Misinformation & Disinformation Adviser

Contract

This is a ICRC - Max term contract. More about ICRC - Max term contracts.

What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and at the same time promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Purpose of the position

You’ll lead our efforts in Communications to build a greater understanding and capacity to monitor, review, react and manage misinformation, disinformation and hate speech (MDH), and support delegations and units to put in place proactive and reactive strategies to tackle MDH impacting the ICRC, our operations, and people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

Main duties & responsibilities

• You’ll develop and implement a user-centred training programme on MDH for Communications colleagues in delegations, Regional Communication Centres (RCCs) and headquarters (HQ), including providing guidance materials and ongoing accompaniment support;
• You’ll work closely with key colleagues in our Protection, Policy, and Digital Transformation departments as well as other units to support an organization-wide effort to upskill our workforce on MDH, including providing training to Operational colleagues;
• You’ll put in place a partnership strategy for understanding and tackling MDH, including building mutually beneficial relationships with local organizations and influencers, as needed;
• You’ll work with delegations, RCCs and HQ colleagues to build proactive content strategies, identifying information gaps or data deficits, and producing responsive content to prebunk MDH;
• You’ll deliver deep-dive and ongoing training and support for digital officers on monitoring, verifying and tracking MDH, and how behaviours and tactics are changing;
• You’ll provide tactical support to delegations to tackle MDH, including setting up listening dashboards, researching/mapping MDH based conversations, and creating/executing relevant communication strategies to engage communities and provide them with factual, actionable content to shift narratives;
• You’ll collaborate with our internal MDH working group across key departments and ensure all activities are aligned;
• You’ll build a network of colleagues interesting in strengthening their knowledge in MDH, organizing informal spaces and formal discussions to swap experiences, learn from each other and adjust best practices. You’ll also capture and share case studies;
• You’ll keep abreast of the latest trends, policy developments, platform changes and discussions on digital vulnerabilities and security, and ensure we factor these into our approach to MDH.

Your scope & Impact

• Your remit is global and you’ll provide MDH expertise at a division level, including providing guidance and training to senior management;
• You’ll contribute to developing Communication strategies to digitally position the ICRC, as well as support the prioritisation of affected people as a key audience for Communications.

Your key relationships

• You’ll work closely with key colleagues our HQ Communication teams and RCCs to deliver on your above-mentioned responsibilities;
• You’ll interact with Communications teams around the world and a range of non-Communications colleagues, in particular colleagues working on MDH and the weaponization of information and tech;
• You’ll build and maintain strong relationships MDH experts working in other humanitarian organisations, as well as with experts, journalists, think tanks, platform providers, and other professionals working in the space of MDH.

Your background & experience

• You have 10 years’ overall professional experience, with a minimum of 5 years' experience in digital communications and / or journalism focusing on MDH;
• You have a deep understanding of the information disorder and have solid working experience in designing and implementing policies and strategies to respond to MDH;
• You have expertise in social media platforms and messaging apps, are comfortable using monitoring, verification and reporting tools;
• You have excellent public speaking skills and the ability to communicate about technical matters to audiences in training settings;
• You are comfortable with providing training and coaching support to diverse groups of people;
• You have an analytical mindset and love to take decisions based on data;
• You have experience in armed conflicts (that would be an asset).

Additional information

• Location: Geneva
• Type of contract: Maximum-term contract
• Duration of assignment: 24 months
• Grade: C1
• Activity rate: 100%
• Estimated start date: June 2022
• Application deadline: Tuesday, the 19th of April 2022

The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.