Communications Director at International Catholic Migration Commission

JOB TITLE Communications Director

LOCATION Rome, Italy

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT Communications Department

REPORTS TO Secretary General

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 16 May 2021

STARTING DATE 14 June 2021

The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) is an international Catholic Church-inspired, non-governmental organization, with a mission to protect and serve uprooted people, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, victims of human trafficking, and migrants—regardless of faith, race, ethnicity or nationality. In collaboration with governmental and non-governmental partners, and through a worldwide network of members, ICMC implements and advocates for right-based policies and sustainable solutions to address global migration challenges. ICMC’s operations are aimed to respond to the needs of vulnerable individuals and communities, and focus on protection, humanitarian assistance, resettlement, migration and development.

The Communications Director will report to the organization’s Secretary General and will be responsible for the overall design of the Commission’s communications strategy and oversee its implementation. She/he will be responsible for ICMC’s communication activities and outputs, including websites, social media, e-newsletters, media and public relations, and marketing materials. This post will be located in Rome, Italy.

Duties

• Oversee communications policies and guidelines; manage the ICMC brand and ensure the production of high-quality work.
• Identify and manage upcoming communications opportunities and priorities and implement communication plans in collaboration with program teams.
• Supervise communications staff at headquarters and liaise closely with staff in liaison and field offices who have communication responsibilities.
• Develop and cultivate relationships with international and country-based journalists to raise ICMC’s profile and highlight migration issues.
• Write and edit a variety of communication materials, such as news stories, press releases, feature stories, op-eds.
• Participate in field missions to gather stories, photos and video content to be used for communication purposes.
• Manage the ICMC website, including day-to-day publication of content and longer-term renovations and development.
• Build communications capacity within the organization by organizing training sessions for staff members.
• Oversee a pool of trusted professional communicators who could serve as consultants to expand ICMC capacity as needed.
• Manage and develop ICMC’s social media channels.
• Support fundraising activities through the organization of events, production of marketing materials, and leveraging ICMC’s website and social media to reach a diverse set of supporters.
• Regularly measure and evaluate the impact of ICMC’s communications; contribute to donor reporting and manage the publication of the annual report.
• Work collaboratively with other departments, including Operations, Policy, Finance, ICMC’s field and affiliate offices, as well as with ICMC’s Governance Structures and Network of National Member Catholic Bishops’ Conferences and other stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications or other relevant field; an advanced degree and/or certificates is an asset.
• Minimum 5-10 years of experience with growing responsibilities in communications work.
• Proficiency in English, both written and spoken; fluency in at least one other official ICMC language (French or Spanish) is an asset.
• Experience in the civil society or humanitarian sector; knowledge of refugee and migrants’ issues is an asset.

Competencies

• Superior communications skills, both spoken and written.
• Excellent editing and writing skills.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Proven ability to develop and execute creative communication strategies.
• Strong creative problem-solving attitude and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to lead, coach, and motivate a diverse team.
• Proactive personality, always anticipating events or news.

Motivation and values

• Understanding of, and commitment to, ICMC’s mission and values.
• Willingness to always act in the best interest of ICMC.
• Basic understanding of, and respect for, the Catholic Church-related values and principles underlying ICMC’s humanitarian and advocacy activities.