East Africa Photographer, Reuters

Role Overview

You will operate as a visual journalist embedded in our Nairobi hub, covering Kenya and the broader East African region for a global wire service. On a typical day, you might move from a morning court hearing in the city to a human-interest feature in a rural county, all while coordinating with text and video reporters to ensure every story we publish is served by the strongest possible imagery. Your ability to respond quickly to unfolding events, while also nurturing longer-term documentary projects, will directly shape how audiences around the world understand this part of Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Conceive, pitch, and produce original photo essays and spot-news images that reflect the political, economic, and cultural realities of Kenya and neighbouring states.
• Deploy rapidly to cover breaking events, ranging from elections and legislative sessions to protests, disaster responses, and major sporting fixtures.
• Edit, caption, and transmit images in the field using secure and reliable systems, ensuring accurate contextual information accompanies every frame.
• Collaborate with colleagues across text, video, and digital desks to build unified story packages and avoid duplicating effort across formats.
• Maintain a contact network that includes political sources, community leaders, fixers, and fellow photographers, so that story opportunities surface early and reliably.
• Monitor regional news and social channels to spot emerging visual angles before competitors do, and propose coverage that adds depth to the agency’s file.
• Develop and sustain long-form visual projects that illuminate under-reported issues in East Africa for international audiences.
• Represent the newsroom at editorial planning meetings and contribute to cross-format strategy for major upcoming events.

Requirements & Qualifications

• At least five years of professional experience in news photography, ideally for an international wire service, major publication, or equivalent fast-paced news organisation.
• Mastery of professional DSLR or mirrorless camera systems, including the ability to operate confidently in low light, extreme weather, and unpredictable security situations.
• Advanced competency in Adobe Photoshop, Photo Mechanic (or similar editing tools), and digital transmission software that ensures rapid and accurate file delivery.
• A demonstrated ability to write clear, factual, and style-compliant captions that provide essential context without editorialising.
• Proven field experience covering hard news, political unrest, humanitarian crises, or conflict environments, with formal hostile-environment training considered a strong plus.
• Deep working knowledge of Kenya’s political structures, ethnic dynamics, economic hubs, and regional cross-border issues, along with fluency in Swahili or another regional language.
• A portfolio that shows both reactionary news coverage and self-initiated projects, reflecting strong visual storytelling instincts and attention to composition.
• The physical stamina and emotional resilience to work long hours in difficult environments, often with short notice and minimal supervision.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is an opportunity to work within a truly global news organisation that values visual journalism as a core pillar of its output. You will be part of a collaborative East Africa team that sees the region as a priority area for coverage, with access to the resources and editorial support needed to pursue ambitious stories that matter on a world stage. The role offers a platform to produce images that are seen by millions of readers and that help shape the historical record of the region.