FIELD COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER (m/f/x/ POSITION BASED IN PEMBA, MOZAMBIQUE & ONE YEAR CONTRACT)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

CONTEXT
MSF has been working in Mozambique since 1984. For more than 30 years, our teams have responded to medical and humanitarian emergencies countrywide, including HIV, TB, malnutrition, malaria, cholera, natural disasters, COVID-19 and people displaced from their homes by conflict. In Cabo Delgado province, we respond to emergencies and help to fill gaps in healthcare, often working alongside health authorities and other partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES
To define, implement, coordinate and supervise all operational communication activities according to MSF standards in the mission of Mozambique, with focus on the operations in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The Field Communications Manager (FCM) is based in Pemba (80%), but also covers Beira and travel will be undertaken on a need’s basis. FCM can also spend time in Maputo for key meetings. The FCM aims at building MSF visibility, acceptance and leverage inside the mission country.

Strategy Building

• Under supervision of the Cabo Delgado Emergency Coordinator and in cooperation with the Communications Advisors in Headquarters (HQ), the FCM defines the communications strategy for the mission, advising on public positioning and remaining reactive to emergencies and crisis communications.
• The FCM promotes the visibility of the organisation, improving awareness of its principles and work, reinforcing information on MSF activities among communities.
• The FCM should have the capacity to identify key cross cutting issues across MSF operations which are relevant to communications and to advise on public positioning.
• He /she will develop guidelines for dealing with crisis communications through local media and have the capacity to remain reactive to emergencies.
• In emergencies with high media pressure the FCM is able to act as a spokesperson to take interview pressure away from the field teams.

Media Management/ Alert

• The FCM maintains close contact with key local media and foreign correspondents.
• The FCM liaises with communications staff from other organisations and institutions and will monitor and analyse the communication lines developed by actors of importance for MSF (authorities, armed groups, other NGOs…).
• The FCM facilitates international media visit to MSF projects and he/she organizes media events (Press conference, Press briefing…) in collaboration with MSF international communication network.
• The FCM briefs spokespersons and assesses media training needs for key staff. She/he can organise workshop on communications for international and national staff.
• He/she can play the role of a spokesperson when seen as opportune and necessary upon agreement with the operational lines.
• The FCM produces strategic reports on the local media landscape and regularly reports on new developments.
• He/she provides guidance on how to deal with local media at time of crisis and will develop guidelines for dealing with such crises through in-country media.

People Management

• If a Field Communications Officer or a more junior coms position is to be hired, the FCM will manage, develop and supervise these staff under his/her direct responsibility.

Content Production

• The FCM advises on which communications tools to choose according to objective, message and audience at local and national levels. He/she then produces – or supervises the production of – local comms contents (leaflets, brochures, posters, radio spots, articles, photos, videos.) according to strategy and budget.)
• The FCM helps producing international comms content by providing data, information, quotes, testimonies, pictures, videos and other means to the CA or the com person in charge of writing international comms contents at headquarter level. He/she identifies also opportunities for agile communications on social media about timely developments where MSF has an added value.
• The FCM tracks and archives communications production on the country to build institutional memory.
• FCM liaises and collaborates with regional and HQ comms staff to facilitate MSF initiatives relevant to the movement and the country.

Content Diffusion

• The FCM actively promotes the diffusion of MSF content in the country. Under the supervision of the emergency coordinators, the FCM identifies communications opportunities using MSF comms network production (from List_Press or Yammer) or returning staff to pitch content on MSF activities in the country and other countries.
• When judged opportune and strategic, he/ she uses social media (twitter, blogs, Facebook….) to promote MSF contents and visibility.

Reporting and briefings

• The FCM produces regular reports on achieved results and future priorities.
• The FCM briefs on communications key staff joining the missions.

Budget Management

• The FCM will produce a yearly communications budget meant to support identified and agreed comms priorities. This budget will be submitted for approval to the Head of Mission(s) and Comms department in HQ.

REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Desirable: degree in Journalism, Communications, Humanitarian affairs, Political Sciences or related university degree.

Experience

• Essential: previous working experience of at least 4 years in communications, journalism or public relations.
• Essential: previous working experience in producing communications content production.
• Essential: experience with MSF or other international NGOs in developing countries.
• Experience working in an international environment.

COMPETENCIES

• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of digital and social media.
• Ability to develop, implement and evaluate communications strategies.
• Proven skills in the development and implementation of communications products and tactics, including relations with the press, digital and media.
• Communicating in a credible and effective way.
• Demonstrated diplomatic and negotiation skills.
• Tact, discretion, and diplomacy.
• Flexibility in a changing environment.
• Result oriented.
• Tenacity and positive attitude.
• Fluency in English and Portuguese (written and spoken) are essential. Command of local languages is desirable.

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: 13/06/2022.
• Contract type: 12-month fixed term contract.
• Based in Pemba, Cabo Delgado Province – Mozambique.
• Salary according to MSF-OCB Field salary scale. transport, accommodation, vaccinations are taken in charge by MSF. Per diem + medical insurance.
• No family position.
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment.
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments.