Communication and External Relation Officer (Islamic Relief Indonesia - Jakarta Based)

ISLAMIC RELIEF  PURPOSE:

To promote sustainable economic and social development through development programmes, helping the needy regardless of race, religion or gender. 

Background

IR Indonesia was established in the year 2003. Since then, Islamic Relief has delivered a wide range of emergency relief, recovery and developmental activities across working areas in Aceh, Banten, NTB, Jogjakarta, West Sumatra and West Java. Islamic Relief is currently implementing a Child Welfare Programme in Aceh and longer term development programme in NTB within DRR, WASH, Sustainable Livelihoods, and Child Welfare sectors. The NTB office was only re-established in February 2014.

Since 2014, a range of inter-linking interventions have been delivered with resounding success and lasting impact on our beneficiaries. While this is very encouraging, there is a need to capture field updates, case studies, beneficiary testimonials and progress reports in a more organized and structured manner for onwards dissemination to the donors, general public, relevant government departments etc.

Additionally, IRI has recently developed a 5 year sustainable integrated development programme to provide durable solutions to climate change affected rural communities in Lombok and a Child Welfare Programme for Aceh province. To facilitate fundraising efforts, there are considerations  to develop a media and communication plan and relevant visibility material to showcase programme activities with a focus on ‘Impact, ‘innovation’ and ‘added-value of an Islamic-faith based NGO in relief and development

Purpose

With the above background, Islamic Relief seeks a competent communication and external relation staff to develop marketing products capturing Islamic Relief’s vision, mission and activities in Indonesia with a major focus on Impact, Innovation and added-value of Islamic Faith-Based Organization in Indonesia.

Major responsibilities:

·         Develop and implement a visibility and communication strategy for IR Indonesia.

·         Build up concrete contact and network with key national and local media representatives primarily in Aceh, NTB, and Country Office – Jakarta.

·         Produce communications materials in a timely and accurate manner and dispense it to targeted audiences primarily in Indonesia, UK and donor countries.

·         Plan and organize public communication activities primarily in NTB, Aceh and Jakarta for IR Indonesia visibility and acceptance building while highlighting of the humanitarian activities identity of the organization.

·         Promote public events and other visibility activities of IRI primarily in NTB, Aceh and Jakarta, as well as support the communication need of IR Worldwide.

·         Develop field updates, case studies, project briefs for donor reports or proposal development.

·         Develop, maintain, and update IRI social media regularly.

Some of the perceived outputs envisaged in the year 2015-2018 include

1. Communication strategy:

Develop a communications strategy for IR Indonesia. The strategy will be derived from the organization’s global c communication strategy capturing IR Indonesia project activities while ensuring that awareness of the humanitarian needs of beneficiaries as well as the actions taken by IR to address them come to communities-friendly solutions, increase support for the response and, where necessary, assist with fundraising.

Duties & Tasks

·         Develop, maintain and update the country communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.

·         Maintain close collaboration with IR Asian Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

2. Media relations:

The Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web, photo etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of IR Indonesia’s cooperation.

Duties & Tasks

·         Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for IRI development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.

·         Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.

·         Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.

·         Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.

·         Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats (Press releases, feature stories etc). Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.

·         Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.

·         Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings

3. Networking and partnerships:

The Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists, groups, organizations and for whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives. Effective working relationships with the IRW and IR counterparts are developed, maintained and enhanced.

Duties & Tasks

·         Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with media partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing, reporting etc.

·         Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.

·         Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.

·         Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.

4. Global priorities, Special Events, and Campaigns:

The Country Office has an effective process in place for integrating and taking action on IR’s global communications priorities, campaigns (such as qurbani and ramadhan), and partnerships, disseminating these elements in a locally-appropriate way.

Duties & Tasks

·         Support IR Indonesia global communications objectives and strategies through the development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.

·         Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results.

·         Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in Asian regional offices and headquarters divisions.

·         Take lead in the implementation of IRI Seasonal Programs e.g. Ramadhan Package and Qurbany.

·         Facilitating Country Director for renewal arrangement in line with Administrative issue (MoU extension, etc)

·         Develop, maintain and strengthen relations with other agencies working in the same geographical area.

5. Management:

Human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.

Duties & Tasks

·         Develop a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.

·         Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.

·         Identify, recruit and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary. Conduct and Implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.

·         Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation as well reporting.

6. Monitoring and evaluation:

Communication baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared.

Duties & Tasks

·         Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.

·         Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.

·         Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings by reporting development with country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit IRI’s communication work.

7. Capacity building and support:

The country programme teams are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of external relations communication as required.

Duties & Tasks

·         Advise IRI management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.

·         Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.

·         Assist the Country Director in the development of communication tools and/or strategies, reporting and proposal writing. Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.

·         Monthly written summary of main achievements and outstanding key outputs.

·         Other duties as assigned by the Line Managers.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

·         Bachelor degree from social sciences.

·         Experience in designing and producing media and visibility products for reputed clients.

·         Experience of providing similar services to INGOs or large national NGOs is highly desired. (Candidates are encouraged to share samples of their past work)

·         Strong organizational skills and to manage multiple tasks effectively and efficiently.

·         Solid knowledge of and experience in project management and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

·         Have working relationships with leading national print and electronic journalists.

·         High-level interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills, including experience in cross-cultural environment and international settings.

·         Commitment to teamwork and collaborative work practices.

·         Computer literate.

·         Excellent command of Bahasa Indonesia and English, written and spoken.

·         Jakarta based

KEY COMPETENCIES

·         High level writing and researching skills for preparing and writing media releases, corporate reports, editorial, presentations, speeches and strategic communication documents, presenting detailed and complex information in plain English.

·         Experience and a solid understanding of media relations and issues management in both emerging and traditional mediums with particular reference to new social media program.

·         Able to maintain good relationship with government agencies/institutions at all levels, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Islamic Relief is an equal opportunity employer and all recruitments are processed without any prejudice due to color, race, religion or gender. The successful candidate must understand and respect the Organization’s core values and adopt follow necessary guidelines for interaction with beneficiaries; particularly women and children.

If you meet the above requirements kindly send ONLY your Application letter and detailed CV including recommendations from 3 referees (one of them your immediate former employer) to:hrislamic@islamic-relief.or.id. Please put the job title and your name in subject of your email.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Closing date: 7 February 2016