Field Communications Manager (FCM)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, humanitarian, non-governmental organisation providing assistance to people in need as a result of natural and man-made disasters, irrespective of race, religion, ideology or politics.

We are seeking to employ a candidate for the following position: Field Communications Manager (FCM)

Place of work: Erbil/ Baghdad
Deadline for application: 23/05/2021

Main purpose of the job:
To define, implement, coordinate and supervise all operational communication activities according to MSF standards in the mission/ or during an emergency. The intersectional FCM aims at building MSF’s public profile in mission country. 

Accountabilities:

Strategy Building

• Under supervision of the HOM(s) and in cooperation with the Communications Advisors in HQs the intersectional FCM defines the communications strategy for Iraq,
• Advises on public positioning in Iraq and remains reactive to emergencies and crisis communications.
• The FCM promotes the visibility of the organization, improving awareness of its principles and work, reinforcing information on MSF activities among communities, in line with the strategic objectives of communications and operations.
• The FCM should have the capacity to identify key cross cutting issues across MSF operations which are relevant to communications and to advise on public positioning.
• He /she will develop guidelines for dealing with crisis communications and have the capacity to remain reactive to emergencies.
• Provide communications advice on regional issues: advise the field on specific communications issues relevant for the country.
• Timely flagging of communications opportunities and risks (that may require reactive support)

• Act as media focal point for MSF in Iraq
• Profile MSF’s work, projects, and concerns on humanitarian crises in Iraq among local, regional and international media.
• Facilitate and Organize press briefings for local, international and regional press
• Advise on media opportunities and flag best dissemination strategies for getting MSF communication covered by correspondents.
• Facilitate journalists’ field visits to MSF projects and pitch key issues / projects to journalists.
• Act as a spokesperson for MSF communication if need be
• Coach MSF spokespeople and provide media training for any field staff dealing with the media in the region
• In emergencies with high media pressure the (E) FCM is able to act as a spokesperson to take interview pressure away from the field teams.
• The FCM advises missions and project teams on context developments and issues that may require public positioning from MSF.
• The FCM is the focal point for all communications matters for MSF, in Iraq, and from across the MSF movement.

• The FCM in Iraq manages a team of two officers.
• He/she sets priorities for the team, and follows up on implementation of tasks and responsibilities
• He/she sets objectives for each member of the team, and conducts evaluations of team members’ performances in a timely manner.
• The FCM is responsible for the personal and professional development plans for the team members
• The FCM will produce a yearly communications budget meant to support identified and agreed com priorities. This budget will be submitted for approval to the Head of Mission(s) and coms department at HQ.

• The FCM liaises with communications staff from other organizations and institutions, and will monitor and analyse the communication lines developed by actors of importance for MSF (authorities, armed groups, other NGOs...).
• In coordination with the members of the comms team, the FCM facilitates international media visit to MSF projects and he/she organizes media events (Press conference, Press briefing...) in collaboration with MSF international communication network.
• The FCM briefs spokespersons and assesses media training needs for key staff in the mission.
• He/she can play the role of a spokesperson when seen as opportune and necessary.
• The FCM produces strategic reports on the local media landscape and regularly reports on new developments. He/she provides guidance on how to deal with local media at time of crisis, and will develop guidelines for dealing with such crises through in-country media.

• The FCM advises on which communications tools to choose according to objective, message and audience at local and national levels. He/she supervises the production of multimedia and comms contents (leaflets, brochures, posters, radio spots, articles, photos, videos.) according to strategy and budget.
• The FCM helps producing international comms content by providing data, information, quotes, testimonies, pictures, videos and other means to the CA or the com person in charge of writing international comms contents at headquarter level.
• The FCM tracks and archives communications production on the country to build institutional memory

• The FCM actively promotes the diffusion of MSF content in the country. Under the supervision of the Head(s) of Mission, the FCM identifies communications opportunities using MSF comms network production (from List_Press) or returning staff to pitch content on MSF activities in the country and other countries