Communications Adviser

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Role Summary:

The Communications Adviser will provide overall leadership, management and strategic direction to NRC’s policy and communications work in Lebanon; will strengthen the incorporation of communication into all aspects of NRC’s activities and guide NRC’s communication activities to promote an improved protection and humanitarian response environment in Lebanon; will develop a strategy and coordinate the implementation of external communication and media, internal communications and publications, and beneficiary communications for the NRC Lebanon Country Office; will lead a Communications team that will develop and produce communication materials and utilise opportunities to highlight NRC’s work and messages through the media and communications products that are in line with NRC Lebanon’s Advocacy Strategy and Regional Office Communications plans; and act as a focal point in place of the Advocacy and Information Adviser, when needed.

Generic Responsibilities:

1. Promote NRC Lebanon in national, regional, and international media for advocacy and programme purposes.
2. Maintain a network of journalists in Lebanon and across the region who report on humanitarian issues.
3. Ensure the delivery of quality communication products including social media posts in English and Arabic (feature stories, press releases, infographics, photo-stories, social media documentaries etc).
4. Oversee the production of publications such as reports, fact sheets, beneficiary communications materials, newsletter, and other internal and beneficiary communications outputs.
5. Contribute to emergency response efforts, including rapid deployment to the field in the event of a rapid onset emergency.
6. Work with NRC Oslo and NRC Middle East Regional Office (MERO) to develop annual content plans and ensure Lebanon active contribution.
7. Work with the Global Media Adviser and the Regional Social Media Team to ensure that Lebanon priorities are reflected on online and social media channels.
8. Advise on media lines and media strategy, ensuring that potential risks associated with NRC’s positions are assessed and sign off procedures are adhered to.
9. Ensure systematic training on communications to technical staff, media focal points, and senior management.
10. Line manage the communications team and ensure proper capacity building.
11. Oversee and is responsible of mainstreaming protection guidelines in the NRC’s related activities as per NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines and ensure that all breaches/concerns reported are properly resolved.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Maintain and further solidify NRC’s position as the go-to agency for refugee issues for the international, local, and regional media; including hosting media visits to the field and fielding interview requests.
2. Overall oversight/responsibility of all external communication and media work from the Lebanon Country Office. Act as spokesperson for Country Office when required.
3. Develop an annual communications strategy and content plan, which specifies monthly outputs and thematic focuses.
4. Working with the Advocacy and Information Adviser, develop public and private messaging templates, including key messages for staff and speaking notes for senior staff.
5. Work with the Country Director and Senior Management to develop spokesperson capacities
6. Produce effective, engaging storytelling which focusses on relaying the voices and perspectives of beneficiaries.
7. Write and distribute press releases, OpEds, and blogs on both an opportunistic/responsive basis and a strategic, planned basis to support advocacy and programme priorities.
8. Contribute, in coordination with the Advocacy and Information Adviser, to writing and distributing briefings to donors.
9. Attend Public Information/Communications coordination meetings via LHIF, UN Agencies, or any other relevant fora.

Critical Interfaces:

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• Country Office: Country Director, Head of Programmes, Area Managers, Programmes Specialists, Protection Adviser and/or other protection staff
• Regional Office: Regional Communications Adviser, Regional Advocacy Adviser
• Representation and Liaison Offices
• Head Office, Oslo, Norway: External Relations Department, Policy and Partnership Department (Policy and Advocacy Section)

Competencies:

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following three categories:

1. Professional Competencies:

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

• Minimum 5 years working in Communications with within a humanitarian context
• Bachelor degree in communications, media, or a relevant field
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken
• Fluency in Arabic, both and written and spoken is a plus
• Experience in writing communications, advocacy, and/or campaign strategic plans
• Experience in working on refugee issues in a communications and advocacy capacity
• Experience in effective storytelling, which ensures that beneficiaries’ perspectives are at the forefront of external communications outputs.
• Experience working directly with, and in, refugee and/or vulnerable communities, with extensive time spent in the field.
• Knowledge of Lebanese and regional government structures specifically as they pertain to refugee issues and vulnerable communities is a plus
• Photography, video, and social media skills is a plus
• Knowledge and experience with NRC is a plus.

2. Behavioural Competencies:

These personal qualities influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, the following are essential for this position:

• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Working with people
• Initiating action and change
• Analysing
• Handling insecure environments