Planetary Health Strategic Communications Advisor

Context

In 2019, OCG took a key strategic direction to engage in Planetary Health. It is a key axis in the OCG Strategic Plan, and advocacy/communications constitutes one of the three Planetary Health pillars, in addition to MEDOPS and footprint. OCG is the recognised lead section on Planetary Health for the MSF movement.

Mission

Based within the communications and fundraising department in Geneva, the Planetary Health Communications Advisor forms part of the operational communications advisory team which provides strategic advice, coordinates and executes public positioning and communication activities internationally and locally in MSF countries of operations.

The Planetary Health Communications Advisor is the thematic referent for all public positioning and communications matters pertaining to Planetary Health. They lead on institutional communication strategies linked to Planetary Health, advises on tactics, develops compelling messaging for public audiences, and defines and coordinates the execution of media plans and partnerships.

In collaboration with the Director General, the Planetary Health Coordinator, Operational Programme Managers, Strategic Communications Advisors, Medical Advocacy Advisor, they provide analysis on specialist topics to feed strategies, publications or initiatives of influence and contributes to positioning. They identify the approach and activities to develop and sustain a strategic public narrative on Planetary Health, in line with the organisations’ ambitions and social mission.

They are also the first responder for a portfolio of countries and topics linked with Planetary Health.

They coordinate the production of communications material, ensures the quality and relevance of OCG external communications and fundraising initiatives on Planetary Health and provides support to the larger MSF movement to communicate a planetary health narrative.

They go to the field to cover MSF emergency response, Planetary Health issues, and to build capacity of mission and field coms staff on Planetary Health.

The strategic communications advisor reports to the head of operational communications.

This position in its current form is conceived with a timespan of 2-3 years to give an initial push on the Planetary Health communication agenda for OCG, as well as the whole MSF movement.

Description of main activities

· Develop and lead public engagement strategies, public positioning and communications plans on Planetary Health, in consultation with relevant MSF stakeholders.

· Provide analysis to feed public positioning, communications and engagement initiatives.

· Build a public narrative on Planetary Health: producing/ coordinating the production of communications and influence initiatives; building capacity of MSF communication and FR staff to communicate on Planetary Health.

Main responsibilities

1. Strategy-building

· Provide timely strategic advice on public positioning regarding Planetary Health.

· In close collaboration with relevant internal stakeholders, define and lead institutional communication strategies, including digital, linked to Planetary Health.

· Advise on tactics, develop compelling messaging for public audiences; conceive and ensure the execution of media plans and partnerships.

· Define and coordinate the implementation of communication strategies for key internal MSF and OCG events, international events, such as the Conference of Parties: develop narratives to be shared across the MSF network and oversee the production of communications content, including reports and publications, public speeches for senior management, talking points, communications guidance, media management.

· Coordinate OCG representation with General Directorate in intersectional platforms outside of communications referents, including operational, hubs, entities and partner sections and ensuring consistency of messages across the movement to maximise OCG positioning.

· Lead on communication strategies on a portfolio of countries and topics linked with Planetary Health.

· Upon request, support with elaborating strategy in different MSF countries of operations.

· Undertake regular field visits to work on strategy, and on specific public positioning in country throughout the year.

· In close collaboration with relevant internal stakeholders, he/she is responsible to ensure the coherence and synergies between internal (OCG) and public communication strategies and activities.

2. Analysis

· Carry out analysis of global media narratives and policies to feed public positioning.

· Liaise with relevant external interlocutors to feed analysis for public positioning.

· Collaborate with OCG Planetary Health coordinator on representation at intersectional analysis/ humanitarian affairs platforms comprising OC and PS focal points for Climate, Environment and Health.

· Ensure up-to-date monitoring, risk and context analysis on perception with regards to Planetary Health issues.

3. Content Management

· Be a focal point and first source of information to lead, drive and coordinate public communications, engaging MSF audiences across the globe on Planetary Health.

· To provide quality and coherent communication materials and messaging to the MSF network: produce or coordinate the production of content on Planetary health.

· Provide visibility on field implementation, creating comms tools and initiatives on different contexts.

· Build an internal network with relevant entities across MSF to identify public communications opportunities and produce joint communications efforts.

· Build a bank of evergreen Planetary Health comms material for the disposal and use of the MSF comms network.

· Coordinate and manage, in coordination with Planetary Health Coordinator, singular external/internal communication projects or partnerships, including with external partners and organisations to coordinate engagement.

· Act as a spokesperson on issues when required and manage media inquiries (in coordination with relevant media relations).

· Set-up media opportunities for operations and specialist staff in liaison with communications colleagues.

· Initiate and lead on getting approval for all communications content from the relevant stakeholder, unless formally delegated to other communications staff within an agreed frame: including visibility, acceptance and leverage communications; ensuring messages are pre-agreed with PM/DPM/HoM; approval of social media content; approval of Fundraising content

4. Field Communications and Internal (OCG) Management/support and Capacity building

· Build visibility and literacy internally within the OCG communications and FR department and wider MSF comms network, including field comms staff by supporting the elaboration of tools and initiatives.

· Directly engage with key media hubs and partner sections to promote a community of concern (US, UK, UAE, Austria, Australia, WACA, South Africa, East Africa…). Network with other MSF partner sections to raise a Planetary Health profile within their digital and media tools.

· Ensure capacity-building of spokes persons through training, briefings, elaboration of talking points.

· Animate and define the conception, preparation and implementation of training modules for communications and operational staff on Planetary Health communications.

· Contribute to feeding and updating items to the online Communication Tool Box.

Other

· Upon request: be a first responder for Emergencies and to Crisis Communications

· Be On call 24/7 and able to travel abroad on short notice

· Cover temporarily field coms or other colleagues and provide support to develop communications strategies and tools.

· Act as back-up in Geneva or in country of operations.

· Participate in the unit and department’s meetings/and relevant working groups.

· Upon request of the Head of operational communications, take on any specific project.

· They are expected to spend significant time on the field (estimated at a month per year).

Your profile

Education

· Master’s degree in a relevant discipline such as political science, international relations, journalism, communication management. Formal training in environment, climate, global health is a plus.

Experience

· 5-8 years’ work experience journalism and/or communications, and/or content generation (inside or outside of MSF) in the humanitarian sector, and/or MSF ops experience

· Proven understanding of environmental/climate issues and their link with global public health

· Excellent public communications skills and sound knowledge of the media environment

· Proven capacity to work in stressful environment and to tight deadlines

· Solid understanding of MSF operations and communications a strong asset.

· Track record of developing impactful communications

Languages

· Highly effective oral and written communication skills in English and French

· Knowledge of other languages a plus

Skills / technical competencies

· Solid understanding of dilemmas associated with humanitarian assistance and environmental issues

· Strong knowledge of crisis communications and public relations skills

· Strong analytical capacity and ability to translate complex analysis to produce content for publication and public events

· Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills

· Demonstrated understanding of how media works at national, local and international level

· Ability to deliver multiple simultaneous projects

· Available to travel to the field with very short notice for a cumulative minimum of four to five weeks per year

Personal qualities

· Aligns with the core values of MSF and respect of the environment

· A genuine interest in climate / environmental issues

· Demonstrates behaviours in ways of working: Articulate, creative, strive for impact, listen, collaborate, innovate, tenacious.

Working conditions

· Open-ended contract

· Working place: Geneva

· Ideal Starting date: 01.06.2022

· Gross annual salary: from CHF 91’663.- to CHF 10’5179.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)