Communications and campaigns officer | Plan International

Communications and campaigns officer

We are recruiting a communications and campaigns officer to join our team in Brussels on a full-time basis. Through consistent, professional, multi-platform communications, the selected candidate will support Plan International EU Office achieve its purpose of advancing children's rights and equality for girls in the EU's external action, and contribute to ensuring 100 million girls learn, lead, decide and thrive.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Communications and Campaigns Officer 
Reporting to: Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager
Responsible for: Engaging EU stakeholders in Plan International’s work and raising awareness of Plan International’s messages through multi-platform communications
Based in: Brussels, Plan International EU Office
Contract: CDI (Belgian contract)
Status: Full-time (100%, 5 days per week)
Salary: Dependant on experience

Overall purpose of the job

The purpose of this role is to support the Plan International EU Office by achieving the communications and campaigns objectives of the Office as set out in our new five-year strategy 2017-2022. The Communications and Campaigns Officer contributes to implementing our ‘influencing’ mandate and is therefore a key member of the EU Office ‘influencing’ team. This position is intended to build the strength, visibility and credibility of our office as a trusted partner and authority on children’s rights and gender equality both within and outside the organisation through consistent, professional, multi-platform communications. This will necessarily involve working closely with policy and advocacy team and the institutional partnership (funding) team of the Office.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Strategy implementation
Internally

  • Ensure visibility of Plan International EU Office’s positions and public statements.
  • Create and draft high quality, relevant content for the Plan International EU Office website and social media channels and manage all aspects of these platforms.
  • Support and build capacity within the organisation - in collaboration with the partnership team - to produce quality communication outputs for EC-funded projects, including providing support to National and Country Offices to develop high quality communications and visibility plans.
  • Support the communications work of Plan International’s European National Offices and Plan International Country Offices on EU-related issues, particularly with regard to the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework.
  • Support Country Offices’ engagement with their EU Delegation from a communications perspective.
  • Assume overall responsibility for drafting and distributing publications such as our annual report and regular newsletters.
  • Lead on all aspects of the European Week of Action for Girls for Plan International EU Office, ensuring consistency and alignment with Plan International’s global activities and messaging around the International Day of the Girl Child (there are both internal and external elements to this).
  • Lead capacity-building workshops for Plan International EU Office staff on relevant aspects of communications, and support staff members in the creation of communications content.
  • Represent Plan International EU Office on all relevant communication networks within Plan International.
  • Ensure the proper implementation of the Plan International brand by Plan International EU Office.

Externally

  • Use creative and innovative communications tools and campaign ideas to improve both the visibility and the profile of the EU Office vis-à-vis the EU institutions, in support of the work of the policy and advocacy and institutional partnership teams.
  • Maintain and strengthen relationships with the communication departments of EU institutions, UN Agencies and partner CSOs.
  • Strengthen the EU Office’s contacts with the media to ensure regular media presence by the Office.
  • Develop media communication, including drafting press releases and Op’Eds, their distribution to the target groups and monitor press clippings.
  • Coordinate with partner organisations the development of common acitivites and communications for the European Week of Action for Girls.
  • Represent Plan International EU at relevant meetings with EU institutions and other external stakeholders as well as at conferences, seminars and other media or policy events.

2. Management

  • To monitor Plan International EU Office’s communication budget and ensure that all budget reporting requirements are adhered to and are of a high quality.
  • In collaboration with the Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager, supervise the work of trainee(s).
  • Manage sub-contracted consultants for communication and campaigning work, providing high quality content input and ensuring that all contractual obligations are fulfilled.

3. Other Responsibilities

  • Keep abreast of the current development and humanitarian aid issues, and communications trends.
  • Work cooperatively and supportively with the wider Plan Europe team and other Plan International entities.
  • Ensure that all activities undertaken on behalf of Plan International, externally or internally, are executed in accordance with the overall aims of the organisation and in line with Plan International’s policies and procedures.
  • Participate in training and other activities as requested by the Head of Office.

Skill requirements

1. Knowledge and experience

  • At least 5 years of relevant communications related work experience;
  • Knowledge of Child Rights and/or International Human Rights;
  • Proven expertise in EU external policies;
  • Experience with the media
  • Experience in organising complex events, with participants from multiple different countries
  • Experience in international work environments and intercultural communication
  • Graduate degree in a relevant field (Development, European Studies, Human Rights, Communication, Journalism, Political Science, etc.)

2. Skills

  • Innovative and creative thinking in relation to communications
  • Excellent communication, networking, and inter-personal skills
  • Proven excellence in writing and editing skills in English, to native level. French and/or Spanish an asset
  • Good knowledge of video editing, web and layout design an asset.

3. Personal Qualities

  • Commitment to the organisation’s vision and mission
  • Proactive and independent professional capable of working equally well autonomously and as part of a team
  • Flexible, willing to share information and to take up various tasks to support a small office
  • Capacity to work in a multi-cultural environment
  • Ability to meet deadlines under pressure
  • Willingness to travel if necessary.

How to apply?

To apply for the position, please send a one-page letter outlining your motivation for and approach to the post, together with your CV (no Europass, no photos) to EUORecruitment@plan-international.org by midnight on 26 November 2017, with the subject “APPLICATION: Communications and Campaigns Officer”.

Interviews will take place in Brussels or via skype in the week commencing 4 December 2017. A second interview may be necessary. Preferred start date: 05/02/18.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.