The Communications Officer carries out all FIRS communications activity and works closely with the executive director, administrative assistant, webmaster, communications teams from each member organization, and communications persons from partnering organizations. Related responsibilities include promoting FIRS as an organization as well as its major policy initiatives (such as World Lung Day), coordinating communications, and its member organizations’ activities. The position is full time.
How to Apply
Please send your CV and a cover letter in English, including your salary expectations to (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Helen Platt (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with the subject FIRS Comms Officer in the subject line of your email.
This position will be open until a candidate has been selected for the post. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Position Description
Job Title: Communications Officer
A. Summary of Position:
The Communications Officer carries out all FIRS communications activity and works closely with the executive director, administrative assistant, communications teams from each organization, webmaster, and communications persons from partnering organizations. In addition to coordinating all communications, work includes promoting FIRS including the FIRS website and World Lung Day and its member organizations activities. The position is full time.
B. Principal Accountabilities
World Lung Day (WLD)
- Develop and manage all communications’ activities promoting WLD, including:
- Develop and implement a communication’s strategy for WLD
- Develop and produce WLD marketing materials e.g. digital banners, flyers
- Manage media activities
- Manage WLD social media
- Design and maintain a WLD web presence
- Design activities for WLD to be carried by partners
- Cultivate and assist partnering organizations in celebrating WLD and developing their initiatives
- Devise new initiatives to promote World Lung Day
- Coordinate FIRS’ and FIRS’ communications team’s promotional activity for WLD
Public Relations (PR)
- Coordinate a PR approach for FIRS including:
- Direct and coordinate news releases for World Days with the FIRS member oranizations’ communications teams
- Ensure the responsible member organization meets timelines for each World Day’s news release, fact sheet, and social media posts one month prior to the World Day date
- Edit submitted material as needed, disseminate to all member organizations, and post on FIRS website and social media channels
- Work with, edit, and advise FIRS’ Environmental Committee on news releases. Distribute news releases to interested media partners and the FIRS communications teams
- Advise, edit, disseminate, and originate news releases
- Coordinate media interviews between reporters and FIRS spokespeople
- Maintain strong relationships with key media and maintain media outreach lists
- Identify measures to evaluate PR impact, monitor and report on impact and, on a regular basis, propose recommendations to further enhance the overall impact of the PR efforts
Website
- Evaluate FIRS website and work with the webmaster to upgrade the design, functionality and content
- Devise a digital content plan for FIRS that includes website stories, photos, and video content
- Keep the website content up to date; finalize and post all material; remove outdated content
- Working with the Executive Director, add content as required
- Working with the webmaster, change the design as needed to display FIRS activity, documents, and links, and meet its communication needs
- Devise new initiatives for expanding FIRS content and platforms
Social media
- Manage FIRS social media to make sure that important messages are posted and that feeds are up-to-date. Organize appropriate retweeting and reposting of partner and influencer content, as appropriate.
- Use social media to reinforce press releases, World Days, and other FIRS messages
- Devise new initiatives for expanding FIRS presence on social media and opportunities to build a community and engage followers in dialogue.
Marketing and events
- Manage the production of marketing materials for FIRS when appropriate, for example, flyers, invitations, and brochures.
- Support the production of events, including side events at UN meetings as above, with the production of materials, venue branding and promotion.
Interact with other communications personnel
- Work in conjunction with the various communication teams of FIRS member organizations
- Distribute, when appropriate, news releases for the communications teams to amplify our overall message.
- Use the website and social media to highlight FIRS’ member organizations’ accomplishments and activities
- Work with communications teams to develop new initiatives to improve promotion of lung health-related issues.
- Seek input and feedback from communications teams of partnering organizations, as needed.
- Respond to colleagues and the public about FIRS communication activities.
World Health Organization-United Nations (WHO-UN)
- Promote shared activities of FIRS and WHO-UN, with a focus in 2018 on the High Level Meetings on TB and NCDs.
- Assist with the event management and promotion of side-events at WHO-UN meetings
- Communicate about other international activities
- Support FIRS’s advocacy work with supporting marketing materials, including social media posts, infographics, memes and digital toolkits
C. Measures of Accountability to be jointly determined with the Executive Director
D. Qualifications
- Degree qualification in communication related field
- Minimum of three years of experience in a communications role; experience in a health-related organization desirable
- Fluent in English and excellent English language writing skills
- Experience developing posts and visual content for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media
- Knowledge of public health desirable
- Strong collaboration skills for working with peers across multiple different organizations
- Ability to reach out to diverse partner organizations
- Good knowledge and experience in web content maintenance, including CMS systems; desirable to have HTML experience
- Ability to work independently
- Must be detailed-oriented and demonstrate effective project management
- International experience and foreign language skills a plus
