Position: Digital Content Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Digital Content Officer

Reports to: Communications and Web Manager

Location: London, WC1A

Salary: £29,000 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

BACKGROUND

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.

The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 22 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees resettle in the US and become self-sufficient.

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC-UK

OurEuropean headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocatewith European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. Since its establishment IRC-UK has grown rapidly and is now acknowledged for its high quality project management, technical expertise in governance and rights and economic recovery, and innovative thinking on early recovery and gender based violence. The IRC also has offices in Brussels and Geneva.

IRC-UK comprises approximately 70 staff across five departments.

Team Chart

SCOPE OF WORK

IRC-UK is building its communications team in London, in order to communicate more about our work and approach, to ensure a continued spotlight on the plight of the refugees we serve, and to support our advocacy and fundraising goals in the UK and Europe – in line with our Europe Strategy. The post of Digital Content Officer is a vital part of this. The role will report to the Communications Manager and contribute to the IRC’s work and views being disseminated widely, particularly via digital and social media channels.

Purpose of the role

1.  Support IRC-UK’s strategy to grow its advocacy and income in the UK and Europe, in line with the IRC’s Europe Strategy.

2.  Produce high quality visual and written content to drive engagement across IRC-UK’s digital and social media platforms, working closely with media-focused colleagues.

3.  Report on and analyse success of IRC-UK’s digital engagement.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND KEY CONTACTS

·  Reports to the Communications and Web Manager

·  Key contacts:

·  Communications colleagues in the UK, US and regional teams

·  Wider Policy & Practice team in the UK

·  IRC-UK’s Fundraising team

·  Technical Units; Finance & Operations Team; Regional/ Field teams

·  External suppliers, eg. technical support and design agencies

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Research and strategy (20%):

·  To develop a strong understanding of the sector, our sister organisations, our online audiences and the type of content that drives advocacy and fundraising successfully

·  To map our audiences and specifically the digital influencers relevant to the fundraising and advocacy objectives of our Europe strategy

·  Work closely with the Communications & Web Manager, to develop a web content strategy that supports and extends IRC-UK’s communications, advocacy and fundraising

Content creation (50%):

·  To develop creative content ideas that are SEO-friendly and that maximise opportunities for clickthroughs and conversion, driving up IRC-UK’s levels of digital engagement

·  To gather information, data and raw content from within and outside IRC, in order to develop specific pieces of final content

·  To produce compelling visual and graphic content for IRC-UK’s website and social media channels, with limited support from external suppliers, including but not limited to video, images, infographics and animations

·  To ensure compliance with statutory donor visibility requirements (notably DFID and ECHO), and to use this budget more creatively, by producing compelling content to support and promote the work undertaken with donor funding

·  To proactively seek out new opportunities for funding and partnership for communications activities with the private sector, think tanks and others – to bolster our existing budget and to increase IRC’s brand reach in the UK and Europe

·  To develop ideas and web content for an annual flagship report for IRC-UK

·  To ensure all content is on-brand, consistent in terms of style, quality and tone of voice, and optimized for search and user experience for all channels of content including online, social media, mobile, video and print

Measurement and evaluation (15%):

·  To take ownership of reporting and analysis of IRC-UK’s digital communications efforts

·  To conduct ongoing usability tests to gauge content effectiveness, by gathering data and handling analytics, and to make recommendations based on those results

·  To maintain an up-to-date library of content developed by IRC-UK

Tracking and sharing best practice (15%):

·  To keep abreast of and understand how to use emerging technologies in new media,particularly design programssuch as InDesign,QuarkXPress, FreeHand, Illustrator, Photoshop, 3ds Max, Acrobat, Director, Dreamweaver and Flash

·  To freely share knowledge, insight, best practice and ideas for content, including running formal and informal training sessions for communications and other colleagues

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

·  Degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent relevant experience in communications or marketing

·  Excellent English language writing, editing and proofreading skills and experience of producing engaging materials for print and social media

·  Excellent design and video editing skills including using InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Final Cut Pro software

·  Strong ability to think creatively and produce innovative content

·  Good organisational and time management skills and the ability to work to deadlines, prioritise and multi-task in a fast-paced environment

·  Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues in the UK and overseas

·  Good understanding of international affairs, particularly of conflict and complex humanitarian crises and issues

·  A proactive approach to problem solving

·  Flexibility as regards working hours, including sometimes working to tight deadlines

Experience:

·  Experience of analysing digital campaigns and the ability to use Google Analytics and understand Search Engine Optimisation, including key phrase research and its application to SEO, and a clear understanding of how Google’s algorithm ranks pages

·  Experience of reporting on and conducting analysis of digital engagement

·  Experience of gatering information, data and raw content from a range of sources within and outside an organisation

·  Experience of liaising with external suppliers to agree price / timeframes and deadlines

·  Experience of working to tight deadlines to deliver high quality content

·  Proven experience of working in a Content Management or other Communications role (within a complex global organisation)

Desirable

·  Knowledge of key debates in the UK and Europe on international development

·  Experience of working with a creative agency and/or charitable organisation in a similar role

·  Experience working with the media, whether as a journalist or pitching stories to the media

·  Fluency in a second European language, ideally French and/or German

To Apply

Please send a CV (two pages maximum), a cover letter (two pages maximum) and two samples of previous design work (of any type or format) to:

Please state clearly in your cover letter:

·  Your reasons for applying

·  How you meet the person specification for this position

·  Where you saw the job advertised

·  Your current salary

The closing date for this position is 10am Monday 22nd February 2016

Interviews will be on 2nd and 3rd March 2016.

In order to minimise administrative costs, IRC-UK will only contact short-listed candidates.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

IRC-UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.