JOB VACANCY – FILED COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Title: FIELD COMMUNICATION MANAGER

Duration: 12 months (Fixed Term Contract) – Full time position (100%)

Starting date: 17th of January 2022

Direct Reports: HEAD OF MISSION – COMMUNICATION MANAGER REFERENT BASED IN HQ

Location: DAR ES SALAAM (with regular filed visits to other regions in the country)

FOR NATIONAL STAFF ONLY

INTRODUCTION:

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. MSF is therefore guided by the principles of neutrality and impartiality. These principles must apply to all MSF staff.

Required Criteria:

Minimum Educational Qualification:

· Degree in Journalism, Communications, Humanitarian affairs, Political Sciences or related University degree

Experience

· Previous working experience of at least 2 years in communications, journalism or public relations

· Previous working experience in producing communications content production

· Experience with MSF or other international NGOs in developing countries and within an international environment will be a plus

Languages:

· English and Swahili (speak, read and write)

Objectives of the position:

· To define, implement, coordinate and supervise all operational communication activities according to MSF standards in the mission/ or during an emergency

· To aim at building MSF visibility, acceptance and leverage inside the country

Main competencies and knowledge:

· Essential computer literacy (word, excel and digital media)

· People Management, Commitment, Flexibility, Results oriented and Teamwork

Main Responsibilities:

Strategy Building

Defines the communications strategy for the mission, advising on public positioning and remaining reactive to emergencies and crisis communications.
Promotes the visibility of the organisation, improving awareness of its principles and work, reinforcing information on MSF activities among communities.
Identify key cross cutting issues across MSF operations which are relevant to communications and to advise on public positioning.
Develop guidelines for dealing with crisis communications through local media and have the capacity to remain reactive to emergencies.
Media Management / Alert

Maintains close contact with key local media.
Liaises with communications staff from other organisations / institutions and analyse communication lines developed by actors of importance for MSF (authorities, other NGOs…).
Facilitates media visit to MSF projects and organizes media events (press conference, …) in collaboration with MSF international communication network.
Briefs spokespersons and assesses media training needs for key staff.
Produces strategic reports on the local media landscape and regularly reports on new developments.
Provides guidance on how to deal with local media and develop guidelines for dealing with in-country media.
Organise exhibitions and other awareness raising campaigns such as photo exhibition for MSF publicity.
Content Production

Advises on which communications tools to choose according to objective, message and audience at local and national levels. Produces local communication contents (leaflets, brochures, posters, radio spots, articles, photos, videos.) according to strategy and budget.
Helps producing international communication content by providing data, testimonies, pictures, videos and other means to the com officer in charge of writing international comms contents at headquarter level.
Tracks and archives communications production on the country to build institutional memory.
Content Diffusion

Actively promotes the diffusion of MSF content in the country. Identifies communications opportunities using MSF comms network production or returning staff to pitch content on MSF activities in the country.
Uses social media (twitter, blogs, Facebook….) to promote MSF contents and visibility.
Reporting

Produces regular reports on achieved results and future priorities.
Budget Management

Produce a yearly communications budget meant to support identified and agreed communication priorities. This budget will be submitted for approval to the Head of Mission(s) and coms department at HQ.
Advocacy

Defining, implementing and coordinating all MSF advocacy activities, including responsibility for drafting advocacy strategies addressing medical-humanitarian priorities in relation to mission needs.
Ensure that advocacy components are included in project and mission operational strategies.
Supervise the quality of field-level data collection for operational and advocacy purpose.
Monitor and compile regular updates on humanitarian aid system dynamics (NGO/Donor planning) to increase the leverage capacity and the national impact of MSF lobbying in line with operational plans, regular activities and medical-humanitarian advocacy objectives.
Draft ad hoc lobbying points and internal/external reports in relation to main medical-humanitarian concerns while strengthening the integration of humanitarian affairs and operational communications.
Advises on perception related to positioning and operational strategy with a view on increasing local/national visibility and ensuring good acceptance for MSF projects/presence.
Drafts situation reports for mission/HQ and reports for external use in line with mission advocacy strategy.