Head of Mission OR Field Communications Manager OR Field Communications Coordinator (depending on the set-up)

Depending on the set-up this may be one or more of the following: Communications Advisor (CA in HQ) Field Communications Coordinator (FCC) Field Communications Manager (FCM)

Operations

MSF uses public communications to support its medical humanitarian action, to bear witness on the crises it works in, to make its work known to the public, and to secure and sustain public support for its social mission, including through fundraising and recruitment efforts.

The purpose of the field communications officer (FCO) is to implement communications strategies and activities in direct support of MSF's medical humanitarian programmes and social mission. The focus of FCO activities is on content production and dissemination, on media management and monitoring, and on contributing to communications strategies and tactics.

Content dissemination and engagement:

• Produces content and oversees production of communications tools and digital tools for local digital channels
• The FCO disseminates MSF content in the country, proactively pitches to media and uses existing MSF digital channels in the country and/or region as defined by the communications strategy.
  
• If there is a social media officer (SMO) position in the country, then the FCO can act as back-up for the SMO using digital channels for community engagement and dissemination.

Media management:

• Maintains regular relations with a wide array of media contacts across traditional and digital media outlets, including journalists, bloggers, photographers, producers, cameramen, and influencers, as relevant. This responsibility may be shared with other communications team members in the country.
• Proactively pitch media and manages incoming media requests
• Helps organise events such as press briefings or press conferences and helps organise and accompany media visits to MSF projects.

Produces content and oversees production of communications tools including for local digital channels:

• Identifies appropriate communications tools for target audiences, collects material, and produces tools or adapts them to target audiences.
• Supervises the production of communications tools (multimedia, leaflets, posters, radio spots, videos, photos, etc) by external providers in the country (designers, producers, translators, etc) according to strategy and budget, and keeps an updated list of external providers for MSF use.
• Develops an understanding of the operational information used in MSF public communications (such as mortality, morbidity, # of patients vs # of consultations, etc) and its relevance to the crisis.
• Follows MSF communications ethical guidelines in all materials directly collected and produced, such as on consent, on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and other relevant communications standards or guidelines.

Carries out digital and media monitoring.

• Monitors relevant media and digital channels, to highlight significant trends, news, or reports relevant to MSF or the contextual environment to the Head(s) of Mission, Field Communications staff, humanitarian affairs staff and/or other operational staff (as relevant)
• Collects preliminary insights into public narratives on issues of relevance to MSF.
• Generates and updates reports on the local media and digital landscape, with support from other communications teams if needed (digital teams or other).
• When needed manages digital media dashboards for real-time monitoring on issues of operational and reputational relevance.

Contributes to communications strategy and tactics.

• Reports on the tangible outcomes of communications initiatives, like the extent of coverage and audience response, and suggests improvements.
• Identifies opportunities to raise the visibility of underreported crises that MSF is seeing in the country.
• Provides initial insights on the feasibility of communications tactics, such as related to media window, social media penetration, audiences’ reception, etc.
  
• Offers advice on engaging with media and digital channels during crises.

Internal stakeholder engagement

• Helps to promote MSF communications principles, practices, and material towards MSF staff in the country.
• Helps respond to incoming requests from the MSF communications network.
• Liaises with MSF communications network for technical support, if needed, such as for AV editing, digital engagement, and monitoring.

Reporting

• Participates in communication data-collection and reporting to inform MSF teams of upcoming communications and past results.
• Helps track/record all public communications initiatives carried out for institutional memory.

Essential: University degree in a relevant field such as journalism, communication Development, Political science or International Relations

• Essential: Previous working experience of at least 2 years in communications, journalism or public relations.
  
• Desirable: Experience in NGO or international organisations specialised in humanitarian action, health or development. 
• Essential: Analytical capacity in media and social media management