Associate Director, Content

Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis- affected countries as well as communities throughout Europe and the Americas.

Marketing & Mobilization (M&M), a part of External Relations (ER), is a dynamic team, tasked with overseeing and executing communications and marketing, building the IRC’s global profile and brand, increasing private revenue from deeper donor engagement and partnerships, and influencing our target audiences. In alignment with our Strategy100 commitments, M&M has launched bold multi-year campaigns that raise funding, profile and influence and will improve our share of voice and resonance in key geographies and globally.

The Content and Creative team, a part of M&M, consists of award-winning creative specialists and idea partners, developing powerful communications and experiences to engage audiences and deliver on ER ambitions and objectives. Using creative mediums such as visual design, video, stunts, events, and storytelling, they tap into the expertise and talents of colleagues across the organization

Job Overview:

As a key leader of the Content and Creative team, the Associate Director, Content will build a world-class immersive (digital and offline) content program for the IRC and produce powerful multimedia content designed to connect audiences to the organization’s mission and life-saving work around the world. The incumbent is a dynamic leader who is part creative storyteller and strategist, part hands-on production driver, and a strong operational and people manager. They are also a team builder who strives to attract and nurture outstanding talent and sets up flexible systems that deliver on strategic priorities across the organization.

Reporting to the Sr. Director, Content and Creative, the Associate Director, Content is passionate about storytelling and big creative ideas and works seamlessly across the Communications team and with key partners from other departments to deliver storytelling products that consistently enhance the creative reputation of the IRC and deliver against the organization’s strategic goals.

Major Responsibilities:

• Responsible for taking the overarching narrative of an initiative (campaign, content, brand) and implementing it through a myriad of formats and story ideas over a period of time. By acting as an idea catalyst and creating a culture of generation, crafts stories through video, photography, and new media to achieve branding, communication and fund-raising objectives.
• Builds new content opportunities and products by expertly applying principles of ethical storytelling, showing high degree of comfort with digital content, and exploring new formats and emerging technologies. Shows proficient understanding in how and why content trends in both paid and organic platforms, and applies that knowledge to the IRC’s content strategy.
• Uses knowledge to develop and implement efficient project operations, and partners with the Senior Director in the creation of crucial content and creative strategies. Sets the course for the content team in terms of operational proficiency and excellence, and provides guidance for delivering strategic, forward-thinking results.
• Builds strong relationships both inside and outside the organization. Cultivates, hires and develops a global network of innovative content creators, artists, agencies, production companies and other vendors to tell stories and champion the IRC through their platforms.
• Creates a culture of collaboration and strives to empower the team to create an energized work environment. Provides counsel, mentorship, and leadership to all team members and IRC employees at large, and creates opportunities for team members to grow and develop their skills.
• Solves complex problems by relying on hardcore analysis as well as intuition. Establishes a culture that expects and rewards the uncovering of alternative approaches and methods for achieving greater effectiveness and efficiency, and that seeks constant improvement.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Sr. Director, Content and Creative

Position directly supervises: Sr Content & Production Specialist, Multimedia Producer, Photo Editor, Video Producer

Indirect Resources: Multimedia content creators/producers; global content and social media staff

Job Qualifications:

Education: B.A. (B.F.A.) degree in English, journalism, communications, media or equivalent experience.

Work Experience: 6+ years of experience as Production Executive or Content Strategist in the digital media space directly managing teams, with past experience as a content creator highly preferred.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to tell a story effectively through a range of engagements and bring creative and cultural innovation to the process;
• Strong ability to create, build and make the most out of relationships and effectively work with executive-level client leadership;
• Proven track record with multimedia production in successful campaigns;
• Proven track record with content production in international locations;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, in small and large team settings;
• Demonstrated organizational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle short-term and long-term responsibilities with agility and attention to detail;
• Experience in the development of critical initiatives and in ability to problem-solve for complex matters;
• Mentor and lead junior creative staff through critique of their work to maintain consistent creative quality and award winning work;
• Good roster of agencies, production companies and video crews;
• Previous experience working with A-list talent, and experience working at a non-profit organization a plus.

Key Tools:

• Proficient in motion content and digital content creation;
• Proven experience with Adobe Creative Cloud products – Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator;
• Ability to analyze Google and YouTube analytics;
• Experience with YouTube Creator Studio;
• Presentation software such as Powerpoint, Keynote;
• Experience using digital asset management tools such as WebDAM a plus.

Working Environment: Standard office work environment with opportunities for remote work.

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits.  In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.