United States of America | Communications Officer

Closing date: 27 Jan 2012

PURPOSE OF POSITION

Summary:

Action Against Hunger’s External Relations Dept. seeks a Communications Officer to coordinate media outreach, cultivate press relations, support ongoing PR efforts, and write/edit for a range of content and communications needs. ACF seeks an innovative applicant able to thrive in a fast-paced environment while helping the organization enhance its visibility in the U.S. to meet its external communications objectives. The E.R. Dept. thrives on teamwork and personal initiative and offers opportunities for career advancement.

Objective:

The Communications Officer supports ACF’s humanitarian mandate by positioning the agency as a leading resource on global malnutrition, enhancing ACF’s visibility in the media, and producing quality content for a range of audiences. Reporting to the E.R.’s Deputy Director, the Communications Officer supports the Dept.’s broader marketing efforts: working closely with the online marketing team and liaising with Program staff; publishing professional, audience-specific content; designing and implementing communications strategies; and developing and delivering clear messaging in support of ACF’s public relations efforts, educational outreach programs, and online marketing activities.

Salary: D.O.E.; Dental and Health Care; generous vacation package

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop & Manage ACF Communications Assets Routine Communications Materials: Write, edit, and vet press releases, letters-to-the-editor, op-eds, talking points, public speeches, and other routine institutional communications Email & Web Content: Produce a range of online content—blog posts, human interest stories, and program updates; write copy and suggest content for fundraising emails; and provide messaging, copyediting, and other support for ACF’s various on- and offline communications needs.
Blog Strategy: Develop and execute ACF’s blog strategy to increase readership and establish ACF as a thought leader. Working with the online marketing team, incorporate stories from the field, edit content from ACF’s humanitarian experts, and develop routine creative and evergreen blog posts.
Print Publications: Write and edit articles for a variety of institutional publications, including a quarterly newsletter, annual reports, institutional presentations and messaging.
Multimedia Content: Write and edit video and audio scripts documenting ACF’s humanitarian impact; coordinate video production in the field; and support other multimedia efforts as needs arise.

Develop & Manage Public Relations Tools & Infrastructure Press Relations: Arrange interviews with headquarters and field staff; pitch profiles and stories to journalists and bloggers; enhance media outreach strategies; and respond to general press inquiries.
Manage & Develop Press Database: Manage ACF’s online media database, targeted spreadsheets of key journalists, brand-monitoring software, and the dissemination of ACF statements and positions.
Develop Public Relations Collateral: Strengthen ACF’s identity and public reputation by clarifying policy positions and developing institutional messaging on core issues.
Support Media Training for Select Staff: Provide basic media training for field and headquarters staff; brief and prepare staff for interviews, interactions with journalists, etc.

Other Duties Manage Communications Staff: Recruit, hire, and manage a range of Communications interns, and supervise a full-time Communications Associate.
Internal Resource to ACF: Attend weekly Program “pool” meetings for updates on ACF’s field activities; act as a resource to the E.R. Dep. and to other ACF headquarters on ACF-USA programs.
Liaise with Field & Headquarter Staff: Provide regular updates to field staff on Communications matters; coordinate with other ACF headquarters on new content, press work, feature stories, and communications initiatives.

REQUIREMENTS

Attentive to detail with excellent verbal and written communications skills
Demonstrated success in conceiving and executing public relations efforts
Portfolio of professional writing samples
Works well independently with direction from others
Minimum four years experience in public relations or communications; or some combination as a journalist and PR/communications practitioner
Bachelor’s degree; journalism major preferred and/or master’s level communications degree
Willing to stay abreast of professional standards, trends and issues affecting this set of responsibilities

Preferred Knowledge of French and/or Spanish
Demonstrated experience writing and editing blogs
Knowledge of the humanitarian field
Video production/editing skills

Performance Expectations Flexible, diligent and high integrity professional
Works well within a team setting and with others
Able to negotiate positively with others
Ability to learn and be productive quickly
Passionate about the organization and enjoys problem solving
Able to effectively prioritize multiple tasks
Actively contribute to the growth of Action Against Hunger
Desire to help build a world-class organization

How to apply:

Application Deadline: January 27, 2012 Online Submission: Please submit resume, cover letter and two writing samples at www.actionagainsthunger.org/about/employment/job-opportunities

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