Communications Manager

Context

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helps people around the world affected by conflict and armed violence, doing everything we can to protect their dignity and relieve their suffering.

The ICRC promotes the laws of war, championing the need for neutral and impartial humanitarian action at all times. People know they can rely on the ICRC to carry out a range of life-saving activities, supplying food, safe drinking water, sanitation and shelter; providing healthcare; and helping to reduce the danger of landmines and unexploded ordnance. We also reunite family members separated by conflict and visit people who are detained to ensure they are treated properly. Our work is based on a mandate which stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

The ICRC’s mission in the UK & Ireland is at the heart of our efforts to deliver on this mandate, including working to secure much-needed and widespread support for our work in conflict zones. We cultivate active and relevant relationships with government departments, ministers, the armed forces, think-tanks, civil society, donors and the media. The team also works closely with our partners, the British Red Cross and the Irish Red Cross.

This is an exciting opportunity for a creative, multi-skilled and energetic communications manager to join our small but busy London newsroom. The post holder will be adept at providing top-quality written material, driving our daily digital engagement and enhancing our relationships with journalists. The successful candidate will work with the UK & Ireland head of communications, senior communications manager and wider team to effectively profile the work of the ICRC to audiences in the UK & Ireland.

Job description & key responsibilities

• Provides high quality public communications content for the ICRC’s UK and Ireland team, helping to build support for our global operations and for international humanitarian law.
• Supports the head of communications and senior communications manager in the implementation of our public engagement and influencing strategies, content calendar and other relevant communication plans.
• Provides multimedia communications support for key events, report launches, conferences and other initiatives in support of policy, public affairs, fundraising, protection and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement colleagues.
• Routinely provides high-quality written content for our audiences in the UK, Ireland and beyond.
• Quickly grasps complex and sensitive issues in order to provide clear, concise and thought-provoking material such as web and intranet articles, social media content, speeches and newsletters.
• Liaises with relevant external contacts in government and civil society where needed.
• Works closely with colleagues from the British Red Cross and Irish Red Cross on timely and accurate ICRC and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement content for joint projects.
• Promotes visits of senior ICRC leaders from HQ and overseas delegations, using a wide variety of methods from our growing communications toolbox, which the post holder will help develop.
• Helps develop new content streams and ideas for field-based content. Expands our library of case studies in support of our influencing strategy.
• Helps implement and manage our social media presence, drafting, editing and repurposing ICRC_UK content targeted at a range of key audiences including the general public.
• Adopts a newsroom approach to regularly inject our thinking into public discourse on relevant humanitarian issues.
• Crafts news releases, story pitches and proactive media alerts as directed.
• Responds quickly and calmly to media enquiries as and when required.
• Confident and successful pitching ideas and content to well-developed media contacts, regularly spots news hooks.
• Offers a wide range of multimedia solutions including short web videos, infographics and audio interviews where required.
• Cultivates relationships with colleagues at HQ and in operational ICRC delegations, involving collaboration on content strategy and scheduling.
• Protects and enhances our reputation at all times, including during periods of sustained media activity such as an operational crisis affecting our work overseas.
• Provides support to colleagues in our Belfast office.
• Produces weekly media monitoring and environment scanning updates.
• Drafts monthly media coverage report and internal operational updates.
• Helps manage our team’s stock of communication publications and designs new print materials.
• May be required to develop specialised knowledge of the ICRC’s work on a particular theme.
• Represents the ICRC among diverse audiences in line with the delegation's objectives.
• Works as a photographer at key events.

The successful applicant will have:

• University degree in a relevant field.
• Demonstrable writing experience.
• A passion for international affairs.
• Journalism and/or press office experience.
• Experience of working in a complex organisation, demonstrating a high-level of diplomacy when liaising and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders.
• A solid grasp of the ICRC’s role within both the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and the global humanitarian system.
• Full understanding of the ICRC’s mandate, its confidential and bilateral approach and how this affects and shapes our communications work.
• Sound knowledge of the workings of government in the UK & Ireland, current political trends, international development policies and their relevance for/impact on the ICRC.
• Able to handle confidential and sensitive information, exercising discretion, maturity and good judgment.
• Masters complex topics quickly and translates them into simple language and powerful messages.
• Good media contacts book.  
• Self-starter able to work both independently and as directed within a small team.
• Great interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work towards tight deadlines.
• Proven professional digital experience to include graphic design, filmmaking and social media skills.
• Proficient in the use of Adobe Creative Suite or similar.
• Confident shooting professional video content on mobile devices.
• Willingness to travel to countries where the ICRC is operational for some short missions.
• A second language is advantageous, but not essential.

Application process and job length:

• All applicants must confirm in their initial application that they have the right to work permanently in the United Kingdom.
• Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• Official working hours: 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday.

  Start date: ASAP

Please forward your CV (no longer than two pages) together with a separate Word cover letter in support of your application, including salary expectations, to the head of finance & HR.

On the subject line of your email, please enter: Communications Manager Application

Closing date for applications will be midnight on Wednesday, 29 May 2019.

Written tests likely to be held w/c 3 June. Interviews expected to be w/c 10 June. We regret that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.