Job Title: Communications and Campaigns Coordinator
Reporting to: Head of Influencing
Responsible for: Engaging EU stakeholders in Plan International’s work and raising awareness of Plan International’s messages through multi-platform communications
Contract: CDI (Belgian permanent contract)
Preferred starting date: as soon as possible
Status: Full-time (100% - 5 days = 37.5 hrs./week)
Based in: Brussels, Plan International EU Office
Salary: Depending on experience
Benefits: 20 legal holidays + 4 PLAN International holidays, pension scheme, life insurance cover, hospitalization, dental and outpatient cover, meal vouchers, work-related public transport costs.
Travel: Travel might be necessary depending on need, within or outside Europe
Plan International is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strongly encourage women and people of all genders, minorities, individuals with disabilities or members of other underrepresented groups to apply. In addition, if you do not meet all the requirements and are very interested by the position, you can still apply by letting us know what you would bring to the work of Plan International.
About Plan International
Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation working for equality for girls and better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing all children and especially girls. We are active in over 80 countries across the world.
The purpose and ambition of Plan International EU Office (EUO) is to advance children’s rights and equality for girls in particular in the EU’s external action. In line with Plan International’s Global Strategy, One Million Reasons, and the EU Office’s 5-year strategy, we will contribute to ensuring that 100 million girls learn, lead, decide and thrive. We work with the EU in its three roles as a donor, policy-maker and promoter of human rights.
Role Specification
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 five-year strategy 2017-2022. The Communications and Campaigns Coordinator contributes to implementing our ‘influencing’ mandate while being a key member of the EU Office’s team which carries out an integrated programmes, influencing and strategic communications approach. This position is intended to build the strength, visibility and credibility of our office as a trusted partner and expert on children’s rights and equality for girls both within and outside the organisation through consistent, professional, multi-platform communications.
He/she plays a central role in shaping the stories we tell about Plan International and its work, so as to change minds, encourage support and rally enthusiasm for our cause within the global EU spaces.
This involves working closely with all parts of the EUO such as with the Influencing Team, the Partnership Team and the Head of the Office. Moreover, he/she will be playing a guiding role in the comms and campaigns work done by our national offices, country and regional offices as appropriate towards the EU.
Core Responsibilities
All communications and campaigns activities are to be developed and implemented in collaboration with the entire office and other relevant Plan International offices, that is the Head of Office, the Partnership Team, the Influencing Team as well as national offices (NO), country (CO) and regional offices (RO). The work carried out will be directly overviewed by the Head of Influencing, as direct line manager. Within this context, the Communications and Campaigns Coordinator will have responsibility for the following:
1. Communications and campaigns strategy implementation
Internally
- Model and ensure strong collaborative working amongst the teams in Plan International EU Office and other relevant Plan International Offices;
- Ensure visibility of Plan International EU Office’s core responsibilities, positions, results and impact both on- and offline (such as publications, website, newsletter and social media);
- Responsible for the design and implementation, together with the Communications and campaigns assistant and respective colleagues, of the office’s communications and campaigns strategies and tools with the objective to ensure visibility and profiling of the organisation and its main position to the EU policies and programmes.;
- Coordinating EU specific strategic communications activities at different levels with other Plan International Offices and Partner organisations, at both Member State and Partner country level, to ensure further amplification of common positions and impact of work (such as case studies on EU-funded projects) contributing to achieving the office’s main influencing and programmes’ goals, such as engagement with EU Delegations from a communications and campaigns perspective. Therefore, engaging supportively with NO/RO/CO counterparts is vital;
- Support and build capacity with communications and media colleagues across the organisation to develop high quality communications and visibility plans with regards to the impact of our work and main activities, such as e.g. the International Day of the Girl.
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;
- Responsible for the design and development of the Plan International EU Office main external communications and campaigns strategies, building on expertise in the Influencing and Partnership Team, the Head of Office and other relevant Plan International offices, and how it can contribute to achieving the main goals set out above;
- Collaborate with the communication departments of EU institutions, UN Agencies and partner CSOs;
- Uphold the EU Office’s contacts with the media to ensure regular media presence by the Office and adapt global media work to the EU space;
- Coordinate with other Plan International Offices, partner organisations and/or other external stakeholders common activities with regards to political momenta or events, report launches, online activities or bigger events such as the European Week of Action for Girls (EWAG) or the European Development Days;
- 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 and coordination
- Supervise the work of the communications and campaigns assistant;
- Liaise and coordinate common activities with other Plan International entities when relevant to reaching the main objectives, such as gathering content on the impact of Plan International’s EU-funded programmes and collective actions at Member State level;
- 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 Office EU 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 discussed with the Head of Influencing.
Person Specification
The successful candidate will balance excellent organisational and coordination skills with strong interpersonal communication in a multicultural context, and the ability to plan and implement under their own initiative. They will share Plan International's Purpose and Values.
1. Knowledge and experience
- At least 5 years of relevant communications/campaigns related work experience;
- Understanding of the functioning of the European Union, and its external action preferred. Understanding of the EU’s humanitarian aid or international cooperation and development aid particularly relating to child rights and gender equality is an asset;
- Experience with the EU media space would be an asset;
- Proven experience in organising complex events or towards major political momenta, with participants from multiple different countries and backgrounds;
- Experience in international work environments and intercultural communication.
- Graduate degree or previous experience in a relevant field (International, Development, European Studies, Human Rights, Communication, Journalism, Political Science, etc.).
2. Skills
- Innovative and strategic thinking in relation to communications and campaigns to promote change;
- Good knowledge of designing successful (online) campaigns;
- Excellent communication, networking, and inter-personal skills;
- Proven excellence in writing and editing skills in English, to native level. Other languages would be an asset;
- Knowledge of communications techniques in areas such as crisis communications, media relations, social media, digital technology;
- Awareness of campaign and movement building techniques;
- Ability to shape, craft and suggest messaging, positioning and media angles;
- Good knowledge of adobe creative cloud and other communications tools are an asset.
3. Personal Qualities
- Commitment to Plan International’s values, vision and mission;
- Proactive and independent professional capable of working equally well autonomously and as part of a team;
- Flexible, proactive and resourceful with excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines in a rapidly changing environment;
- Capacity to work in a multi-cultural environment;
- Ability to meet deadlines under pressure;
- Willingness to travel if necessary.
How to apply
If you meet the skills requirements above and are interested in applying for this post, please send your CV (no Europass) and cover letter in English to EUORecruitment@plan-international.org with “Application: Communications and Campaigns Coordinator” in the subject.
Deadline for applications is 4th December 2020 at 23:59, Local Time in Brussels, Belgium. Interviews will take place early January 2021.
Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed. If you don’t hear back from us by 18th of December, unfortunately, your application was not successful. Therefore, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Successful candidates must hold the right to live and work in Belgium.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy. Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children's rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with. Plan International believes that it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.