SOS Children’s Villages International is the umbrella organisation for the global federation of SOS Children’s Villages. As a non-governmental social development organisation we help children without parental care and families in difficult living conditions through services in care, education, health and emergency relief, and we advocate for children’s rights. We work in 136 countries and territories, reaching over one million children, young people, families and caregivers each year.

Mission

As a member of the Newsroom, the Communications Advisor works closely with the Global Emergency Response team to produce timely, factual and engaging content around the topics of emergency response, migration and refugees and crises that potentially threaten the programmes of SOS Children’s Villages or may lead to an emergency response. During emergencies, the advisor supports the organisation’s member associations with their national media outreach activities and fundraising.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an emergency communications strategy
• From the Vienna office or in the field, create and coordinate multimedia content on global emergencies, their impact on our programmes and our response
• Write, distribute and pitch statements, press releases and opinion editorials to targeted international and online media
• Provide media training to SOS Children’s Villages International spokespeople in the International and Regional Offices
• Coordinate a global network of freelance multimedia professionals and manage their deployment when required
• Manage media relations for the International Office of SOS Children’s Villages International and respond to media queries
• Support the introduction of a media monitoring and journalist database tool

Requirements

• Master’s degree in journalism or communications, or an undergraduate degree with comparable experience
• Minimum of five years’ work experience in journalism, public information and communication or media outreach and media relations, preferably in a humanitarian context
• Experience in developing and implementing communication strategies
• Experience working within multilateral settings (e.g. UN, EU, civil society)
• Excellent English writing and editing skills combined with the ability to compile press releases and op-eds and quickly convey and adapt information to the needs of the intended audiences
• Excellent inter-personal skills and ability to work collaboratively in a multicultural environment, involving people from different countries and professional backgrounds
• Experience in emergency reporting
• Knowledge of other languages is an asset
• Experience in fundraising for emergency assistance is an asset
• Applicants must hold a valid Austrian working permit or be eligible to work within the EU

We offer

• A diverse range of interesting tasks in a leading INGO multicultural working environment
• As a responsible employer we provide a range of training schemes and encourage educational enhancement
• A salary that will be commensurate with experience and qualifications

If you are interested in this position, please send your detailed e-mail application in English by 30 June 2019 at the latest to personal@sos-kd.org, SOS Children’s Villages International, www.sos-childrensvillages.org/