Planning, Assignments & Photography Editor, Africa At Thomson Reuters

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate field deployment of journalists and logistics for breaking news coverage.
• Work with newsroom leaders to determine staffing levels that match the ambition and scope of coverage.
• Work closely with staff and freelance photographers, as well as the Global Director of Photography, to maintain Reuters' high editorial and visual standards.
• Provide feedback, mentorship and talent development across the region to foster a strong photographic culture.
• Troubleshoot and mitigate staffing challenges during fast-moving news cycles.
• Lead cross-format planning for major news events and editorial initiatives, ensuring cohesive execution across teams.
• Utilise planning tools to maintain accurate, accessible and client-ready coverage calendars.
• Communicate with clients in real time regarding coverage as required.
• Collaborate with commercial and product teams to improve newsroom planning systems and workflows.
• Work closely with the Editorial Safety Team.
• Ensure coverage is delivered within agreed budgets and that deployment costs are managed efficiently.
• Anticipate coverage needs and move people and resources ahead of major developing stories.
• Make clear deployment decisions quickly as news priorities change.

Required Qualifications

• Strong editorial judgement and operational decision-making under pressure.
• Deep understanding of visual workflows and newsroom technologies.
• Excellent photography and photo-editing skills, with knowledge of the latest developments in photojournalism technology.
• Outstanding communication, collaboration and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with newsroom safety protocols and planning workflows.
• Proven track record in planning, production or senior coordination roles within a fast-paced newsroom.
• Commitment to Reuters Trust Principles of independence, integrity and freedom from bias.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, develop and retain talent.
• Strong knowledge of Africa and proven experience working in hostile and challenging environments.
• Ability to coordinate complex coverage across multiple bureaus and countries.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record leading cross-format coverage across text, video and pictures, with the ability to coordinate complex, multi-country deployments during major breaking news events.
• Demonstrated ability to drive newsroom innovation through new technologies, digital workflows, AI-enabled tools or content provenance initiatives.
• Experience representing a news organisation externally through client engagement, industry forums, training programmes or partnerships.
• Proven ability to direct coverage of major breaking news, elections, conflicts, disasters or other complex events.
• Experience directing field teams and coordinating deployment across multiple bureaux.
• Familiarity with AI tools and their application in planning, research, production or newsroom workflows.
• A strong record of mentoring and developing journalists, photographers and producers in a high-pressure newsroom.