Communications Assistant

I - BACKGROUND

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 21 sections, 25 associations and other offices together. Based in Geneva, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested.

II - POSITION WITHIN ORGANISATION

The candidate will be based in Beirut, supporting the International Office with a variety of tasks on msf.org/ar, the Arabic version of the international website, and the Arabic version of the annual operations report, the International Activity Report (IAR).

The Communications Assistant will report to the Arabic Editor who is also based in Beirut.

III - OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

The role will provide daily support to MSF International Office’s communications efforts in finalising and publishing the Arabic version of the International Activity Report 2019, as well as publishing communications material on msf.org/ar.

IV - ACTIVITIES

The main duties will be:

International Activity Report (IAR) – Arabic version

• Support in revising the translated maps used for the report and uploading them to MSF’s media database;
• Assist in uploading the digital version of the Arabic IAR to the specialised section within msf.org/ar, while mapping the progress in an excel sheet;
• Support in the proofreading stage of the printed version of the Arabic IAR;
• Other tasks as delegated.

Msf.org/ar

• Assist in editing and publishing weekly MSF communications material in Arabic to the website;
• Support in maintaining and updating static pages on the website by updating information and editing texts according to a search engine optimisation (SEO) checklist;
• Carry out a clean up of old articles published on the website, to format them to current editorial standards.

Other

• At times, the Communications Assistant may be asked to support with administrative tasks (information management, helping around meeting organisation logistics, support on social media, etc);
• Any other tasks delegated by the Arabic Editor or the IO Comms team.

V - SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Genuine interest in and commitment to the humanitarian principles of MSF;
• Demonstrable interest in communications, and motivation to improve the quality of Arabic communications;
• Experience in translation, editing and proofreading in Arabic. Previous experience in proofreading publications in Arabic is an asset;
• Computer literacy: experience using MS Office. Experience in using Content Management Systems (CMS) is an asset; training on the CMS for msf.org will be provided;
• Native Arabic speaker essential;
• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, punctual, reliable, self-motivated and able to work independently;
• A flexible team member, ready to adapt to the needs of the team.