Media Challenge Initiative (MCI) envisions a humane and healthy media ecosystem shaping the future. At the core of this vision is Africa’s first apprenticeship-driven social newsroom — a living system where young journalists, creators, editors, designers, researchers, and media entrepreneurs learn by doing, shape culture, and build sustainable media futures.
MCI operates as a dual system: a mission-driven media development NGO and a growing social enterprise using media to sustain the NGO.
The Role: Narrative Revenue and Sustainability Officer
We are looking for a Narrative Revenue and Sustainability Officer — to design, grow, and steward the business systems that sustain MCI and our apprenticeship newsroom.
We are looking for a Media Business Builder, someone who lives comfortably at the intersection of: media + money, content + commerce, impact + income, and youth culture + business logic.
Most importantly, the candidate we are looking for must understand, deeply, that money and impact are not opposites — they are design partners.
Core Mandate
You are responsible for turning impact into revenue — ethically, creatively, and strategically.
You design the business behind the stories, project, outreach and campaign.
Key Responsibilities
MCI’s 7S Intervention Model
- S1: Skilling the Next Generation of Journalists
- S2: Space for Media Innovation
- S3: Shaping Narratives and Culture
- S4: Safeguarding the Information Ecosystem
- S5: Stabilizing Local and Rural Journalism
- S6: Strengthening Media Coverage of the Development Sector
- S7: Sustainability Through Social Enterprise
1. Design MCI’s Sustainability Architecture
- Design and implement MCI’s revenue strategy across NGO work, social enterprise services, and newsroom operations
- Diversify income beyond grants into campaign partnerships, corporate collaborations, content partnerships, training & skilling products, and consulting and facilitation
- Ensure sustainability aligns with MCI’s values, mission, and editorial independence
2. Narrative Revenue Design (Business Behind Stories)
- Work with the newsroom to identify revenue pathways for stories, series, and channels
- Design campaign-based partnerships around themes (health, climate, youth, money, creativity)
- Package content as campaigns, experiences, community activations, and learning products
- Ensure sustainability thinking starts at story conception, not at the end
3. Partnership Development with Corporate and Private Sector
- Attract and steward corporate, private, foundation, and institutional partners
- Design partnerships that go beyond branding to shared value
- Position MCI as a long-term partner, not a service provider
4. Story–Brand Matchmaking
- Match brands and institutions to Switch Africa channels, youth communities, and cultural conversations
- Develop ethical frameworks for sponsored content, branded storytelling, and co-created campaigns
5. Pipeline, Sales & Relationship Management
- Build and manage a partnership pipeline
- Lead pitching, negotiations, and closing
- Maintain long-term partner relationships
- Track revenue targets and performance
- Collaborate closely with CEO, Newsroom Manager, People & Culture Officer, and Finance
6. Internal Capacity Building
You will help the organization learn to think sustainably by:
- Training project managers, editors and producers to think commercially
- Building simple sustainability tools for teams
- Creating templates for proposals, decks, and pitches
- Supporting apprentices to understand media business models
- Train and mentor the next generation of sustainability and narrative revenue experts
