Media and Communications Officer – UK At Mercy Corps

Location: London, Edinburgh, or The Hague, NL
Position Status: Full-time, permanent
Reporting to: Head Media and Communication
Travel: up to 20% within UK, US and possibly field locations
Salary: Edinburgh: circa 30K, London: circa 35K, The Hague: circa 38K + benefits
Closing Date: apply with CV and Cover Letter before September 12.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK or EU at the time of appointment.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps in Europe has grown rapidly in terms of volume of activity and complexity. With offices in Edinburgh, London, The Hague and Geneva, we now attract over £120m in income, and employ around 100 domestic and expatriate field team members. . The breadth and impact of our programmes makes Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve in the countries where we operate and we are always looking for talented individuals who share our passion and commitment.

The Role

The Media and Communications Officer will support the overall media and communications objectives and priorities for Mercy Corps in Europe, in line with the European and Global strategies, to raise profile, influence and income for the organisation. This will include supporting the Policy and Advocacy, Fundraising and Strategic Institutional Partnership teams to amplify and leverage our work to the media, mass market and potential donors.

This is a frontline role with objectives set in Europe, but which also has global objectives as part of the global media relations team. By virtue of our small team size but large remit and reach, we frequently punch above our weight on the global media stage and whoever fits this role would be expected to do the same. The position would suit someone entrepreneurial who has storytelling expertise and big ideas to raise awareness of some of the world’s biggest challenges and Mercy Corps’ role in solving them.

The successful candidate will not only have the right experience on paper but also the right personal ‘fit’; someone compassionate and collaborative who lives and breathes our culture and values, with a visible passion for the work we do and a desire to tell our story.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Work with the Head of Media & Communications and US and regional media relations team members to drive strategic outreach to press contacts, emphasising the need to build Mercy Corps’ external profile and forging relationships with journalists who could tell our stories.
Be proactive in seeking media coverage for Mercy Corps, with a focus on top tier outlets in the U.S. and Europe.
Be reactive to incoming media enquiries, knowing that a quick response is crucial.
Write and edit press releases, fact sheets and other communications materials, including the Europe Annual Report
Serve as on-the-record spokesperson for Mercy Corps.
Organise press briefings for Mercy Corps staff and other high-profile spokespeople.
Conduct media training for Mercy Corps spokespersons and field staff.
Partner with the global Policy and Advocacy team to leverage their activity to the media, and to key audiences and stakeholders, particularly partnering with the P&A team in the UK on foreign aid and 0.7%,
Continue to build on strategic communications partnerships with FCDO, the Scottish Government, the EU and other institutional country donors as identified.
Partner with the Fundraising team to secure media coverage to support the generation of income.
Identify opportunities for Mercy Corps to increase its profile through the application of awards and media and seasonal newspaper partnerships.
Provide general communications, brand and marketing support.
Manage the monitoring of press coverage, undertake media scans and analysis and provide regular reports to the Media & Communications.
Survey, track and report on trends in mainstream and social media.
Research and create targeted media lists.
Deploy to the field when needed to research stories, and accompany media
Stay current on best practices in media and communications strategies and innovations across industries.

Supervisory Responsibility

none.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Head of Media & Communications

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

Ideally five years of media relations experience.
Educated to degree level (or equivalent).
Experience of working in an NGO, or in an agency working with NGO clients, is desirable.
Some experience of working in the field is desirable.
Working knowledge of Vocus media relations database or similar desirable.
Additional languages (French/German/Spanish/Arabic) preferred.
Full proficiency with MS Office software (including Excel and PowerPoint) and GoogleDocs.

Success Factors

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
A strong eye for detail.
Multi-tasker, with excellent organisation skills.
Able to build and maintain effective internal and external relationships. Strong team worker.
Able to cope with changing priorities, often at short notice, and work well under pressure.
Proactive and solutions-based attitude.
High levels of motivation, professionalism and resilience.
Skilled in translating complex concepts into accessible language.
Skilled in anticipating and solving problems and communicating issues, involving others as needed.
An exposure to and interest in international development issues is important, along with an empathy for MC’s mission.

The position will require some national and international travel.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a short-term assignment or trip to country offices. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all Mercy Corps locations.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an

Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.