Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR)

Location: Remote / Distributed (Global), with preferred hubs in Amsterdam, Sarajevo, or Washington D.C.

Application Deadline: Open until the position is filled.

The Opportunity

The world of philanthropy is changing. To remain independent and fearless in the face of global corruption, investigative journalism must find new, sustainable ways to fund its work.

OCCRP is looking for a visionary Entrepreneur in Residence to lead this transformation.

We are not just a media organization; we are a data powerhouse. We hold some of the world’s largest databases of organized crime and corruption data (via our Aleph Pro platform) and possess unique investigative methodologies used by hundreds of journalists worldwide. We are seeking a product leader to package these assets into commercially viable technology products that generate revenue to subsidize our non-profit mission.

About OCCRP

OCCRP is one of the largest investigative journalism organizations in the world, headquartered in Amsterdam and with staff across six continents . We are a mission-driven nonprofit newsroom that partners with other media outlets to publish stories that lead to real-world action. At the same time, our media development arm helps investigative outlets around the world succeed and serve the public.

Our mission is to spread and strengthen investigative journalism around the world and expose crime and corruption so the public can hold power to account. Our work has four main pillars:

• Investigations - we lead collaborative cross-border projects and publish hard-hitting stories;
• Infrastructure - we provide training, tools, and resources so investigative outlets can thrive;
• Innovation - we develop new technology and solutions that serve the field of journalism; and
• Impact - we accelerate the fight against global crime and corruption with groundbreaking partnerships.
  
  

The Role

As our Entrepreneur in Residence, you will act as a startup founder within our organization. You will take ownership of a portfolio of early-stage product concepts and drive them from ideation to revenue.

You will bridge the gap between our investigative tech team (who build tools to catch bad guys) and the commercial market (who need tools to avoid them).

Your Mission:

• Review our current suite of internal tools and data products (including Aleph Pro, but also a number of very advanced additional tools being developed with commercial offerings in mind, and currently in stealth mode.) to identify which have commercial potential in the B2B market (e.g., ESG risk, KYC/AML compliance, third-party screening) as well as potential B2C opportunities in the long run.
• Define the value proposition, go-to-market and pricing strategies, and sales channels for new products.
• Help an organization of journalists understand customers, revenue models, and product-market fit without compromising our ethical standards.
• Take at least one major revenue-generating product to market within your tenure.
  

Key Responsibilities

• Product Discovery: Conduct customer discovery interviews with potential clients (law firms, ethical consultancies, financial institutions, NGOs) to validate problems our data tools can solve.
• Commercialization: Develop business models that monetize our unique data lakes and research expertise.
• Ethical Guardrails: Work with our leadership to ensure all commercial activities align strictly with our mission and do not compromise the safety or integrity of our journalists or sources.
• Pitch and Funding: Act as the internal champion for these products, and potentially pitch to impact investors or venture philanthropy partners for seed capital.
• Roll up your sleeves: There will be systems and processes, including accounting, CRM and standard business functions that will need setting up, you need to be prepared to implement these systems.

About You

You are a builder. You may have founded a startup, led a product team at a tech company, or managed innovation at a media organization. You understand that generating revenue is a requirement to sustain our mission.

• 7+ years experience in product management, business development, or startup leadership. Experience in RegTech, Fintech, Data Intelligence, or SaaS is highly desirable.
• You are comfortable with ambiguity. You don't need a roadmap; you build the roadmap.
• Technical Literacy: You don't need to code, but you must understand data architectures, APIs, and the potential of OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tools.
• You understand the delicate balance of monetizing data in a mission-driven NGO in a way that everyone is comfortable with..
• You care about the state of global democracy and press freedom.
• You are happy to do administrative work to get things set up until such time as the team can grow.

Why Join Us?

• Your work will directly fund investigations that bring down dictators and dismantle criminal networks.
• Collaborate with a team of fearless professionals distributed across the globe.
• Culture where you can get stuff done. With minimal bureaucracy / minimal hierarchy
• Interesting teams of smart people. There are no boring investigative journalists
• Help save the media industry and help due diligence firms block money-laundering/sanctions-evasion at source.

How to Apply

To apply, please upload a cover letter and resume.

All applications must be submitted in English. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Whilst we have internal goals to reply to unsuccessful candidates, we regret that the high number of applicants greatly exceeds our capacity to respond to each person. We apologise that we will not be able to reply to any unsuccessful applicants.

As an equal opportunity employer, OCCRP values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We offer competitive compensation and benefits and encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, medical conditions, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics. If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process, please contact hr@occrp.org.