Communications And Advocacy Officer

Job Purpose The purpose of this position is primarily to develop and manage regional communications and advocacy activities in support of a large-scale project on Syrian youth leadership and social cohesion in Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, UK, Germany and Belgium. In addition, the Communications and Advocacy Officer will work to support the communications and advocacy needs of the wider MENA programme. The successful candidate will make a significant contribution to raising the profile, visibility and impact of our work and will reach and influence diverse audiences including governments, donors, international organisations, NGO networks and the general public via multiple platforms and initiatives. Duties and Responsibilities Devise and manage communications and advocacy activities for a new multi-country project on youth leadership and social cohesion covering Turkey, Jordan, Syria , Lebanon and Europe • Develop and manage an Advocacy and Communications Strategy for the project • Use project outputs to influence and promote change in policy and practice amongst target audiences • Use creative methods and initiatives to inform and engage the wider public • In collaboration with the MENA team, produce and disseminate key written advocacy outputs, including “talking points”, presentations and policy briefs • Draft communications materials for the project, including newsletters, reports, promotional materials, and website content. • Oversee the development of audio-visual tools such as video-documentary, animation, blogs and photo exhibitions to capture the project participants’ stories and messages, demonstrate project impact and raise the profile and visibility of Alert’s work • Promote success stories among various media outlets in Europe and the rest of the world in collaboration with Alert’s communications department • Identify and engage in relevant advocacy coalitions and networks • Provide support (including training) to project partners on advocacy and communications • Monitor and evaluate progress towards meeting advocacy and communications targets • Ensure the timely and targeted dissemination of all communications outputs, using a variety of tools and channels Support and advise on advocacy and communications activities for the wider MENA programme • Support Country Managers and project leads to develop communications and advocacy strategies, in collaboration with Alert’s communications and advocacy teams. • Identify advocacy priorities and approaches that are in line with Alert’s peacebuilding mandate and the country strategy • Track and communicate the results and impact of advocacy and communications initiatives. Collaborate with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer to advise and support colleagues on evaluating impact. • Work with Alert’s Head of Advocacy to capitalise on organisational opportunities and global advocacy networks to advance MENA priorities • Work with the London-based communications team to ensure quality of communications outputs • Oversee Alert’s Arabic language communications, including reviewing translations, ensuring the website is updated. Manage social media content. • Develop and maintain a bank of case studies and messages on the work done in the MENA region, to demonstrate the impact of/need for our work and to be able to represent the work done in this region in an accessible way. Build and maintain networks and relationships that support communications and advocacy objectives • Represent Alert and conduct outreach in project sites, including attending meetings and participating in advocacy/communications coalitions, working groups, conferences and events when needed; • Establish and maintain a strong network of public and private sector and civil society contacts, as well as key members of the international community based in the MENA region • Build and maintain a network of media contacts in Beirut and the region • Ensure key policymakers are informed about and support Alert’s work Contribute to wider organisational goals of International Alert • Participate actively as a member of the Syria and Lebanon teams, and wider MENA team, including team meetings, sharing of information, context analysis, and strategy development • Participate and contribute to other MENA programme activities and events including regional meetings and regional communications and outreach • Contribute to strong linkages between the country programme and relevant Alert headquarter teams (Peacebuilding Issues, Advocacy and Communications teams); • Collaborate with the Alert Head of Advocacy to ensure sharing of information, coordination and effective delivery of global advocacy messages. Travel requirements This post is based in Beirut, Lebanon, with frequent travel to Turkey, Jordan and Europe. REQUIREMENTS Talents At Alert, we have introduced Talent Management to our business model as we believe talented people are crucial to the success of our work. We believe all individuals are talented and success comes in matching the right talents to the right roles. For this role, the skills, qualifications and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be great in this job you are likely, first and foremost, to have a talent for analysing and understanding how to engage and influence people at all levels and a flair for presenting complex ideas in a clear, engaging and accessible ways. ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS A post graduate degree in a relevant field (International Relations, Political Science, Journalism, Communications or other) 3 to 5 years of relevant working experience in the field of advocacy or diplomacy, and communications Experience of networking, communications and advocacy on peacebuilding, gender and/or development issues in the MENA region Experience in government relations and/or donor engagement Proven experience producing and disseminating high-quality advocacy and communications outputs Excellent written and verbal communications skills (English and Arabic) and the ability to adapt styles to meet the needs of different audiences Knowledge and experience of using social media, writing for the web and updating/editing web content Good knowledge and experience of working with local and international media Knowledge and experience of wide range of communications tools, including digital, online, visual and print communications Ability to work independently, and with teams based in remote locations Maturity, collaborative approach and emotional intelligence Excellent time management and prioritisation skills with an ability to work to tight deadlines An eye for detail and accuracy and an ability to grasp complex issues and present them clearly Ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and cultivate productive relationships Strong commitment to International Alert’s mission and values Excellent computer literacy and use of software packages (Word, Excel) Excellent inter-personal, communication and presentation skills (oral and written) DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS Experience working with civil society organisations Experience delivering training Experience organising, managing and promoting events Knowledge of gender and conflict sensitive approaches Knowledge of software design (InDesign, Photoshop) and CSS/HTML Good understanding of branding and experience using visual communications and photography Experience conducting political and/or conflict analysis