Job Description

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is an International Humanitarian Organization providing medical aid to populations in distress, victims of natural and man-made disasters and victims of armed conflict, regardless of race, religion and political believes. For more information, visit our Arabic website, www.msf-me.org

Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium is looking for Yemeni nationals to recruit for the following position:

FIELD COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Location: Aden - Coordination office 
Contract duration: One year renewable
Contract type: Full time contract
Reporting to: Head of Mission 

Main Purpose:

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 Manager (FCM) is to define, oversee and implement communications strategies in direct support of MSF's medical humanitarian programmes and social mission.

Key of responsibilities:

Strategies for operational communications and bearing witness.

• Defines and manages communications strategies in the country, under the supervision of Head of Mission and in collaboration with Communication Advisor (CA), staying responsive to operational needs, emergencies, and crisis situations, with effective prioritization.
• Alerts on unfolding situations in MSF project areas that may require public communication by MSF.
• Seeks opportunities to highlight underreported crises.
• Identifies significant issues across MSF operations relevant to communications and advises on messaging and public positioning, collaborating/coordinating with humanitarian affairs managers as needed (as applicable)
• Develops and/or updates a Country Communications Framework (CCF) which provides an overview of all operational communications priorities in the country in collaboration with Communications Advisors (CAs) or the Field Communications Coordinator (as applicable.)
• In emergencies, ensures timely delivery of guidance and content for journalists, the MSF communications network and for public release, as outlined in the MSF Emergency Communications Framework, in line with the Emergency Fundraising Policy as needed.
• Develops, drives and oversees dissemination and engagement strategies:
• Drives and oversees the media management in the country, including national and international media, traditional media outlets and their online versions, digital channels, influencers, and citizen media. May delegate / share responsibilities with other field communications staff in the country, such as managing media relations, pitching content, coordinating media events or visits to MSF projects, depending on the team's structure.
• Collaborates with MSF digital teams in Yemen and in the region for strategic dissemination and engagement on MSF social media channels.
• Identifies media and/or communication training needs for operational staff and organises the necessary training.
• Acts as a spokesperson for MSF when required.

Content production:

• Decides on communication tools based on agreed objectives, messages, and target audiences.
• Transforms operational or medical information into a communications angle relevant to the humanitarian/health situation.
• Guides production, collects material, and produces timely content (AV, flash quotes, press releases, tweets, or other relevant types of content,) in accordance with the strategy and budget and in response to rapidly evolving situations of relevance.
• Contributes to content production at headquarter level by supplying material (such as information, testimonies, pictures, videos, etc) to the Communications Advisor (CA) or other communications staff.
• 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.
• Maintains a record of communications production in the country to enhance institutional memory.

Digital and media monitoring

• Uses digital and media monitoring to build, update and strengthen understanding of the media landscape, of audiences, of public narratives of relevance, and to track MSF coverage, and identify misinformation or reputational challenges.
• Ensures that problematic mentions of MSF are promptly reported to operations and/or communications as needed, advises how to address them, and supervises or leads the response.

Internal stakeholder engagement and reporting: 

• In the absence of a Field Communications Coordinator, the FCM is the primary focal point for heads of mission in the country on public communications. The FCM engages with Head of Mission, field coordinators, medical coordinators, and humanitarian affairs, and other relevant operational colleagues, to understand needs, advise on strategy and public messaging, and coordinate requests for communication support. 
• Develops regular reporting mechanisms on planned activities and achieved results.
• In case of other field communications teams in the same country, field comms staff are responsible of informing one another of activities and coordinating the use of common tools, such as digital channels and managing press relations.

Global MSF communications network:

• Provides the MSF communications network with firsthand updates and guidance on the operational and humanitarian situations, advising on communications opportunities and messaging.
• Responds to the MSF communications network's requests by providing content for international use, facilitating journalist visits, or contributing to specific campaigns or fundraising efforts, when possible.

Team management and budget

• When applicable, the FCM manages, supports and supervises staff under their direct responsibility.
• When applicable; the FCM produces an annual communications budget for approval to the Head of Mission and communications department at HQ.

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

MSF operational set-up in the country: 

MSF has 5 operational centres working in Yemen, they are OCG, OCBA, OCP, OCA and OCB. In south of Yemen, OCB is the main section present.

MSF comms set up in the country: 

The communications team in Yemen is not fully intersectional. Every OC has a dedicated FCM/FCO, with the presence of an intersectional social media officer, and potentially an intersectional Field Communications Coordinator. A total of 6 field communications members work in the country. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILL REQUIREMENT

Education:  

• Essential: University degree in a relevant field, such as in journalism, communication development, political science, or international relations.

Experience:        

• Essential: Previous working experience of at least 4 years in communication, journalism or public relations. 
• Essential: Experience in MSF or other International NGOs working in humanitarian Contexts.
• Desirable: Team management.

Languages:          

• Essential: Proficiency in English and Arabic.
• Desirable: Other MSF working languages (French, Arabic, Spanish) considered strong Assets.

COMPETENCES

• Strong Organizational and public communications skills.
• Optimises interaction between MSF and its environment.
• Analyses and interprets contextual variables, applying them to the design, and adapts security rules and security management.
• Acts by example.
• Builds team spirit within the organization.
• Seeks mutual benefit.
• Enables others to organize.
• Makes complex plans and/or analyses.
• Promotes stress management and reduces other people’s stress.
• Develops actions to promote the best response to the needs of MSF.
• Develops actions which stimulate integrating behaviours.
• Commits to MSF and takes actions to influence and develop MSF’s principles.
• Robust expertise in crisis and public relations.
• Strong analytical abilities with a track record in media management, social media/community engagement and disinformation.
• Proven understanding of media operations and strategy implementations.
• Capable of managing and delivering multiple projects simultaneously maintaining high standards under pressure.
• Willingness and able to travel on MSF field locations with a very short notice. 
• Analytical thinking and strategic vision (definition & linking of objectives, audiences, channels & formats),
• Media management relations including media landscape mapping and analysis and Media engagement planning (pitching, dissemination, organisation of press events/briefings). 
• Media monitoring, ability to be a spokesperson and train other spokespersons. 
• Ability to identify strong storylines to tell and turn them into communication products.

How to Apply

Médecins sans Frontières – Coordination 

Applications must be in English language. Candidates should submit a Cover Letter and CV.

Only online Application will be accepted. Please send your application to

 MSFOCB-yemen-jobs@brussels.msf.org

Please write in the subject of the email: “FIELD COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER” 

Deadline for application: 03 March 2025

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. No face-to-face contact or phone contact will be considered. Any documents sent to MSF-OCB (CV, cover letter, copies of diploma, recommendations letters) will not be returned by MSF-OCB.