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.

Can you lead a team delivering hard-hitting media coverage in support of people facing conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion?

Medecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) works to provide medical assistance in over 70 countries around the world, to people affected by war or disease, and to those shut out from access to healthcare.

Drawing attention to these crises and their causes is a crucial part of our work, and our communications teams play a key role in delivering this foundational objective for MSF.

As MSF UK’s media team lead, you would be responsible for engaging with some of the world’s most influential news outlets to ensure that these vital issues receive the attention they need and deserve among both UK-based and global audiences.

Hours: 40 hours per week, Mon-Fri

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £62,722.60 per annum (£59,222.60 p.a. non-London weighting)

JOB PURPOSE:

To lead MSF UK’s media relations, liaising with other teams within the organisation and departments to ensure our media strategy is supportive of MSF’s objectives in terms of operations, fundraising, advocacy and recruitment.

Leads on relationships with international colleagues concerning media issues e.g. the International Office, Communications Coordinators (CoCo) and Communications Advisors, other heads of media in key hubs globally as well as field communications teams

To develop and maintain effective and sustainable/workable out-of-hours 24/7 ‘on call’ rota, media monitoring and other press office systems and reporting.

In close collaboration with the Head of Communications, to lead development and implementation of media strategies to: raise awareness of the work, concerns and operational priorities of MSF with target national and international audiences; and to develop and implement crisis communications plans and approaches.

Please note that whilst this is a management position, hands on press management will be required at times, eg when the request is particularly high-profile or sensitive, when press officers are absent or during out-of-hours rotation.

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

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrable experience of devising and delivering communications strategies to advance the aims of an organisation
• Demonstrable senior experience in press office work, including substantial understanding of, and contacts in, UK media
• Good knowledge of world affairs and a demonstrable understanding of and commitment to humanitarian issues
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, with an accessible, friendly telephone manner and a proven ability to adapt style to suit a wide range of audiences
• Fluent spoken and written English
• Computer literate, including experience with media database
• Proficient use of social media for professional communications purposes
• Line management experience

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.

Right to work in the UK

We are open to sponsoring the successful candidate for this role, if required.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply on our website by submitting a copy of your CV together with a letter of motivation (please upload as one document) by the closing date.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Recruitment timetable:

• Closing date for applications: 28 May 2023 11.59pm (BST)
• Interviews: TBC (early June)

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.

For questions, issues or further information, please contact [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application!