Senior Community Liaison

ABOUT INTERNEWS AND SIGNPOST

Internews is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure people have access to the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard.

Internews has played a pioneering role in the field of disaster, humanitarian and risk communications, working closely with community, humanitarian agencies, information providers such as local media, national disaster management agencies, community organizations and local responders to understand and support their role in the information ecosystem during crises. We strengthen existing and create new two-way information mechanisms that allow communities to access life-saving information, share questions, concerns and priorities with responders and shape the programs designed to support them.

Internews’s approaches are heavily localized, participatory and are implemented through a variety of tools and systems. Through these approaches, Internews sets up processes that translate community-driven data into clear pathways for improved local and international coordination and bring the community closer to responders and local media.

Signpost is an innovative digital initiative providing the humanitarian community with a platform to reach refugees, asylum seekers and crisis-affected communities around the world with accessible information. It began in 2015 in Greece and is a collaboration between the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Mercy Corps (MC). It has since expanded to include instances in Jordan and El Salvador.

Each Signpost platform provides users context-specific, up-to-date information on vital needs such as legal rights, transportation, and medical services in multiple languages – empowering individuals to make informed decisions at the most critical moments.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Internews is responding to the information needs of people impacted by the current war in Sudan. Our focus is ensuring people can access accurate, timely and contextual information to inform their decision making and to identify and respond to rumors and misinformation that may put communities at greater risk. Internews is partnering with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to create a digital platform which will allow communities to receive responsive answers to their questions and referrals to services to support them. This project will form part of the Signpost global network.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about social media and an active personal user. It is important they speak Arabic, are comfortable using various platforms and have a general understanding of where people go to share, connect and interact online. The Senior Social Media Community Liaison will lead a small team who are likley to love elsewhere and interact and engage with each other online. Many of our team are refugees or part of a diaspora themselves. It’s also useful if you have recent experience living in Sudan and a thorough understanding of the conflict affected regions.

LOGISTICS

This is a remote position for candidates based outside of Sudan. You must have work authorization in your location that does not require sponsorship from Internews. Additionally, there are locations in which Internews is not able to support fully remote work.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply soon.

This is a limited-duration position that is expected to last 5 months.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

• Lead a team of Social Media Community liaisons to respond to community questions and concerns through Signpost social media platforms.
• Ensure team members have the appropriate training and guidance to perform their tasks to the highest standard.
• Collaborate with the content specialist to develop and implement editorial guidelines to guide content production and two-way conversations online.
• Review all logging of community interactions for quality and consistency and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Contribute to editorial meetings to collaboratively analyze community data, look for trends in information needs and gaps and propose priorities for content creation.
• Identify service providers through digital mapping, virtual coordination meetings, working groups, desk research, social media, referral pathways, user surveys/FGDs, etc.
• Develop tools such as new service entry form, service entry update template, and new service provider agreement.
• Communicate with service providers on a continuous basis to ensure accuracy and consistency of information on the service map.
• Maintain ongoing communication with Signpost’s Web Manager on site strategy, features, and issues.
• Coordinate with other actors mapping services to avoid duplication of efforts.
• Send the draft (preview) entry to the service provider for confirmation and ask for clarification where necessary.
• Reviewing the content and design of the service map on an ongoing basis.
• Work closely with Signpost Social Media Community Liaisons who are in direct touch with users to verify service information.
• Conduct training for service providers on how to use the service map and solicit feedback from providers.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisors.
• Understanding of and demonstrating commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Required

• BA/BS in English, Journalism, Communications or a field in humanities is desired but not required.
• Minimum 5 years editing experience required; sub-editing/copy editing experience strongly desired.
• Expert-level knowledge of English grammar and usage.
• Experience using a CMS.
• Knowledge of online content best practices.
• Knowledge of social media strategy and content best practices.
• An asylum-seeker, refugee or migrant who is from Sudan.
• Fluent in Arabic (including reading and writing), an understanding of other key languages in Sudan a benefit.
• A clear communicator with an understanding of the subtlety of language and an ability to apply communication guidelines in written responses.
• Experience in a newsroom as an editor or senior journalist a plus
• The ability to work remotely and lead a small team to ensure they remain motivated and on track.
• Fantastic attention to detail.
• Strong computer proficiency and well acquainted with basic software tools – can navigate autonomously in Windows, Android, Skype, Microsoft Suite and Google docs.
• Knowledge of social media platforms, especially Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp and cultural use of these platforms.
• The commitment to going above and beyond in the quest to give people in crisis accurate information.

Preferred

Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but who are interested and willing to learn, are encouraged to apply.

• Experience in a newsroom desired.
• Experience in a humanitarian organization is a plus.
• Knowledge of refugee issues in Sudan/East and Horn of Africa desired.
• Experience working with refugees, migrants or displaced people in a voluntary or professional capacity.
• An accredited bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field.
• Experience managing a Facebook page or group, and other social media platforms where the admin constantly assessed the digital environment and engaged with audiences.
• A basic level of the host country’s language (if different from your own).
• Experience conducting social science research a plus.
• Experience working in a call center or managing a professional social media account a plus