Communications and Fundraising Manager

Role: Communications and Fundraising Manager

Start date: March 2022

Organisation: ELIL – European Lawyers in Lesvos (www.elil.eu)

Location: Athens, Greece

Duration: Permanent

Working hours: Full-time (9.00 – 17.00 Monday – Friday)

Background

ELIL is an NGO registered in Germany, Greece and Poland. It was founded by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the German Bar Association (DAV) in 2016 on Lesvos. These organizations represent the bars and law societies of 45 European member, associate and observer countries, and through them more than 1 million European lawyers. It is now also supported by the French Bar Association (CNB).

ELIL was inspired by belief in the fundamental importance of upholding the rule of law, protecting human rights and ensuring meaningful access to legal assistance. Our teams of lawyers, interpreters and volunteers work together to provide expert legal assistance to refugees at EU borders.

We originally started our work in Lesvos, expanded to Samos in 2020, opened an office in Athens in early 2021 and one in Thessaloniki in May 2022. We have recently launched a new project in Poland, providing legal assistance to those fleeing the invasion of Ukraine. Since 2016, we have provided assistance to more than 16,000 people.

We are now looking to recruit a Communications and Fundraising Manager to join our team and lead our fundraising and communications work.

Role

The start date for this position is March 2022. We offer a competitive salary, details of which are available on request.

The role reports to the Managing Director. The Communications and Fundraising Manager’s main objective is to oversee the development and implementation of successful strategies to build the profile, shape the narrative identity and ensure the sustainability of the organisation across multiple locations in Greece and Poland.

The Communications and Fundraising Manager manages a team consisting of a Communications and Fundraising Officer and potential volunteers. They will work with the team to promote the organisation’s mission across ELIL’s platforms and secure funding for the organisation, coordinating with ELIL’s staff in Greece and Poland as well as international partners.

The role is based in Athens, Greece.

Role responsibilities:

• Developing and implementing ELIL’s fundraising strategy. Identifying, researching and developing new potential funding sources (local, national and international) as well as working with the Managing Director to maintain existing partnerships.
• Developing and implementing ELIL’s communication strategy, including branding and visual and narrative identity.
• Day-to-day line management of the Communications and Fundraising Officer, including overseeing ongoing training and skill-building.
• Overseeing the publication of all written and visual external content on ELIL’s website and social media platforms.
• Drafting partner proposals in coordination with other team members.
• Developing the organisation’s ability to secure funds from individual/private donors/crowdfunding
• Overseeing the organisation’s communications database, including a photo and video library.
• Building the organisation’s profile through engagement with the media (newspapers, journals, websites, radio, social media), including through arranging interviews and media visits
• Expanding the ELIL community by building a broad network of supporters who actively engage with our work.
• Engaging current and former volunteers in communications and fundraising initiatives.

Skills and experience required:

• At least three years of professional experience in communications, fundraising or related field; at least five years desirable.
• Experience in creating, editing and publishing written communication content (social media posts, project proposals, etc.)
• Experience in creating, editing and publishing visual communication content (photos, graphics, videos)
• Experience in researching institutional funding opportunities, writing grant applications and developing crowdfunding campaigns
• Experience in liaising with donors and funding networks.
• Experience in managing websites (including web management tools) and social media pages
• Experience in engaging with media outlets
• Experience in building an organisation’s profile
• Experience in managing one or more staff members and volunteers
• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential, mother tongue equivalency desirable
• Capable of being proactive and working with limited oversight
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment and to cope with competing demands under tight deadlines
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage efficiently multiple priorities, deadlines and tasks
• Good time-management skills, resourcefulness and high attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Experience of or demonstrable interest in working in the humanitarian or development sector