Associate Director, Global Public Affairs & Communications

Background

Marketing & Mobilization

Marketing & Mobilization (M&M) is a dynamic team that is tasked with building the IRC’s global profile and brand, increasing private revenue from deeper donor engagement and partnerships, and influencing our target audiences. The team is responsible for all of IRC's brand, communications, creative and content and digital engagement efforts. In alignment with our Strategy100 commitments, M&M has launched compelling multi-year campaigns that raise funding, profile and influence and will improve our share of voice and resonance in key geographies and globally. Lastly, they consistently work on innovating the IRC brand, which enables us to increase awareness, understanding of and support for our work so that we can raise more money and change policies to improve our crisis-affected clients’ lives around the world.

Global Public Affairs & Communications

Global Public Affairs, a part of the Marketing & Mobilization (M&M) team, targets priority IRC markets and audiences to advance and protect our policy goals, brand and profile. It's a key part of external messaging and product development, distribution and coordination for External Relations. The team drives proactive and reactive earned media (broadcast, digital & print) to support policy and income objectives, while also using frontline storytelling to advance our cause.

Job Overview/Job Summary:

The Global Public Affairs (GPA) team sits within the Marketing and Mobilization Department within IRC External Relations. The GPA team delivers strategic IRC messaging, earned media, frontline storytelling, campaign management, and emergency/crisis communications across strategic IRC markets/audiences globally.

As a key leader in the IRC's Global Public Affairs & Communications Team, the Associate Director, Global Public Affairs (GPA) will develop and lead on key global external relations strategies and proactive moments that drive policy, income, profile and brand objectives for the IRC across priority global markets, including the US, UK and Germany.

This position can be based at the IRC's headquarters in New York, or remotely anywhere within the United States working to eastern time zone working hours.

Major Responsibilities:

●Build internal teams across global departments and geographies and implement key external facing campaigns and GPA priorities, focused on key themes that cut across global IRC markets and teams, like Climate Change and Gender, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.

●Incorporate, influence and collaborate on priorities of other External Relations teams and objectives, including global policy and advocacy and fundraising.

●Deploy excellent analysis and writing/design skills that deliver: killer internal strategy memos/presentations; pitches that land IRC-led features, high-level IRC messages for cross-organizational use, top tier landing op-eds, and talking points for spokespeople.

●Step in as needed in emergency moments with flexibility and an ability to pick up new tracks of work and issues quickly, including reputation/crisis management.

●Provide key insights and execution capacity across key “earned” GPA disciplines globally, especially media relations, executive communications, messaging development, campaigning, reputation/crisis management and strategic planning

●Advise on raising the profile of key “whole of IRC” internal projects that will shape global external relations efforts, like the new IRC Strategy (Strategy 100)

●Partner with Digital Engagement and Creative Studio to coordinate digital content aligning to proactive moments working closely with digital communication technical specialists on distribution and measurement as appropriate.

●Produce and/or feed into ad hoc / quarterly reporting on GPA results using industry standard metrics and bench-marking.

●Deliver executive communications for key IRC's leaders, including the CEO, as needed.

●Expand and nurture IRC’s communications network.

●Represent the IRC as a spokesperson to external and internal audiences as required

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Sr Director, Global Public Affairs & Communications
Position directly supervises: new / consultant resources as required

Indirect Reporting: Oversees new / consultant resources as required
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Marketing and Mobilization teams including writers, content creators and digital specialists; Global Policy and Advocacy colleagues, Fundraisers, IRC Program and Technical colleagues
External:  Work with communications / public affairs industry influencers, media organizations at leadership and journalist/producer levels, counterparts at other NGOs, other strategic influencers re the aid/development sector

Job Requirements:

Education:

Minimum:  Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, international affairs or related field

Work Experience:

Minimum:   Seven to ten years of professional experience in public affairs and communications, preferably with a focus on international or political affairs, or issues that cross with the humanitarian sector.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

Minimum: 

●The Associate Director must demonstrate a creative and strategic approach to problem solving, prioritization and project management

●A track record of project leadership that drives team collaboration, efficiency, accountability and sector-leading results

●The ability to navigate ambiguity, as well as multiple projects and competing priorities at once

●Ability to work effectively, efficiently, diplomatically and calmly in a high-pressure environment on issues that are often complex and politically sensitive, bringing global teams together with diverse cultures and perspectives

●Deep knowledge and experience of working successfully with international media covering international and/or political issues and proven track-record of results.

●Experience working with organizational leadership on executive visibility plans

●Building/presenting communications and public affairs strategies, presentations and results internally and to external partners

●Experience in producing and editing, under tight-deadlines, accurate and dynamic messaging and external materials including press-releases, op-eds, talking points and digital content.

Working Environment: 

●Work from home / standard office work environment

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.