Islamic Relief Worldwide is an independent humanitarian and development organisation, serving humanity for over 37 years. With an active presence in over 40 countries across the globe, we strive to make the world a better and fairer place for those affected by poverty, conflicts and natural disasters.
IRW is recruiting for the position of 'Head of Media & External Relations’ to join its dynamic team. The role has the option to be stationed from our London or Birmingham office, we are currently working from home on a temporary basis due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Job Purpose:
· Lead on impactful media work that supports the wider divisional and organisational strategies and priorities, whilst strengthening IRW’s global external relations function in collaboration with key stakeholders and leading partner offices in Europe, North America, Middle East, and the ERA divisional advocacy team.
· Supporting key global media and advocacy campaigns on priority issues like gender justice, climate change and humanitarian emergency response.
· Develop and deliver the media and external relations strategies and annual global calendar that realises the full potential of media, social media, events and other external engagement initiatives that help to build the Islamic Relief brand, reach new audiences, communicate key messages, and increase donor and campaigner engagement.
· Writing and then overseeing the implementation of all relevant policies (such as the social media policy) across the IRW family.
· Working closely with the External Relations and Advocacy Director, as well as the General Counsel and the Senior Communications Advisor, to protect and build Islamic Relief’s profile and reputation internationally.
The successful candidate must have or be:
· Educated to degree level in a relevant subject/discipline such as journalism or political science
· Significant experience of leading and managing media relations and social media engagement for a high-profile organisation – including crisis management
· Substantial experience of staff management, coordination and performance management
· Experience of developing and managing communications strategies and coordinating budgets
· Extensive knowledge of international media and of media needs and trends and skilled in securing media coverage and in responding effectively to diverse media enquiries
· Literate in the workings of social media and proficient in the use of social media/digital platforms
· Able to write engagingly and persuasively for a variety of external audiences
· Able to assimilate complex information swiftly and communicate it accurately and with clarity
· Good understanding of international advocacy, especially at a UN level, government affairs and political sensitivities
· Strong knowledge and understanding of the charity and international NGO/humanitarian sectors – including current trends, challenges, opportunities and networks
· Significant experience of external engagement through summits, conferences and other events
· Understanding of multimedia landscape and ability to commission, produce and distribute video, audio and other visual content to drive strategic objectives
· Significant experience of supporting the development and media rollout of advocacy campaigns
· Experience of developing media/communications training modules and delivering training
For more information, please click on the Documents tab above to view the full Job Description.
If you are talented, reliable, service-minded, resilient and a highly motivated professional looking for a meaningful career, with a strong commitment to IRW’s mission and values of sincerity, excellence, compassion, social justice and custodianship, please apply by completing our online application form.
For more information on the excellent company benefits we offer our employees, please visit:
https://www.islamic-relief.org/work-with-us/what-we-offer/
PLEASE NOTE: Interviews are expected to take place on 10/02/2022.
Pre-employment Checks:
Any employment with Islamic Relief will be subject to the following checks:
- screening clearance
- proof of eligibility to live and work within the UK
- criminal records check
- receipt of satisfactory references
Please note, for UK-based roles, we are only able to accept applications from candidates who are eligible to work in the UK. We are unable to progress applications that would require sponsorship.
Our values and commitment to safeguarding
IRW is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom IRW engages. IRW expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records checks. IRW also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.
In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.
By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Applicants should be sympathetic to the values of Islamic Relief:
(Sincerity, Excellence, Compassion, Social Justice and Custodianship)
Islamic Relief is an equal opportunities employer