JOBS: Media Relations Officer at Action Aid

The Role:

Do you want to use your excellent news sense and comms skills to strengthen our fight for climate and gender justice?

ActionAid International is the global secretariat of a federation of 45 country offices and programs working for a world free from poverty and injustice. We’re looking for a Media Officer to join our communications and campaigns team as we prepare to launch a new global campaign for climate justice.

As Media Officer, you’ll be joining a high-performing team, responsible for continuing to deliver significant increases in the quantity and quality of ActionAid’s global media coverage.

An experienced PR professional or journalist, you’ll come armed with fresh, creative ideas about how we can engage journalists and become the go-to organization for media reporting on our strategic priorities. Your expertise will support the effective delivery of international media moments, linked to multi-country campaigns and core comms priorities, including climate justice and women’s rights.

You’ll use your exceptional communication skills to build relationships and work closely with ActionAid countries to amplify their visibility and develop stories with both national and international significance.

Who we’re looking for:

• Good experience in a media relations or communications role in an in-house press office/PR agency or as a journalist.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English to produce written work of high quality.
• Proven experience in liaising with journalists of all levels.
• Experience devising and producing successful proactive media campaigns, or equivalent high-profile work as a journalist.
• Excellent news sense and proven experience in identifying and promoting an engaging story.
• Experience using media monitoring services (e.g. Cision, Vuelio) with the degree of proficiency required to run reports and provide others with basic training

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in the field of English, journalism, communications, marketing creative writing, technical writing, or information management.

Essential Experience

• Good  experience in a media relations or communications role in an in-house press office/PR agency or as a journalist
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English to produce written work of high quality
• Proven experience in liaising with journalists of all
• Experience devising and producing successful proactive media campaigns, or equivalent high-profile work as a
• Excellent news sense and proven experience in identifying and promoting an engaging
• Experience using media monitoring services (e.g., Lexis Nexis, Meltwater) with the degree of proficiency required to run reports and provide others with basic

Essential Knowledge 

• Excellent knowledge and experience in implementing media strategies
• Understanding of development, social justice and/or women’s rights issues, civil society activism, and effective campaigning.

Essential Skills

• Excellent decision-making skills and demonstrated experience in crisis management.
• Ability to work in a multicultural context and manage remote working relationships.
• Collaborative working style and proven ability to navigate different perspectives and work effectively in a complex organization.
• Entrepreneurial and determined; sees opportunities where others see problems. 
• Excellent writer/editor – including press releases, features, opinion pieces, letters to the editor, and blogs – particularly under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrable stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure and to meet tight
• Positive attitude, and the desire and ability to achieve
• Detail and audience-oriented with good multitasking and organizational
• Ability to travel when necessary to member countries to develop stories and other media
• Happy to be part of an on-call rota to deal with urgent media inquiries and emergencies out of hours and