JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Media Manager

Reports to:Head of Communications

Location:London

Salary:Circa £40,000

Hours:37.5 hours

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.

The Policy & Practice UK Department

Policy & Practice is a dynamic team combining our communications, policy and advocacy, and technical unit expertise in Europe. Its core purpose is to raise and develop the IRC as a thought leader in Europe and drive transformational change in the humanitarian sector, and specifically to dramatically increase the productivity of humanitarian aid and its ability to achieve outcomes for people living in and displaced by conflict and crisis.

Team Chart

The Purpose of the Role

Promote and protect the reputation of the organisation. Promote by increasing the media profile of the IRC in Europe by leading on a strategy to generate effective media coverage as part of the global media team. Protect by using expert judgment to develop and enact strategies to minimalise risk of negative coverage, as well as ensure media outputs protect beneficiaries, staff and programming from harm.

Scope and Authority

Authority:

The role holder has no direct budget but oversees subscriptions for Cision UK broadcast monitoring coverage and membership to the International Broadcasting Trust.

Has authority to act as a spokesperson, brief journalists with agreed IRC messaging, as well as proactively pursue media opportunities.

Responsibility for Resources:

Has ultimate responsibility to ensure media coverage spreadsheet is kept up to date and media contacts database is updated as needed.

Key WorkingRelationships

  • Reports to the Head of Communications
  • Works closely with Comms staff in UK and NY
  • Works closely with Policy & Practice and Revenue colleagues in UK office
  • Works closely with key country directors, field staff and technical unit colleagues
  • Support policy staff in the IRC President’s Office on key messages and policy initiatives involving the IRC President.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Raising the profile of the IRC (70%)

  • Develop and deliver the IRC's European media strategy and lead in taking it forward across the organisation at a global level.
  • Responsible for identifying and proactively delivering new opportunities to promote the IRC’s global work through European media as well as establish methods to increase coverage internationally alongside IRC’s global media team.
  • Seek strategic media opportunities by writing, editing, commissioning and disseminating press-releases, op-eds, statements and other content to secure coverage of the IRC in Europe across print, broadcast, online and social media.
  • Work with Policy & Practice and country office staff to create strong, persuasive and impactful outputs, and respond to media approaches and queries by providing background information, arranging interviews and facilitating media visits.
  • Act as a spokesperson for the organization in the media as needed.
  • Use expert judgment to ensure the IRC is protected in the media and to develop and enact strategies to minimise risk of negative coverage, as well as ensure media outputs protect beneficiaries, staff and programming from harm.
  • Build relationships with editors and leading members of the media responsible for reporting on issues key to the IRC in Europe
  • Develop the IRC’s social media presence and work closely with the Communications and Website Manager to ensure coordinated and topical content and to create engaging messages, media products and information about the IRC’s work around the world.
  • Establish close relationships with press counterparts within statutory donor organizations that lead to opportunities to promote IRC in the media.
  • Support, prepare and coach staff, spokespeople and board members for media interviews and visits; and provide guidance across the organisation to dealing with media.
  • Be flexible as to working hours, in particular when unforeseen circumstances arise which require speedy responsiveness to media enquiries.
  • Build expertise on current and potential issues in the humanitarian NGO arena via research and monitoring of national media and competitors and in liaison with US colleagues.
  • Work with the global media and communications team and relevant IRC-Europe staff to ensure that IRC-Europe has a system for managing media enquiries at all times, as needed.
  • Responsible for reporting to the IRC-UK’s board, subcommittees and Executive Director on press activity, trends and upcoming opportunities through the Head of Communications.
  • Provide media and press support to the Director of Policy & Practice and team members as required.

Team Management (30%)

  • Manage the IRC UK Assistant Press Officer, set objectives and ensure they are supported to increase productivity of the global media team and scale of the IRC’s impact in the media.
  • Ensure the IRC UK Assistant Press Officer successfully alerts colleagues across departments to important news coverage, news alerts and opportunities.
  • Ensure IRC UK Assistant Press Officer European IRC press database and ensure media lists are up to date and coverage is recorded by the IRC UK Assistant Press Officer.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

  • Strong contacts with key national European and International media.
  • Excellent writing, editing, interviewing and proofreading skills: adept at writing clean, engaging copy under deadline pressure for a range of channels. Strong communication and interpersonal skills: ability to communicate effectively with co-workers both in the UK and overseas and manage working relationships diplomatically.
  • Strong interview skills to create case studies of beneficiaries and colleagues
  • Proven self-starter
  • Solid organisational and time management skills: ability to prioritise work, yet multi-task in a fast-paced work setting
  • Ability to represent IRC-UK and the wider IRC professionally and appropriately at all times.
  • Proactive approach to problem solving
  • Strongcommunicationandinterpersonalskillsandtheabilitytoestablishgoodworking relationshipswithcolleaguesin theUK andoverseas.
  • Knowledge of international affairs, particularly of conflict and complex humanitarian crises, and of humanitarian issues.
  • Knowledge of key debates in the UK around international development and aid.
  • Flexibility as regards working hours, as the need arises; Willingness to travel occasionally to conflict areas.
  • Fluency in English, spoken and written; Permission to work in the UK.

Experience:

  • Extensive experience of developing and implementing a PR and media strategy with an international, and ideally humanitarian, or development focus.
  • Substantial experience of working in a press role, providing news responses both reactively and proactively.
  • Experience/knowledge of online and other tools for monitoring media coverage.
  • Experience of proactively using social media channels as a PR tool and to engage with the media and secure press coverage.
  • Experience of dealing with media enquiries into crisis and sensitive issues.
  • Experience of acting as a spokesperson for an organisation

Desirable

  • Experience of conducting media relations and communications opportunities in developing countries
  • Strong photography skills.
  • Experience of editing audio and visual materials.

To Apply

To apply, please send your CV (two page max) and cover letter (two page max) outlining the reasons for your interest in the post and why you believe yourself to be suitable.

Please send to:

The closing date is: 10am Friday 16th October 2015

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.