RFP -- DigiSec Trainer

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) seeks to contract a cohort of four fully remote digital security trainers to support the digital security team’s training initiatives through the remainder of 2026. These contractors will first take part in a program designed to introduce them to our standardized curricula on various subjects that clients regularly reach out for. Then, they will be assigned trainings with external clients depending on their availability (we anticipate designating a maximum of two trainings per week to the cohort).

This work is fully remote. Candidates may be in any time zone, but we prefer availability for communication during afternoon work hours (1-6 p.m. U.S. Eastern time).

Scope of work

In coordination with FPF’s deputy director for digital security, the contractors will:

• Successfully complete a training of trainers program to learn FPF’s digital security team’s methodologies on digital and operational security for external clients.
• Co-facilitate trainings with members of FPF’s digital security team in order to assist in positive trainee outcomes.
• Eventually, lead digital security trainings on a variety of topics, including risk assessment, credential security, device protection, online privacy, and mitigating online harassment.
• Reliably garner feedback via post-training surveys to monitor trainer and trainee success.
• Contribute to helping shape future curricula.
  
  

Desired Qualifications

• One-plus years of experience working in newsrooms and with journalists, or the equivalent understanding of the threat model and landscape for journalists.
• Two to three years of experience training on technical skills for a nontechnical audience.
• Familiarity with journalistic threat models or equivalent applied experience with threat modeling for at-risk groups.
• Knowledge of the core principles of encryption and secure communication tools.
• Keen understanding of how computers operate within a variety of operating systems (desktop and mobile).
• Comfort with public speaking.
• A proven ability to translate complex issues into succinct, accessible language for multiple audiences.
  
  

Preferred Skills

• Experience with circumvention/anti-censorship technology.
• Ability to speak or write in non-English languages (especially Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and/or Russian).
  
  

Terms of contract

This is a project-based contract. Those invited to the cohort will be paid US$2,000 to complete the program, and then will earn US$250 for each training they are assigned to deliver to external clients. Additional compensation for feedback and brainstorming sessions will be paid out according to our per-hour rate for non-full-time employees. Contractors will be solely responsible for paying any and all taxes incurred as a result of their compensation.

The contract will commence on a mutually agreeable date sometime in August. Depending on finalized budgets for 2027, there may be discussions in December about continuing this engagement.

Proposal requirements

If you would like to be considered for this opportunity, please submit the following:

• A brief statement of interest (one-page maximum), which includes your availability (hours per week in U.S. Eastern time and any known constraints). Please do so by uploading this as an attachment in the space designated “addendum.”
• A CV/resume.
• Note: Selected applicants will be asked to provide a short (5-10 minute) mock training on a digital security topic commonly requested by newsroom clients. You need not prepare this as part of the application; rather, an interview with our team will include the opportunity to present this training.