Communications Officer

The IRC in EUROPE

IRC Belgium leads on the IRC's engagement with the EU institutions. Our priority is to ensure that EU policy and legislation meets the needs of those affected by conflict and disaster. We use the IRC’s learning and experience to shape EU humanitarian, development and migration policies in ways that improve the lives of more people worldwide, and to ensure that EU funding is targeted effectively.

IRC Belgium is part of a strong and flourishing European network, working closely with our offices in Germany, UK, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden and Serbia. The Europe Communications team currently consists of fourteen staff working across media, partnerships, brand, content and digital communications, based across the UK, Sweden and Germany offices.

 Key Accountabilities 

Digital communications (40%)

• Work with the Policy & Advocacy team and Digital Communications team to identify newsworthy moments relating to our work and brand through which to engage our online audience and on digital campaigning opportunities
• Lead on analytics for the IRC’s EU website and Twitter channel, bringing performance data to review meetings, creating and tracking KPIs and taking a data-driven approach to testing and optimisation

Website:

• Manage Rescue-EU.org: lead on website strategy, editorial and analytics. Liaise with IT on technical/design issues, create unique content that showcases the IRC’s work in Brussels, and ensure adherence to the IRC’s site design best practice. Keep abreast of content created by the global Communications teams and repurpose for Brussels’ audiences as necessaryImplement and manage an SEO strategy to improve the site’s visibility. Help establish IRC Belgium’s Google AdWords grant account

Twitter

•  Manage the IRC’s EU Twitter account @RESCUE_EU: create and implement a channel strategy, lead on day-to-day management, keep abreast of trends and developments in the Brussels space and find creative ways to engage. Maintain a dialogue with global social media colleagues to ensure coordination as necessary and to share learnings/ideas
• Explore opportunities for digital partnerships to increase the visibility of our channels. Create and cultivate a network of relevant influencers who can help amplify our content on Twitter
• Use own initiative to identify and respond to reputational issues on social media, liaising with the Head of Digital Communications
• Provide digital and social media training to colleagues as required, encouraging them to be active on Twitter

Digital content:

• Create graphics that are tailored to our Brussels audience, ensuring they are in line with our brand and best practice
• Use basic video editing skills to subtitle media clips or short videos for digital channels
• With digital content colleagues, come up with creative ideas to ensure our messages cut through in the Brussels space

 Media (30%)

• Working closely with the IRC Europe Media Manager and Policy and Advocacy team, secure coverage of the IRC in Brussels-based media outlets, liaising closely with communications colleagues and contributing to the IRC’s media KPIs in Europe
• Build and maintain a network of Brussels-based journalists with interest in the IRC’s work, proactively pitching and securing coverage on European advocacy priority areas and adapting global products for the Brussels audience. Proactively seeking opportunities to land coverage positioning IRC as a thought leader in the Brussels media space
• Work with Policy & Advocacy colleagues to produce clear external facing messaging on core issues, ensure reports and other materials produced are media-friendly to maximise potential for public attention and engagement. This includes feeding into public advocacy ideas at the concept stage and reviewing drafts of reports to help bring out the media angle. Ensure that IRC spokespeople for Brussels-based media are fully trained and briefed ahead of media appearances, liaising with other Europe and global communications colleagues
• Contribute to the IRC Europe daily media review and ad hoc media coverage reports as required. Lead on tracking of Brussels media KPIs, ensuring these outputs are captured in our overall Europe communications results.

Internal communications (15%)

• Collate information and produce updates about the work of Brussels colleagues for the fortnightly IRC Europe staff newsletter.
• Draft and produce updates and other materials for RescueNet, the IRC’s intranet, to ensure that the work of the Brussels Office is known and understood across the IRC network.
• Contribute to the weekly global communications newsletter, providing updates on Brussels communications work.
• Input to the Communications team planner, Airtable, to ensure that Brussels-based communications activities are known and planned for.
• Amplify visits of senior IRC staff to Brussels to ensure that communications opportunities are maximised, as appropriate.

Administration and ad hoc communications activity (15%)

• Manage the communications aspects of Brussels-based events, ensuring that communications materials and content are in place and that events contribute to communications KPIs
• Support the Europe Communications team on institutional donor engagement and visibility requirements where required
• Manage the budget for communications projects led by the Brussels office, liaising with Finance and other colleagues as required to ensure that suppliers are paid and budget lines are kept on track
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with external suppliers such as designers and printers, acting as the main point of contact and using them to deliver work as required
• Provide general administrative support on communications projects to the Head of Brussels Office as required

Key Working Relationships 

• Reports to the Head of IRC Belgium and the Director of Communications - Europe.
• Works very closely with the Brussels-based Policy and Advocacy team and the IRC Europe Communications team, as well as other the wider Europe Policy and Advocacy Team and colleagues based in the Brussels office representing other IRC departments.
• Close co-ordination with Policy and Advocacy colleagues in New York and Washington DC, and with global Media and Communications colleagues.