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Communications Adviser Iraq (For Nationals Only)

Erbil

  • Organization: NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council
  • Location: Erbil
  • Grade: Senior level - Senior
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Communication and Public Information
  • Closing Date: Closed

Since the Government of Iraq declared that combat operations against the Islamic State Group (IS) had ended in 2017, Iraq has been recovering from the significant damage and destruction caused by the armed conflict. Of the more than six million Iraqis who fled their homes since 2014, 4.78 million Iraqis have returned to their area of origin and 1.28 million remain internally displaced. Many Iraqis have returned to areas that lack basic infrastructure, services and livelihood opportunities, or where explosive devices have not been cleared. Other challenges returnees and secondarily displaced people face include the lack of security, community acceptance, housing, property and civil documentation issues as well as critical educational and health service gaps. Throughout this, Iraq continues to host over a quarter of a million Syrian refugees.

The UN estimates that more than 4.1 million Iraqis will have needed assistance in 2020, 1.77 million of them in acute need. With military operations against IS group having ended, the Iraqi government faces new challenges to ensure an inclusive reconstruction and reconciliation that will sustain peace.

Since 2010, NRC Iraq has been assisting internally displaced Iraqis, Syrian refugees, returnees, and host communities in Ninewa, Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk, Basra, Salahdeen and Anbar Governorates. We focus on assisting the newly displaced, those experiencing protracted displacement in camps, people moving to new areas of Iraq and resettling, and people returning to and living in hard-to-reach places by improving their chance of obtaining a durable solution. NRC runs integrated programmes across Iraq to respond to people in need through our shelter and settlements, education, camp management, legal assistance, livelihoods, cash activities, and partnerships.

Despite the end of the armed conflict with ISIS in end 2017, large numbers of Iraqi’s impacted by the conflict are trying to rebuild their lives. Many still face danger or are stuck in a protracted displacement situation. A large proportion of the displaced have returned to their area of origin. NRC Iraq works with all the populations in need including IDPs in and out of camps, returnees and host communities. In addition, NRC supports Syrian refugees in Iraq as well as populations impacted by climate-change induced displacement.

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Duties and responsibilities

The Communications Advisor will provide overall leadership, management and strategic direction to NRC’s policy and communications work in Iraq; will guide NRC’s communication and media activities in support of NRC Iraq Advocacy Strategy; initiating and helping deliver high quality communications products and resources to a wide and diverse range of audiences; coordinate the implementation of external communication and media; assist and support in the development of advocacy products and ensure quality in publications for the NRC Iraq Country Office; utilise opportunities to highlight NRC’s work and messages through media and communications products in line with NRC Iraq’s Advocacy Strategy and Regional Office Communications plans; and act as a focal point in place of the Advocacy Manager when needed.

Generic responsibilities: 

  • Adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures.
  • Develop Country Office Communications and Media Plan.
  • Provide regular progress reports to the Advocacy Manager.
  • Promote and share ideas for improvement and necessary changes in the activities.
  • Ensure capacity building of project staff and transfer key skills in developing communication materials and engaging with the media.
  • Promote the rights of displaced Iraqis in line with the advocacy strategy.
  • Oversee the production of publications such as reports, fact sheets, beneficiary communications materials, newsletter, and other internal and beneficiary communications outputs.

Specific responsibilities: 

  • Manage the planning, development and coordination of external communication (public information, communication, reporting) and media (international, regional and local media and social media) strategy and support advocacy proposal to advance programmatic and advocacy objectives.
  • Ensure the delivery of quality communication products in English and Arabic (webstories, press releases, infographics, photo-stories b-roll etc.).
  • Regularly create content for NRC’s social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and for NRC´s website.
  • Regularly travel to NRC´s field offices, including in Baghdad, to cover and collect advocacy and media material from NRC distributions, programmes and field work.
  • Serve as one of NRC’s official spokespersons for media in Iraq.
  • Promote NRC Iraq in national, regional and international media for advocacy and programme purposes, including through maintaining a network of journalists in Iraq and the region who cover conflict and humanitarian issues in Iraq.
  • Support field teams with the preparation for external visits to NRC field activities by media, donors and others, ensuring NRC’s media guidelines and policies are observed.
  • In coordination with the Advocacy Manager, the Regional Media Adviser and Head of Media and Communication at Head Office, develop coherent and strategic communications and media work in line with the Country Office’s strategy and in support of the Advocacy Strategy.
  • Conduct training to build skills among program staff including media focal points.
  • Liaise closely with the programme teams to ensure that NRC’s work is featured appropriately in various online and print platforms.
  • Support the collection of advocacy content and the production of reports and briefs, by working with programs and field teams to conduct research in support of advocacy strategy.
  • Be an active member of NRC´s Global Communication Network.
  • Ability to cover in the absence of the Advocacy Manager.

Critical interfaces:

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

  • Country Office: Country Director, Head of Programmes, Area Managers, Programmes Specialists
  • Regional Office: Regional Media Adviser, Regional Advocacy Manager
  • Representation and Liaison Offices
  • Head Office, Oslo, Norway: External Relations Department, Policy and Partnership Department (Policy and Advocacy Section)

Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

Required Professional Competencies:

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

  • Minimum 5 years working in media, communications, press relations or advocacy within a humanitarian context.
  • Bachelor degree in journalism, communications, or a relevant field.
  • Previous experience working in complex and volatile contexts.
  • Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
  • Fluency in Arabic, both written and spoken is a plus.
  • Photography, video, and social media skills are highly desirable.
  • Experience in writing communications, advocacy, and/or campaign strategic plans.
  • Experience in working on refugee issues in a communications and advocacy capacity.
  • Experience in storytelling across different media and platforms.
  • Experience working directly with, and in, refugee and/or vulnerable communities, with extensive time spent in the field.
  • Knowledge of Iraq context and regional government structures specifically as they pertain to refugee issues and vulnerable communities is a plus.
  • Knowledge and experience with NRC is a plus.

Required Behavioural Competencies:

These personal qualities influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, the following are essential for this position:

  • Strategic thinking
  • Empowering and building trust
  • Working with people
  • Initiating action and change
  • Analysing
  • Handling insecure environments

Performance Management:

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

  • The Job Description
  • The Work and Development Plan
  • The NRC Competency Framework

We Can Offer

- Contract period: 12 months renewable based on funding
- Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s salary scale and terms and conditions
- Duty station: Erbil, Iraq

THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO IRAQI NATIONALS ONLY!

We will review applications on an ongoing basis, interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.

This vacancy is now closed.
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