Advocacy and Communications Manager

Advocacy and Communications Manager

ROLE PURPOSE:

As part of our humanitarian ambition and 2030 global strategy, Save the Children has implemented the Global Humanitarian Surge Platform (GHSP) to further improve the efficient deployment of high quality surge staff to support the delivery of our Humanitarian Responses directly and in collaboration with SCI partners. This role will be rapidly deployed by the GHSP to support the response team in quickly developing and implementing a humanitarian-response.

The Communications and Advocacy Manager for Poland will support the development of the AMC strategy for the Country Office, following Save the Children’s registration in the country. The role of the deployee is to deliver vital communication and advocacy products in emergency responses that enable excellent media and fundraising activities for Members and across Save the Children international. The Communications and Advocacy Manager will prepare outputs such as situation reports and key messages, lead on information management tasks, help to build a media profile and gather powerful communications materials as well as rising to the challenge of other tasks such as writing donor proposals. Working closely with child safeguarding and child protection colleagues, ensure that all children involved in our communications, advocacy, and media work are protected from potential mental and physical harm, and potential repercussions from their involvement in our communications, advocacy, and media work. In most circumstances, the post-holder will also be expected to mentor and/or capacity build existing country programme staff. In this role, the post holder should be able to move projects forward with limited in-country support.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Programme Support

• Lead information and communication flows between emergency responses and a variety of internal and external stakeholders (including situation reports, dashboards, and trackers)
• Produce accurate, clear and consistent information and communication outputs relating to emergency situation and Save the Children’s emergency response – including key messages, Q&A’s and factsheets.
• Ensure that results from case study collection are fed back into response team & planning
• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.
• Ensuring that visibility plans received for projects in country are in line with Save the Children’s branding guidelines and are signed off accordingly.

Communications, Fundraising, Advocacy

• Drive the advocacy, media and communications strategy for the Poland team.
• Collaborate with advocacy and policy colleagues to ensure core messaging is consistent with advocacy and policy strategies within a response and opportunities are explored to promote these strategies
• Undertake photography commissions to a high standard, to accompany compelling case studies
• In the absence of the humanitarian communications manager, facilitate photograph and film commissions/freelancers, and produce/deliver creative assets in their absence. Liaise closely with photography/film team and the emergency communications team to ensure coordination of photography/film commissions are managed appropriately on the ground and that assets are shared quickly and also stored within a programme.
• Ensure that multimedia commissions are fundraising-appropriate for key member markets, and speaks to Save the Children’s brand.
• Social media: lead innovative communications from the field, using platforms such as periscope to reach wider audiences and directly engage supporters in our work.

Media

• Spokesperson on behalf of the emergency response – across broadcast outlets

• Facilitate media activities such as requests for quotes or interviews (ensuring spokespeople are adequately briefed) or journalists visits to programmes. Identify opportunities within our response activities or the external environment for media activities.

• When a humanitarian advocacy manager is in place, collaborate with advocacy colleagues to ensure core messaging is consistent with advocacy strategies within a response and opportunities are explored to promote these strategies.

• Act as a focal point for the SCI Humanitarian Advocacy Working Group in support of the response team leader. This means working with the HAWG for drafting messages and gathering and sharing key information.

Capacity Building

• Identify learning and training opportunities for Save the Children staff and partners and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff
• Build the capacity of country programmes through delivering training of in-country communications or programme on information management and communication skills (including media training), mentoring communications staff throughout a response and recruiting/inducting new resources in-country as required.
• In absence of media manager, train and capacity build other response team members as spokespeople

As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to:

• Leadership of the Poland Office.
• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects the full programming spectrum (humanitarian and development) values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and supports staff to deliver outstanding results for children.
• Help design and implement a coherent organizational structure that is consistent with agency practices and appropriate to country office needs.
• Ensure that all required support is provided promptly, during emergencies or times of humanitarian crisis.
• Develop risk mitigation management plans in response to SMT, regional office, centre (HQ), or Member identified risks to the delivery of quality programmes for children.
• Ensure strong linkages between Advocacy, Communications and Media function and other Directors on the SMT so that advocacy is well resourced, evidence based and program driven and that programs are enhanced through advocacy.

General

• Deliver results in line with the terms of reference agreed in advance – to do this in a way which maintains the reputation of the Humanitarian Department.
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Help be responsible for the security of all staff. Ensure that the security, health and well-being of staff are ensured and staff management and other processes and policies and systems reflect SC ‘s principles of equity and fairness.
• To perform such other responsibilities as agreed with your line management.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Education to BSc/BA/BEng level in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience
• Previous experience of managing a team
• Experience of leading communication activities (including information management) in a challenging environment
• Evidence of excellent verbal and written communication skills for a wide range of different audiences including donors, journalists and the ‘general public’.
• Experience delivering communications assets across multiple channels, including print, social, and digital
• Experience of effective spokespersoning across a range of media
• Excellent relationship building skills in order to work for limited periods within programmes under pressure of running emergency responses
• An initiative-taking, proactive, inspiring attitude with the ability to manage and prioritise an unpredictable workload and solve problems quickly with limited support
• Ability to deliver high-quality photographs and case studies from affected communities
• Experience of delivering training, presentations and other capacity building activities to varied audiences, ideally within a country programme.
• Excellent understanding of Member communication and information needs across fundraising, media and campaigning activities.
• Strong influencing skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children.
• Experience working sensitively with vulnerable groups

Desirable

Experience of creating media products such as press releases

Experience working for a Polish NGO or for an International NGO

Experience of writing effective proposals in emergency responses

Language skills in one or more of Save the Children’s working languages: Polish, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic; or others where relevant

Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts