Regional Media and Communications Adviser CEE

Duty station: Warsaw, Poland or Kyiv, Ukraine

1. Background/Context

The Norwegian Refugee Council has been present in Ukraine since 2014, helping more than hundreds of thousands of people with food, shelter, water, sanitation, and legal assistance. Following the escalation of the conflict on 24 February 2022, NRC is scaling up humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries to provide aid to tens of thousands of people forced to flee, and others affected by the conflict. NRC has launched a humanitarian response plan for the next six months to support 800,000 people inside Ukraine and neighbouring countries. NRC are responding, largely with local partners, through an integrated approach combining our sectoral areas of expertise such as education, protection, legal aid (ICLA) and shelter. NRC is operational in Ukraine and has set up country operations in Poland, Romania and Moldova, and are exploring responses in other countries subject to regional context developments. To support the regional response in the best way, NRC has established a regional office (Central and Eastern Europe Regional Office- CEERO), which will be based in Warsaw, Poland. This will ensure a centralised structure in proximity to the crisis and will provide coordinated support, management, advice and oversight to the country operations.

The Regional Media and Communications Adviser (RMCA) will be responsible for supporting CEERO with the development, coordination and effective delivery of communications and media activities in line with regional advocacy priorities.

Working closely with the Regional Advocacy Adviser and communications, media and advocacy staff in Head Office and Country Offices, the RMCA will initiate and help deliver high quality communications products and resources to a wide and diverse range of audiences, as well as be responsible for leading CEERO communications crisis management efforts.

The RMCA will play a key role in strengthening cross-organisational coordination to maximise efforts to work strategically and creatively in order to profile key needs to target audiences.

1. Generic Responsibilities

The following is a brief description of the role:

• Develop and maintain strong media networks for the Regional Office, including building relations with journalists across countries in the portfolio and act as spokesperson.
• Initiate, produce and support the production of strong communications and media products, including web stories, photos and video in accordance with set objectives for the region.
• Produce, collect and edit material for NRC’s social media platforms from the countries in the region. Additionally, utilize innovative and emerging tools to produce relevant content to these platforms.
• Establish good working relations with communication counterparts in partner organizations, other actors and the UN across the region, with a view of doing joint communication work to amplify humanitarian issues.
• Mentor, train and support regional NRC and partner staff, on media and communications.
• Any other communication and media work as arises.

1. Specific Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a regional communications plan to accompany the Regional Office Strategy and in line with the Global Communication Strategy and relevant advocacy strategies.
• Support the Regional Office to provide increased internal and external visibility and profile for all countries, with a special focus on prioritised crises.
• Lead communications Crisis Management Support for the CEERO Regional Office, including the contingency planning, training and development of SOPs in cooperation with the Global Media and Advocacy Section.
• Lead evidence based public advocacy work for the CEE regional office.
• Ensure that the CEERO is effectively utilising social media platforms with support to all staff to produce content for these platforms.
• Work with the regional and country program teams to develop a suite of external and donor facing materials including: briefing notes, sit reps and reports.

1. Professional Competencies

• 5 years’ work experience as a media/communications adviser or journalist – preferably related to development/humanitarian crises/foreign affairs.
• Extensive experience and skill with photography, content collection and story-telling.
• Ability to develop strong relationships internally with the global country and head office teams and externally with journalists and media/comms counterparts at other humanitarian organisations.
• A practical understanding of advocacy tools, tactics and approaches with the ability to quickly identify possible media and communications products and engagements that will support identified advocacy objectives.
• Experience working with data and evidence from NGO programming and develop accessible advocacy, communications and media products for diverse audiences.
• Experience and willingness to spokesperson to international and regional media outlets covering the Ukraine and regional response.
• Experience and skills developing donor briefings, sit reps and other humanitarian communications materials.
• Graphic design skills highly desirable.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated ability to find new creative media angles and work cross functionally with staff and teams not familiar with media and communications work.
• Proven ability in multi-media and story-gathering and digital communication
• Experience in producing social media content.
• Field experience from complex emergencies is desirable.
• Fluency in written and verbal English is essential.
• Bachelor degree in related field, such as journalism or communication.
• Or Bachelor degree in other relevant fields such as international relations, development, human rights, combined with proven media experience.

Find more details about the role HERE

1. What We Offer

• Type of contract: 1 year, possibilities for extension.
• Salary/benefits: According to NRC salary scale, terms and conditions.
• Duty station: `The role is based in Warsaw (with approximately 40% travel for the first year) or Kyiv, Ukraine.
• There is no option for remote work in this role

Internal candidates are encouraged to apply but we are also open to external applicants who can show a commitment to NRC and being part of a challenging, but important mission to make a difference.

NRC might review applications before the advertised deadline, therefore interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.