Head of Outreach and Engagement for H2H

H2H Network Head of Outreach and Engagement

Geneva, Switzerland

The H2H Network seeks a dynamic, ambitious, and accomplished Head of Engagement and Outreach to lead the network`s expanding efforts to engage the H2H membership and amplify our work in the wider sector, championing H2H organisations as enablers of change and impact.

H2H stands for ‘humanitarian to humanitarian’ and is used to describe humanitarian actors that provide services to other humanitarian actors rather than directly to crisis-affected populations. H2H is loosely based on the B2B concept from the private sector. H2H members provide services to improve the way the world responds to crises, from mapping to independent needs assessments, from translation to surveys with crisis-affected people about the quality of the aid they receive.

The H2H Network is hosted by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, and funded by FCDO, USAID BHA and SIDA.

About the job

At the heart of the small H2H team, this key role will ensure the engagement of our existing membership as well as lead on improving our external links to the wider humanising system through strategic communications and engagement activities. You will play a crucial role in the following aspects of H2H’s work:

With Our Member Organizations:

• Community Building: Develop tailored programs and activities for H2H members, such as webinar series, innovation accelerators, peer-learning opportunities, and Communities of Practice (CoPs).
• Information Dissemination: oversee the regular internal newsletter and development of various communication channels to keep our 60 member organizations in the loop and at the heart of what we do.
• Membership Development: Responsible for the strategy development of the network membership, ensure H2H is representative of humanitarian services provides in an evolving sector.

For The Wider Humanitarian System:

• Strategic Alliances: Initiate and nurture partnerships between the wider humanitarian system, amplifying the work of the network, and initiatives such as our workstream on Anticipatory Action.
• External Advocacy: Be comfortable as the face of the H2H Network in global settings, like the annual HNPW, to advocate for systemic changes from H2H actors on key issues.
• Resource Mobilisations: work with the H2H Director to understand the evolving funding environment and to position the work of H2H in ways that build income and increase sustainability.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Member Engagement/Development and Community Building

• Expand and oversee an increasing range of activities focused on improving member engagement with the H2H Network and ensuring a vibrant and sustainable community of members.
• Own and implement the organization’s member engagement strategy, focused on improving members’ engagement with H2H and optimizing their experience throughout the membership journey—from attraction to onboarding—in line with the H2H strategy and board governance.
• Create simple ways to track and measure the effectiveness of member engagement through our CRM and other tools.
• Proactively build relationships with individual H2H members to better understand their organizational priorities and motivations. Draw links between these and surface issues and concerns to the wider team.

External Engagement

• Develop and lead the implementation of the Network’s Outreach & Engagement strategy, linked to the overall H2H strategy, including both H2H’s external engagement with the wider sector and member engagement, including ongoing strategic communication with and beyond the network.
• Proactively seek and develop opportunities to increase the presence of the H2H Network in relevant policy fora.
• Seek opportunities to expand the network’s formal and informal external partnerships in order to achieve the wider strategic objectives of the H2H Network.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of outreach and engagement initiatives, identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes as needed.

Delivering Strategic Communications

• Oversee annual communications planning to ensure a coherent range of high-quality external communication across channels, including publications, the annual report, social media, events, etc.

Resource Mobilization

• Regularly monitor key trends in the external environment, particularly related to donor and operational policies that will impact H2H Network members. Work with the Director to ensure a coherent resource mobilization strategy.

Management

• Line management of the Network Communications Officer and potentially others in the future.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have relevant experience at a senior level in a similar role, and more importantly to understand and see through the complexity of communicating and building meaningful relationship between and beyond a dynamic network of organisation in the humanitarian system. Specifically we are looking for:

Required

• 7+ years of progressive experience in communications, external affairs, partnerships, policy, advocacy, or similar roles.
• Proven ability to lead a busy partnership, communications, network engagement, or similar team in a high-profile organisation balancing multiple priorities, audiences and/or stakeholder groups.
• Extensive experience of the humanitarian system and an excellent understanding of the humanitarian architecture, trends and issues related to both operational delivery and system change.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask under pressure of deadlines, eager to work both front of stage and behind the scenes.
• Excellent public speaking skills and proven ability to interact with different level representatives, from private, nonprofit and public sectors, with confidence and fluency on key engagement messages and goals
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, with a high level of attention to detail and limited need for review or support.

Desirable

• Experience working in a similar role in a H2H organisation or humanitarian network recent experience of operational humanitarian response
• Knowledge of using client relationship management (CRM) systems such as Salesforce
• Experience of community management / Communities of Practice
• Knowledge of French

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: Open ended, pending funding

Band: F non-management

Start date: ASAP

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact [email protected]