Communications Manager

Basmeh & Zeitooneh is a registered Lebanese organization, committed to serving refugees and vulnerable communities in Lebanon, through four community centers across the country. The organization runs educational, relief, livelihoods, and protection programs, and aims to serve as an inclusive and supportive focal point for the entire community.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation, abuse, and child abuse. Also, fraud, bribery, and corrupt activities.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh (B&Z) is committed to maintaining the security, confidentiality, and privacy of your personal information.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh is committed to safeguarding the well-being of children and upholding the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Basmeh & Zeitooneh maintains a zero-tolerance policy on child abuse.

Job Purpose: We are seeking a Communications Manager to lead our communication department and develop and implement communication strategies that help us achieve our organizational objectives. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining our brand identity, leading and overseeing our website and social media channels, creating and sending newsletters, and ensuring that all public communication materials are consistent and on-brand. In addition, the Communications Manager will be responsible for managing media and journalist relations, overseeing the fulfillment of communication requirements for projects, and reporting to donors on communication activities. The role involves managing a team of six communication officers in Lebanon and Turkey, and working closely with other departments to ensure that communication
activities are aligned with organizational goals.

Role & Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy, aligned with the organization & overall objectives and brand guidelines.
• Lead and manage a team of communication officers, providing guidance, support, and feedback to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders within the organization, including program teams, senior management, and other departments, to ensure alignment and consistency in messaging and branding.
• Oversee the development and production of all communication and visibility materials, including but not limited to video productions, annual reports, newsletters, social media content, and website updates.
• Act as a spokesperson for the organization, building and maintaining relationships with local and international media outlets, as well as other external stakeholders.
• Monitor and analyze communication activities, evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies and making necessary adjustments to ensure maximum impact.
• Provide regular updates to senior management on the status of communication activities within the region, including progress, challenges, and opportunities.
• Foster a positive work environment that encourages collaboration, creativity, and growth.
• Ensure the department operates within budget and delivers high-quality work on time and within scope.
• Manage relationships with external communication vendors, such as graphic designers, videographers, and photographers.
• Organize and delegate donor requirements that are related to communications across different projects, including stories, photography, videography, and reporting to donors, to ensure that donor requirements related to the department are met.

Public Communications:

• Ensure that all public communication materials are consistent and on-brand and approve any public communication materials before they are published.
• Develop and maintain B&Z brand identity guidelines to ensure consistent branding across all communication materials, in collaboration with the visual communications officer.
• Collaborate with the visual communication officer to design and produce communication materials, including brochures, flyers, and reports that enhance the organization’s visibility.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure that communication activities support their objectives, including communication materials for projects and meeting donor requirements.

Social Media:

• Lead and oversee social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Develop and oversee implementation of social media content strategies that engage with our target audience and increase our reach and engagement
• Lead the team in creating and publish engaging social media content, including graphics, videos, and animations
• Monitor social media trends and adjust our social media strategy accordingly
• Collaborate with the digital media officer to monitor and analyze social media metrics to track the effectiveness of social media campaigns

Website:

• Oversee website updates and ensure that the website is up-to-date and user-friendly
• Monitor website traffic and track website performance using web analytics tools
• Collaborate with the visual communication officer to design website content and visuals
• Ensure website content is optimized for search engines (SEO) and mobile devices
• Lead on plans and designs for new websites under B&Z to ensure each website meets its objectives, is user-friendly, and consistent with the brand identity and TOV.

Newsletters:

• Develop and implement a newsletter content strategy that aligns with our organizational goals
• Create and send newsletters to our stakeholders, including donors, supporters, and partners
• periodically.
• Develop engaging newsletter content, including graphics and videos, that informs and inspires
• our stakeholders
• Monitor and analyze newsletter metrics to track the effectiveness of our newsletter campaigns

Media and Journalist Relations:

• Manage relationships with media and journalists to promote the organization's brand and raise public awareness of our activities and achievements.
• Maintain a database of media and journalist contacts.
• Respond to media inquiries and arrange interviews with organizational spokespeople.
• Monitor media coverage and track media mentions of the organization.

Online Fundraising (Individual Giving):

• Plan and run seasonal and emergency online fundraising campaigns.
• Promote running campaigns through all appropriate channels including newsletters, social media, direct communications, and other means as required.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on campaign performance.

Visits and Events:

•  Lead on the organization of events that support the organization’s visibility and advance its mission.
• Support different departments in communications and visibility requirements related to events.
• Lead on the organization and facilitation of Donor and PR visits to the organization’s centers.

Education & Experience: 

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in communications, with at least 2 years in a management role.

Requirements:

• Strong understanding of communication principles, strategies, and tools, as well as experience in developing and implementing communication plans and campaigns in the non-profit or social impact industry.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with the ability to create high-quality content that is engaging and effective.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams, providing guidance, support, and feedback to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Familiarity with the issues facing marginalized communities in the region is an asset.
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of additional languages is an asset.