Communications Officer
ABOUT US
Founded in 1979, Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. Our mission is to save the lives of severely malnourished children while helping communities become self-sufficient. Recognized as a world leader in the fight against malnutrition, Action Against Hunger has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for almost four decades, combating hunger in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity. With more than 8,000 staff in nearly 50 countries, our programs in nutrition, food security, livelihoods, water, sanitation, and hygiene, reach more than 20 million people each year.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Reporting to the Director of Development and acting as an integral part of the Development Team, the Communications Officer will be responsible for producing impactful communications built on strong storytelling, solid strategic thinking, and exceptional writing skills. The incumbent will be tasked to develop plain language communications by pulling out key insights from technical content. This role requires someone with a natural curiosity and a high level of creativity. A skilled communicator who can successfully interface with colleagues, donors, partners, and the media and can execute high-quality work on time.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Content Development – 50%
- Work with the Director of Development to conceptualize and implement the communications and brand strategy.
- Lead the researching, interviewing, and writing required to produce a wide range of key internal and external communications including but not limited to:
- Key messages for marketing and fundraising campaigns.
- Marketing content – direct mail, digital advertisements, radio advertisements, donor emails, social media posts, website content, donor surveys, and training manuals.
- Collateral – annual report, cases for support, impact reports and special reports.
- Ghostwriting for senior leadership including posts, key messages for interviews, and op-eds for publications.
- Ensure that all communications and marketing materials align with the organization’s brand standards, as well as with the donor/partner branding guidelines.
- Act as a project manager on communications initiatives by building critical paths to develop and deliver best-in-class materials and ensure deadlines are met.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and teams to ensure any content writing requests are fulfilled without errors or misinformation.
Media Management – 30%
- Identify press opportunities through evolving issues.
- Develop content for dissemination via press releases, and other distribution channels.
- Serve as the organization’s media liaison.
- Build and manage the organization’s social media profile and presence.
- Scan the media marketplace to keep up to date on the latest media trends.
- Monitor online and offline media campaigns, and report on results.
- Build long-term relationships with media influencers.
- Appropriately manage the organization’s media budget.
Story Development and Curation – 20%
- Support the development of compelling content and materials to showcase, promote, and publish the work done by Action Against Hunger Canada and its International Network.
- Coordinate the collection and archiving of field materials from country offices.
- Maintain digital media archives including photos and videos.
- Meet regularly with counterparts in-country offices to discuss upcoming stories.
Requirements
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- An undergraduate degree in Journalism, Communications, or in a related field of study.
- 4+ years of relevant experience in a similar role, ideally in a not-for-profit setting.
- Experience crafting content for online and offline marketing channels.
- Experience creating effective video content for use in social and other media would be considered a strong asset.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND OTHER ATTRIBUTES
- Fluency in English and French in both oral and written communications (fluency in Spanish or Arabic would be considered an asset)
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically to create and deliver effective and impactful communications plans.
- Ability to interpret, synthesize and articulate complex concepts into terms understandable and compelling to donors and prospects.
- Strong, research, interviewing, and information-gathering skills.
- Strong initiative, analytical, organizational, and coordination skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and independently under tight deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills with a positive “can-do” attitude.
- Ability to interface with senior leadership and work effectively in teams.
- Solid knowledge of communications, public relations, and marketing best practices of the not-for-profit sector.
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator would be considered an asset.
- Demonstrated commitment to Safeguarding and Gender Equality
WORK CONDITIONS
- Office setting or work from home.
- Required to be seated whilst completing computer and desk-based tasks for long periods.
How to Apply:
If you are interested in this position, please apply online by Friday, August 19, 2022.
We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
To learn more about Action Against Hunger, visit our website at www.actionagainsthunger.ca