Advocacy and Campaigns Manager AT Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Media consultant role is a key position meant to ensure that quality and timely media are produced for news media organisations and other partners and to ensure visibility of Save the Children’s activities and brand. Central to achieving this would be to oversee a media strategy to highlight programmatic work, such as our emergency response in developing situations. A key part of the role, involving fifty per cent of the remit, will be to provide written/multi-media content to be shared with Save the Children’s country offices around the world. This will be achieved by regular coordination and liaison with the Global Media Unit (GMU) based in London.

The consultant is expected to demonstrate initiative and be a self-starter who will generate ideas and drive content forward, providing compelling case studies, images and video, as well as spotting strong news lines and writing engaging headlines. Central to achieving this is to oversee a media strategy to highlight the Emergency responses in the region and in developing situations.

The Media consultant will act as a key focal point for all media requests from members and manage relationships with external regional media. This will be achieved by regular coordination and liaison with the WCA Head of Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media, the ESA Regional Media Manager (for technical support/guidance) and the Global Media Unit based in London.

In addition to the above, the consultant will also be expected to support the regional office /countries brand building and awareness raising of the situation of children in-country, namely through national and regional media. Fundamental to the job is the ability to gather, consolidate, analyse and share information in a way that is easily understood by news organisations, and other stakeholders.

The role will be ideally based in Dakar, Senegal, but could be flexible to other locations where Save the Children is present, ideally within the West and Central Africa region.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: WCA Head of Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and media (ACCM) with dotted line to the Global Media Unit.

Technical support/guidance will be provided by the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Regional Media Manager.In order to organise the work and be aligned with priorities, the consultant will be required to attend the GMU morning calls, the daily check in call with the WCA Head of ACCM,the weekly team call with the ACCM RO team, the monthly GMU member calls, and any had hoc calls if needed.

Dimensions:

As well as overseeing 5 active emergency responses spanning 9 countries, the West and Central Africa Regional Office is also coordinating large scale, prioritised responses in Nigeria, Mali, DRC and Burkina Faso. The Media consultant will work closely with ESA Regional media Manager, the WCA Regional Communications Manager, Regional Advocacy Managers and Regional Humanitarian Manager, colleagues in the country and regional offices, and across the Save the Children movement to ensure we are gathering and delivering aligned media messaging across Country Offices (CO), Regional Office (RO), the Global Media Unit (GMU) and Save the Children to support advocacy, policy and fundraising objectives.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Media:

• Build and strengthen links with international news media in West and Central Africa region, including national and regional media, in Dakar and across WCA.
• Act as Media contact between Save the Children’s country offices, field staff and Save the Children’s media/campaign teams across Save the Children membership. Work closely with the Global Media Unit (GMU) based in London and close coordination with West and Central Africa region, particularly the Humanitarian response teams.
• Work with CO (and any in-country info/comms manager, if relevant) and RO to develop press releases, Q&As, media messaging, etc., for dissemination via GMU, Support risk mitigation approaches during sensitive moments for media outreach and support with crisis communications
• Find new and interesting newslines and develop media materials (including press releases) for media and member use, to ensure the drought garners the attention and interest of international and regional news outlets
• Produce or support the production of multimedia materials in the form of photography, video, and written materials that address the needs of country programmes, the regional office, and Save the Children’s global membership. Writing newsworthy press releases for circulation to the international news media in accordance with usual sign-off procedures. Supervise and gather relevant, appropriate images and film in the field, while remaining sensitive to the realities on the ground and child safeguarding concerns.
• Act as a focal point for Save the Children’s global members who are planning media visits or requesting high-quality multi-media content from regional country programmes. Manage incoming media requests, prioritising & co-ordination with the regional and in-country teams. Provide relevant spokespeople for international news media, liaising with the regional and country office teams, media train, brief and identify any appropriate spokespeople in country.
• Support the country offices and senior management team to develop appropriate media management strategies. Work closely with the WCA Regional Communications Manager to provide training and mentorship to media and communications leads in the region to ensure they are able to meet their country office priorities. Support country offices in procuring the resources and skills they need to produce quality photography, video, and written materials.
• Will work closely with WCA Regional Communications on communicating the impact of Save the Children’s work on social media by providing high-quality content for distribution across Save the Children’s social media channels

General

• Being proactive and deliver results in line with the terms of reference agreed in advance – to do this in a way which maintains the reputation of Save the Children and coordinate with Save the Children Advocacy teams to deliver key messages that reinforce advocacy and programming priorities;
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to media and communication, child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures, specifically child safeguarding in all instances;
• Willingness to travel within the West and Central Africa region, sometimes to insecure environments and to be deployed to sudden emergencies or to manage planned media trips across the region;
• Leds/proactive and reactive media statements for country offices in collaboration with the RO, GMU and SCI
• Identify opportunities for press trips, while facilitating, managing and organising visits for international and regional media (coordinated with country offices, when needed)

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values;

holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved;

Ambition:

sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same;

widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale;

Collaboration:

builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters;

values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength;

approachable, good listener, easy to talk to;

Creativity:

develops and encourages new and innovative solutions;

willing to take disciplined risks;

Integrity:

honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity;

QUALIFICATIONS

University degree in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• At least five years’ experience as a journalist in a credible news organisation OR equivalent experience as a Media & Communications Manager in an international humanitarian or development agency, and experience of dealing in the international media environment
• Experience of leading media activities in a challenging environment – Significant experience of working overseas/regionally in humanitarian programmes
• Fluent in at least French and English – Evidence of excellent verbal and written communication skills in both French and English producing materials for a wide range of different audiences including donors, journalists and the ‘general public’ – Ability to digest complex information, quickly, and express this crisply and clearly
• Evidence of excellent verbal and written communication skills producing materials for a wide range of different audiences including donors, journalists and the ‘general public’- Experience of effective spokes personing across a range of media
• Experience designing and implementing trainings in communications and media skills
• Excellent writing skills, and the ability to produce compelling media products such as press releases, key messages/speaking points and Q&As
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality photography and video materials – Familiarity with digital production workflows – Knowledge of photography and video editing software
• Thorough understanding of the various political and cultural contexts surrounding of emergency responses and international development programming in East and Southern Africa
• Excellent relationship building skills in order to work for limited periods within programmes under pressure of running emergency responses
• An initiative-taking, proactive, inspiring attitude with the ability to manage and prioritise an unpredictable workload and solve problems quickly with limited support
• Experience of delivering training, presentations and other capacity building activities to varied audiences, ideally within a country programme.
• Excellent IT skills, especially in Microsoft Word, as well as Adobe Creative Suite software
• Excellent understanding of media and campaigning activities – Strong influencing skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus, and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable:

• Prior experience working in humanitarian contexts
• Multi-media content development;
• Experience of delivering training, presentations and other capacity building activities to varied audience
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in the region
• Additional job responsibilities
• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
• Equal Opportunities
• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures;

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.