MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES UK

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) provides life-saving emergency relief and longer-term medical care to some of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world. As an independent medical humanitarian organisation, we deliver care based only on need, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or political affiliation.

MSF relies on donations from private individuals and organisations for the majority of its income. This private funding gives MSF the freedom to respond where needs are greatest and to speak out publicly, free from any political interference.

MSF has around 63,000 local and international staff working in over 70 countries, in some of the most challenging places in the world. Our medical humanitarian projects are supported by offices in 44 countries, including the UK and Ireland. These teams recruit staff, organise fundraising, and raise awareness on the humanitarian crises our colleagues are witnessing, as well as running different and diverse support activities. MSF offices are spread across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.

At MSF UK/IE, we support MSF's operations by building relationships with our supporters, increasing awareness of our work, raising funds, providing specialist medical expertise, ensuring MSF staff have access to relevant higher education programmes, catalysing change on medical humanitarian issues, and recruiting field staff. MSF UK/IE personnel are dynamic, hard-working, enthusiastic and committed to MSF's values and aims. In addition MSF continues to build upon its presence in Ireland to become a widely recognised, accepted and respected humanitarian organisation among Irish audiences, and within the Irish humanitarian and political sector.

We have an exciting opportunity to lead the MSF UK Communications Department, to ensure the delivery of crucial support to MSF UK’s objectives, actively engaging with key media, channels and organisations with global reach and influence.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Duration: Permanent

Location: London/ hybrid

Salary: £70,876.54 per annum

JOB PURPOSE:

The Director of Communications leads and manages the MSF UK Communications Department in delivering its key purposes:

• To support crisis-hit or neglected populations in need of medical care, by building understanding, empathy and action on the problems that they face; and

• To ensure MSF holds itself publicly accountable towards the people and communities we assist, our staff, our supporters, and the wider public

They ensure that the Department delivers crucial support to MSF UK’s objectives – including fundraising, advocacy and recruitment – and to the objectives of the wider MSF movement, by actively engaging with key media, channels and organisations with global reach and influence.

By virtue of being located in a Global Media Hub, MSF UK and therefore this specific role plays a key part both locally and globally in the work of the MSF movement.

The Director of Communications will set the Communications Framework and strategically set out aims and objectives for the Communications team across both reactive projects and long-term priorities; they will also set out the rules for success (i.e. key KPIs for measurable and effective communications) and lead the team to achieve these.

The Director of Communications is a member of the Committee of Directors (CoDir), the senior leadership team of MSF UK, and plays a key role in its organisational transformation into an effective and efficient part of the MSF movement.

Please download the job description and person specification below for full details of the role.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Significant and demonstrable experience in communications management or journalism.
• Proven experience in building and managing an effective team of communications professionals.
• Experience and ability to operate comfortably in a complex international structure where influence is based on relationships, and a highly collaborative style of interaction.
• Experience in developing and implementing communications strategies and budgets.
• Ability to serve as a unifying force and to position communications discussions at both a strategic and tactical level.
• Strong creative judgement with the understanding of how to create the most effective communications to cut through and deliver the MSF (UK) message to the right audience.
• Significant communications experience that includes a blend of advocacy and media relations with the capacity to provide strategic advice to colleagues.
• Good knowledge of world affairs and a demonstrable understanding of and commitment to humanitarian issues.
• Knowledge and understanding of the latest trends in communication across all media channels (including digital and social media).
• Strong organisational skills with experience of managing multiple and conflicting priorities.
• Advance interpersonal and negotiation skills, with an ability to manage and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in the practical use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite. The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Yammer.
• Willingness to travel internationally, to other MSF offices and field projects.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply on our website by submitting a copy of your CV by the closing date: 21 January 2024, 11.59pm (GMT)

ADDITONAL INFORMATION

Accessibility

We are committed to removing barriers for people with specific accessibility needs. If you need an adjustment to the recruitment process to be considered for the role, please let us know by contacting [email protected].

Examples of adjustments we can make:

• offering you an alternative if you are unable to use our online application system
• providing necessary information, such as the job description or assessment materials, in an alternate format
• allowing you to have someone with you during an interview for example, a Sign Language interpreter.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive organisation. MSF UK thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Please read our Equality & Diversity policy for more information.

MSF UK is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from all sections of our diverse community.

Safeguarding

MSF UK/IE is dedicated to safeguarding everyone who comes into contact with the organisation, for whatever reason and however brief. All posts are subject to safer recruitment process which include robust reference requests, scrutiny of employment history and where applicable criminal record and barring checks.

Our safeguarding commitment is underpinned by policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation. On joining MSF UK/IE you will be required to attend safeguarding training to ensure responsibility for and maintaining safe working practice and to safeguard our teams, beneficiaries, and communities.

We look forward to receiving your application!