Senior Media & Communication Officer

Senior media and communication officer 

LOCATION: Beirut

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed Term

JOB FAMILY:

ONE OXFAM GRADE:  D     ZONE: 1

DEPARTMENT:

GLOBAL PROGRAMMES                                                                         

TEAM: Influencing Team

SALARY:  

HOURS: (FTE)

FLEXIBLE WORKING

‘We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.

TEAM PURPOSE:  To campaign with others to improve the lives of populations in Lebanon affected by the impact of the Syria crisis – addressing systemic issues that shape inequality and access to services in Lebanon as well as promoting quality of asylum through an effective Oxfam ‘one programme’ approach.

JOB PURPOSE: To maximise coverage of Oxfam’s programme, policy, and campaign messages in the Lebanon Country Office by developing and delivering effective media and communication strategies domestically and internationally.

JOB REPORTS TO

Influencing Lead

ROLES REPORTING TO THIS JOB

None

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY

N/A

GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE

Lebanon

IMPACT

 Media, visibility, reach, influencing

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Influencing team, Country program teams, fundraising team and finance team, Oxfam affiliates and wider confederation, Oxfam International and Global Campaigns, civil society networks in country, media outlets.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management)

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• To regularly generate high quality media coverage of Oxfam’s programme, policy, and advocacy work in Lebanon, but also international outlets.  This includes developing press releases, reactive lines, questions and answers and to organise press conferences, media and donor briefing publications, social media announcements and postings, tailored content, organising visits of journalists and high-level stakeholders to programme locations (including logistical arrangements).
• To work with the programme teams, and local partner organisations, to develop and implement visibility and communications plans and activities for projects and visit projects and partner organisations in the field to ensure a direct link between programme work and media coverage, and to identify and generate high quality media and communication opportunities and products.
• Lead on the implementation of all communication activities, from ideation to execution, including liaising between project managers and consultants.
• To work with influencing team on developing media strategies for advocacy campaigns and national and international key lobbying moments.

• To produce digital content (stories, photos, blogs, videos) to be used on Oxfam’s digital platforms and to liaise with relevant staff at regional and global level to maximise the use of the content generated.
• To contribute to updating Oxfam’s media guidelines, including updating a song sheet, and briefing staff and partners on messaging and guidelines. 
• To manage Oxfam in Lebanon’s social media platforms and develop a social media calendar in line with project and advocacy priorities, and increase social media reach and engagement.
• To create and maintain a digital archive of pictures, videos to be used at appropriate opportunities.

• To act as spokesperson for Oxfam in media interviews if required, and brief other staff and/ or local partner organisations and allies ahead of media interviews or press conferences when requested.
• To build relationships with media colleagues in other organisations (eg NGOs, UN agencies), to coordinate and collaborate on media projects.
• To build and maintain excellent relationships with Lebanese media outlets and maintain a database of Lebanese media contacts.
• To monitor and evaluate media coverage generated and to draw lessons to improve coverage and provide regular analysis on Lebanese media coverage issues relevant to Oxfam’s programme and campaigns work.
• Flexibility to work out of normal offices hours is required, recognising media is not a standard “office hours” job.
• Provide content for key communications materials including pagers, organisational profile and annual reporting in especially on beneficiaries’ stories/case studies etc.
• To closely coordinate with Oxfam’s MEAL team and produce content based on continuous evaluation activities.

CORE DIMENSIONS (see Standard Role Profiles)

• Contribute to the development of media strategy (online and offline) in line with the National Influencing Strategy
• Ability to creatively generate content in line with programming and influencing priorities
• Represent Oxfam in sector meetings, media briefings, and act as focal person for media and communication within country team
• Strong understanding of the context in Lebanon and ability to formulate sensitized messaging and abiding by the Do No Harm principle

Most importantly, every individual in Oxfam needs to be able to:

• Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)
• Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):

1. Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity."

2. Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Essential

• 3 – 5 years of experience working in the Lebanese media environment, either as a communication, media, or digital media expert, with a proven record of generating media coverage.
• Strong writing skills, preferably with a history of writing for traditional media and the web, and ability to produce quality communication materials within tight deadlines.
• Strong organisational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritise work issues to meet deadlines.
• Strong social media skills, including planning, and increasing reach and engagement.
• Proven skills in engaging national organizations in media and communications visibility
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain relationships
• Good analytical and conceptual thinking skills with good strategic perspective, able to understand complex issues and information from different sources and present this clearly and simply
• Ability to work creatively, effectively and in an innovative manner and to identify and develop new ways to use the media to Oxfam’s advantage
• Excellent communication skills, in written and verbal English and Arabic.
• Sensitization to the context in Lebanon and the region, including awareness of community tensions.

Desirable

• Basic editing skills, including photos and videos
• Existing network of media contacts within Lebanon
• Capacity building and technical assistance skills on media and communications to national partners

Key Behavioural Competencies (based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

Competencies

Description

Influencing

We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organisation We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

Humility

We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

Relationship Building

We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation.

Listening

We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear, and consider different preferences.

Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity

We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.

Self-Awareness

We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

SAFER RECRUITMENT: Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.