📣 Join the Board of The Citizens

The Citizens is seeking two new board members to help guide the organisation through an ambitious new phase of growth.

Over the past five years, The Citizens has established itself as a distinctive voice at the intersection of democracy, technology and power. Through investigative journalism, public-interest campaigns, strategic advocacy and cultural storytelling, we have worked to expose threats to democratic accountability and create new opportunities for public participation.

Our work has included exposing foreign interference in British democracy, pursuing a landmark case before the European Court of Human Rights, convening parliamentarians and experts around electoral integrity, and producing the award-winning podcast Sergei and the Westminster Spy Ring, which reached more than 600,000 listeners and topped the Apple podcast charts.

👉 You can read more about us here.

Today, our focus is expanding to address some of the defining questions of the coming decade. As AI systems, digital infrastructure and powerful technology companies become increasingly embedded in public institutions, we believe democratic societies must have a meaningful say over how these systems are designed, governed and deployed.

Our model combines investigative journalism, public engagement, parliamentary action, community organising and democratic participation. Our ambition is not simply to hold power to account, but to help build the civic infrastructure required for democratic societies to govern technology in the public interest.

As we enter this next stage, we are looking for two new board members who can help us strengthen the organisation and realise this vision.

Board Member - Audience Growth, Membership & New Media

We are seeking someone with experience building audience-supported organisations, membership communities, media ventures or movements.

This could include experience in journalism, publishing, newsletters, digital communities, campaigning organisations, creator businesses or other audience-led ventures.

The ideal candidate will have experience growing engaged communities, developing sustainable membership models, increasing audience reach and helping mission-driven organisations build lasting relationships with their supporters.

Board Member - Major Donor & Philanthropic Fundraising

We are seeking someone with experience securing support from major donors, high-net-worth individuals, family offices or philanthropic networks.

The ideal candidate will bring strategic insight into major gifts fundraising, donor cultivation, philanthropy and long-term organisational sustainability. They will help us build the relationships and funding base necessary to support ambitious public-interest work at a national scale.

If you don’t fall into either of these categories, we’d still love to hear what you could bring to The Citizens’ Board.

Role details

📍 Location: Nationwide (remote, online meetings)

⏳ Deadline: Rolling applications. We are hoping to appoint by September.

⏱️ Time commitment: The Board meets quarterly, with occasional additional meetings and support between meetings.

🤝 Remuneration: As a not-for-profit, these are voluntary (unpaid) positions. In return, you'll join a strong network of journalists, campaigners, technologists and public-interest leaders working to strengthen democratic accountability.

What We Are Looking For

We are interested in people who are excited by our mission and who want to play an active role in helping shape an organisation working at the intersection of democracy, technology and public accountability.

Board members provide strategic guidance, governance and support to the organisation’s leadership team. We are particularly interested in individuals who can contribute expertise, networks and perspective as we continue to grow.

We welcome expressions of interest from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share our commitment to democratic accountability, independent journalism and public-interest technology.

How to apply

Please email info@the-citizens.com with Board EOI in the subject line. In the first instance please briefly share relevant experience for either of the roles outlined - and a short paragraph about why you’d like to lend your time and expertise to our mission.