address the toughest problems of our time. We do this with networks of local actors who help us advance meaningful, measurable change.

We have 50+ team members from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, including democratic governance specialists, behavioural scientists, researchers, content producers, digital experts, and service designers. We work 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); UN agencies and missions; Microsoft; and the Internet Watch Foundation.

We conceptualise and create award-winning programmes, interventions, and campaigns that change the way that people think, feel, and act across a wide range of pervasive social issues, including disinformation and hate speech, violent extremism, poor governance, threats to children and young people's online safety, gender-based violence, and more.

The role

Zinc seeks a Project Director to lead a forthcoming donor-funded strategic communications programme focused on countering disinformation and violent extremist narratives in Central Asia. The Project Director will provide strategic, technical, and operational oversight of the programme, ensuring all activities achieve measurable impact within time, budget, and compliance frameworks. The position is contingent upon funding.

The ideal candidate

The Project Director will be a senior leader with a track record of managing complex strategic communications projects – ideally on countering violent extremism and disinformation. They can build and maintain strong relationships with donors, local partners and stakeholders across the region, and will be a strategic thinker and relationship-builder who can navigate sensitive political issues, lead multidisciplinary teams, and translate insight into effective communication interventions. The ideal candidate will bring a deep contextual knowledge of Central Asia – including social, political, and information dynamics – and a strong network of partners and practitioners in the region.

Key responsibilities

·       Provide overall strategic leadership, management, and technical direction for the programme, serving as the primary liaison with donor and partners;

·       Lead the design and delivery of evidence-based communication interventions to counter disinformation and violent extremist narratives;

·       Oversee the development of strategies, work plans, and results frameworks aligned with donor priorities and regional needs;

·       Manage cross-functional teams – including strategists, researchers, creatives, digital specialists, and regional partners – ensuring effective collaboration and knowledge integration;

·       Represent Zinc Network to government counterparts, civil society partners, and international stakeholders across Central Asia;

·       Oversee project implementation, budget management, and risk mitigation to ensure timely and compliant delivery;

·       Ensure consistent application of safeguarding, security, and ethical communication principles;

·       Provide senior oversight on reporting, MEL, and donor engagement, ensuring delivery of high-quality outputs and learning;

·       Contribute to thought leadership and knowledge sharing within the broader strategic communications and counter-FIMI community.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree, or equivalent industry experience in communications, international development, security studies, behavioural science, or a related field;
• Senior-level experience managing international, donor-funded programmes (FCDO, USAID, EU, UN, or similar);
• Proven record in delivering strategic communications, counter-disinformation, or CVE programming, ideally in fragile or sensitive contexts;
• Demonstrated experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex budgets and compliance frameworks;
• Regional knowledge and professional experience in Central Asia, with understanding of political, media, and cultural dynamics;
• Strong track record in stakeholder engagement and partnership management, including with governments, civil society, and media organisations;
• Experience applying behavioural science and audience insights to design communication interventions;
• Excellent leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to adapt to rapidly changing operational environments;
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to donors and high-level stakeholders;
• Data-first mindset, with comfort using analytics, media monitoring, and audience insight tools to guide strategy and decision-making;
• Working proficiency in Russian or a Central Asian language is advantageous.

What we can offer you

The opportunity to work with colleagues from a diverse range of professional and cultural backgrounds including the very best ex-diplomats, television producers, digital media strategists, linguists, researchers, and behavioural scientists from both the public and private sector.

Across Zinc Network there’s a commitment by everyone to deliver meaningful, change across all the subject areas, social challenges, and policy goals we’re striving to achieve.

Area of selection

We’re committed to hiring a diverse workforce from different professional and cultural backgrounds, and to that end we encourage a variety of people to apply to join our company to represent the diverse range of subjects associated with our projects.

Conditions of employment

Candidates who receive a job offer will be required to:

·       Disclose any previous disciplinary action against them resulting from a substantiated safeguarding (including any breaches involving trafficking- related activities) or workplace investigation.

·       Undergo background checks including employment verification, sexual offender registry, identity confirmation, and anti-terrorism vetting.