Emergency Communications Officer

London, UK: GBP 43,300.00 - 50,500.00 Annually

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Work Arrangement: Open to Remote

Job Description

Job Overview:

The IRC is looking for an Emergency Communications Officer to lead our communications activations around humanitarian emergencies and reactive storytelling. This position will surge into a portfolio and sometimes lead communications during humanitarian emergencies. They will be responsible for emergency preparedness work, building the department’s emergency action plan, and training country teams and country-based communications professionals to be ready to act quickly and effectively during an emergency to raise the IRC’s profile, income and influence. They will also lead the development and execution of IRC’s digital first, reactive storytelling strategy ensuring IRC teams are able to quickly develop and collect content to respond to relevant news cycle moments and trending conversations. They will sometimes deploy on quick notice to report from the frontlines of IRC’s response, act as a spokesperson and collect compelling content that showcases IRC programs.

Major Responsibilities:

Emergency Communications Preparedness

● Update and improve the team’s communications emergency action plan, outlining the steps taken at the onset of an emergency to ensure when relevant that IRC is seen as a leading responder and voice on the crisis.

● Play a strategic role in the department’s overall approach to emergencies, serving as a key member of the External Relations Emergency Action Group and supporting the overall development of the department’s emergency protocol.

● Conduct trainings with key stakeholders, including country program staff, to ensure they understand External Relations strategy and are able to support the organization’s profile, income and influence goals.

Emergencies

● Offer surge support to regional communications leads during humanitarian emergencies by writing press releases and talking points, pitching to the media, producing content and stories, and approving adapted messaging. Travel to frontline programs as needed.

● Serve as lead communications focal point during new emergencies where IRC does not have existing programming. Immediately deploy to the site to collect content and serve as a spokesperson for media and digital and fundraising content.

● Serve as focal point for ongoing emergencies, offering crisis updates and context changes, updating messaging and talking points, developing new media angles, hosting journalists to visit programs, and collecting content and stories for fundraising and digital channels.

Reactive Storytelling

● Develop and lead the execution of IRC’s approach to reactive storytelling. Taking a digital first approach, training country program staff and communications professionals to produce content in reaction to news cycle moments and trending conversation.

Job Requirements:

Work Experience:

● 3-4 years experience working as a communications professional with a humanitarian organization

● Experience visiting crisis contexts and producing compelling stories and media work

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

● Media skills include writing press releases and talking points, landing media coverage and feature stories with top tier outlets, acting as a spokesperson with media and at events, and navigating complex situations and reputational risks

● Experience visiting crisis contexts and producing compelling stories and media work that show people with dignity and agency

Language Skills: English required. French and/or Arabic preferred

Preferred experience & skills:

● Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as, an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications

● Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time

● Strong analytic problem solving skills

● Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure

● Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.

Working Environment:

● Standard office working environment

● Some international travel as needed up to 40%

● This role may require working remotely full or part time and part time remote employees may be required to share workspace.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to US and UK-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity:

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Gender Equality:

IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Professional Standards:

The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

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