Digital Content Officer

BACKGROUND

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 26 regional offices in cities across the United States, and 15 countries in Europe, the IRC also helps refugees resettle, integrate and become self-sufficient. The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

THE IRC IN EUROPE

The IRC works with governments, municipalities and local organisations across Europe to meet the immediate and critical needs of those seeking refuge, and to support the effective integration of refugees into their new communities. The IRC has administrative offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva, Stockholm and London.

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT TEAM

Our global Digital Engagement team works to expand the IRC’s global reach and engagement, deepening our audiences’ connection with our content and optimizing the audience experience to attract and retain advocates, donors and followers. The team is spread across the US, UK, Sweden, Germany and Belgium, and is made up of communications, content, fundraising, digital advocacy, platforms and analytics specialists.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Digital Content Officer will lead on storytelling and content related to the Ukraine crisis and its impact on our issues globally, for the IRC’s Digital Engagement team. This will include proposing and developing creative ideas to engage our online audiences, contributing to digital campaigns, using data and SEO best practice to inform content strategies, and partnering with our Creative Studio/Global Crisis Response Communications teams to ensure all Ukraine-related organic content is tailored to our digital audiences and channels. Ultimately, the purpose of this role is to increase online reach, growth and engagement across our core markets through the creation of high quality content.

The role is managed by the Associate Director, Digital Engagement – Strategic Growth, and works in close collaboration with the External Relations team across Europe and globally.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with digital channel leads across all IRC markets to create content related to the Ukraine crisis – including Europe-wide programmes and crisis zones impacted by the hunger crisis such as Yemen, Afghanistan, and East Africa, to achieve our reach, growth and engagement goals.
• Bring a comprehensive understanding of the nuances of our IRC audiences, markets (US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Brussels) and digital channels into the creation of content.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on the IRC’s global work and issues. Spot opportunities for digital engagement and share with the digital team.
• Support digital leads in major campaigns (ie. World Refugee Day/ Emergency Watchlist) by providing creative ideas and delivering on content.
• Lead creative brainstorms with the digital team and implement ideas directly (or through writing briefs for Creative Studio).
• Review ToRs for content trips and input for Digital Engagement team. Lead on reviewing raw content gathered and shaping for digital channels, based on our digital strategy, audiences and channels.
• Ensure all content is faithful to the IRC brand visual identity, voice and tone, and messaging, with support of the Brand/Creative Studio team as required.

Copywriting

• Lead on writing content related to the Ukraine crisis for our websites – principally focussed on explainer articles, client stories and maintaining country pages – with the oversight of our website leads.
• Conduct interviews with IRC clients/staff and craft stories for digital channels and campaigns.
• Ensure an excellent standard of copywriting and accuracy across content produced.
• Use SEO research and social listening to develop and pitch content related to online trends focused on Ukraine and other crises.
• Support in RAI (Resettlement, Asylum and Integration) Ukraine strategies in the US and Europe as required. Build out new website country pages as the IRC’s programmatic footprint expands.

Multimedia content

• Produce, direct and adapt compelling visual and graphic content for digital channels, including video, images, social graphics.
• Write concepts/ scripts/ storyboards for videos for the IRC’s channels (principally for Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube and Twitter) and partner with video team on production.
• Oversee the work of creative freelancers, following necessary processes and policies, and providing clear direction.
• Take the lead for the Digital team in commissioning graphics and video from Creative Studio relating to the Ukraine crisis, and partner with the Video and Design teams to ensure all content meets the IRC’s standard.

Reactive comms & data-driven appraoch

• Ensure the Digital team is reacting quickly to the external landscape by conducting social listening on the Ukraine crisis and related crises, and sharing insights with stakeholders.
• Partner with digital leads to understand performance of Ukraine-related content. Use this data and SEO best practice to inform future content plans.
• Partner with digital leads to spot relevant online trends related to the Ukraine crisis and propose creative ways to engage.
• Ensure the IRC’s story-spotters and ‘on the ground’ content leads have a clear understanding of angles and approaches that work for digital channels and audiences, and that they are provided with performance data. In partnership with this team, identify stories to pursue for digital channels.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications

• The IRC seeks a diverse applicant pool and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We are particularly keen to hear from people with lived experience of displacement or a migration background.
• Strong commitment to the IRC’s values and mandate.
• Relevant experience in communications/content creation, or degree in a relevant subject
• Strong understanding of SEO to inform content
• Strong understanding of social media and the digital landscape.
• Strong ability to think creatively and produce innovative content with different sized budgets and possibly under pressure of time, e.g. when reacting to emergencies.
• Excellent English language skills, editorial experience, proven first class copywriter and storytelling skills.
• Basic understanding and experience of graphic design
• Experience of analysing digital campaigns and use of Google Analytics
• Good organisational and time management skills and the ability to work to deadlines, prioritise and multi-task in a fast-paced environment. Excellent problem solving skills and flexible attitude in fast-evolving situations.