COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR – Focus MENA region

Médecins Sans Frontières, an international medical and humanitarian association, founded in 1971, provides medical assistance to population faced with crises endangering their survival. These crises typically take the form of armed conflict and include epidemics, natural catastrophes and even exclusion from healthcare. The French section of MSF is present in some thirty countries worldwide.

MSF OCP is currently looking for a COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR – Focus MENA region – Open-ended contract – Based in Paris or Dubai.

Mission:

Under the responsibility of the Operational Communications Coordinator, you initiate, manage and coordinates MSF’s communication actions with a specific focus on the MENA region (Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Syria). Depending on the workload, the Communications Advisor (CA) will also be dedicated to handle emergencies and other contexts of intervention.

Key responsibilities:

Your main employment activities, which require a regular presence on MSF’s fields of intervention, are as below:

Participate to the definition of MSF’s Communications strategy:

• Identify potential Communication actions based on the operational events within his/her

perimeter (country portfolio and thematic working areas);

• Participate in the definition of MSF’s communication strategy;
• Stimulate reflection within MSF regarding the issues in his/her perimeter.

Support the implementation of Communications projects:

• Collect and analyse information and contents (photos, texts, etc.) and make them available to the relevant MSF Comms production units and media;
• Formalise the Communications initiatives – upon approval by relevant interlocutor(s) – and implement them as a Comms project:

-Outline the objectives in terms of Communications strategy (messages, targets, channels, tools) in collaboration with production / media relations units;

-Manage/coordinate the Communication project until its assessment;

• Ensure media / context monitoring, and flag relevant topics / items, on the themes and communication issues within his/her perimeter.

Provide counselling and support to MSF field teams and operational cells:

• Advise and support the field Communications staff and the Operational cells in their decision

making with regard to the Communications strategy;

• Ensure the implementation of the Communication strategy in his / her country portfolio –

coordinating, where appropriate, with his/her peers within the MSF movement;

• Provide technical support to field Communications staff;
• Share and promote MSF’s Communication tools and good practices.

Transfer of Communications skills to Operational field staff:

• Contribute to the Communications training of MSF field coordinators;
• Stimulate and initiate the relevant initiatives to build MSF public positioning within the field

coordination teams.

Profile:

Training/Experience:

At least three years of professional experience in a similar position.

Humanitarian field experience is mandatory, and MSF experience is a strong asset.

Skills and abilities: Good writing skills as well as strong synthesis and analytical capabilities.

Requirements: Ability to work autonomously, and in a transversal and participative manner.

Languages: Fluency in English C1 minimum. French and/or Arabic an asset.

Status: Full-time open-ended contract. Executive position. Based in Paris or Dubai.

Conditions:

If based in France: €49.48K annual gross salary over 13 months. 22 days RWD per year. Mutual health insurance covered at 100% by Médecins Sans Frontières. Lunch vouchers of €11 (60% care of MSF). 50% public transportation expenses.

If based in Dubai: package commensurate with location.

Starting date: 01/04/2024