Media Lead at Action Aid

ROLE OVERVIEW

Plays an entrepreneurial and strategic role in driving significant increases in the quantity and quality of ActionAid’s global media coverage.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Impact and contribution
• Lead and enable federation wide digital transformation
• Leading on strategy and planning for all global media moments linked to multi-country campaigns, major report launches, emergencies, journalist trips.
• Lead an impact review of campaign publications and deliver a new global framework for hard-hitting media briefings and newsworthy reports which drive public opinion, campaign actions and brand awareness.
• Lead on the design and implementation of a new annual flagship campaign product or report that delivers hard-hitting policy demands to new and diverse audiences and improves the brand recognition of the federation both globally and nationally.
• Working with countries and with Global Secretariat (GS) campaign, policy and programmes colleagues to amplify our visibility and voice on stories with both global and national significance, including through maximising reactive opportunities; overseeing and managing social media channels, key messages for spokespeople and working closely with the Digital Content Lead to ensure a coherent external brand.

System, Policies and Procedures, and Product Management

• Periodically review key media management systems including media monitoring and impact, global media sovereignty agreements, emergency communicatons protocols, with a view to improving processes, efficiencies and maintaining strong, geographically remote relationships with colleagues across the federation.
• Conduct in house media training for all identified spokespeople, briefing them specifically on key messages and risks ahead of interviews.

Issue Resolutions, Crisis/Risk Management

• Leads social media listening and media monitoring and implements efficient systems of escalating potential crisis issues.
• Working within a crisis team when necessary as lead media and social media strategist within the context of a crisis response.
• Deputises for the Head of Campaigns and Communications in crisis management as necessary.
• Delivers in house crisis management training on requests.
• Leads on the drafting of holding or reactive statements in conjunction with crisis management team.
• Actively promotes and upholds our Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs (SHEA) safeguarding policies with all researchers, journalists, photographers, content gathering teams and editors.
• Communications, Influencing, and Coordination

Media relations Strategy and Delivery

• developing and supporting high quality and responsive media work for the federation
• Play a key role in developing ActionAid’s global communications strategy, supporting the Head of Communications and Communications; and lead on delivering the media elements of this strategy, including driving significant increases in the quantity and quality of our global media coverage.
• Work closely with Political and Programme Strategy and Campaigns colleagues on the planning of advocacy events, research reports and campaign
• Lead on strategy and planning for global media moments linked to multi-country campaigns, major report launches, journalist trips etc., and provide strategic communications input during the early planning of advocacy events, research reports, campaign actions etc.
• Proactively identify (and where necessary help develop) strong stories and reactive communications opportunities and coordinate across the federation to ensure they are effectively delivered and exploited.
• Develop and pitch story ideas to international media outlets and coordinate with members to pitch to national outlets that have global reach and influence.
• Respond to international media enquiries, working with relevant national or international communications, programme, policy or fundraising staff.
• Work with ActionAid members and the Digital Content Lead to maximise impact of media stories and multimedia content across the federationstories and multimedia content across the federation and all platforms.
• Work with the Campaigns Lead and Head of Programmes to ensure campaign and policy advocacy materials are newsworthy and shareable.
• Work with the Public Fundraising Lead and Campaigns Lead to ensure our media strategies drive supporter engagement and growth.

Managing AAI’s social media channels

• Line manage the Web and Social Media Officer to oversee AAI’s social media channels and ensure high quality social content packs are shared with the federation comms list during key media moments, emergencies and campaigns.
• Sign off all content for social media, including daily posts to share news and AA generated content.
• Provide key messaging for use as social media messaging.
• Work closely with the Digital Content Lead to feedback and sign off graphics, video and image-led digital content for federation-wide use.

Content generation - Proactively support the development of quality content 

• Work closely with Digital Content Lead and any GS commissioning party to oversee and develop briefs for content gathering trips that meet media and social media priorities.
• Support ActionAid members to improve editorial quality and consistency in line with ActionAid’s brand and core messages.
• Monitor developments in media and communications and proactively propose solutions to innovate and improve ways of working on communication within the federation and increase external profile and impact.
• When necessary travel to member countries to develop stories and other media materials, to respond to urgent media opportunities or risks, or to facilitate international media trips.
• Working with countries to amplify their visibility and voice on stories with both global and national significance, including through maximising reactive opportunities.

People Management

• Ensure adherence and delivery of AAI Talent Management for Media team including recruitment, selection, retention, development and succession planning.
• Conduct probation, performance management  of staff under line management according to HR timelines ensuring high performing staff.
• Contribute to the functional and general management of the team, in support of the senior leadership team taking a whole GS and Federation perspective.
• Develop a team culture that values collaboration internally, cross functionally and in partnership with countries.
• Deputise for the Head of Campaigns and Communications
• Delivery on functional prorities

Capacity–building - Develop and enhance media capacity across the federation

• Deliver specialist media advice and support for Global Secretariat teams and member countries, focusing on sharing and strengthening skills in strategic areas that are critical to achieving our global communications goals, and/or that will increase our collective ability to innovate and stay ahead of the curve in media work.
• Deliver media training to Country Directors and other relevant staff ahead of important press interviews.
• Engage with Country communications & media staff to help further develop and promote protocols on media sovereignty.
• Pitching directly to international media outlets and working with members to coordinate pitches to national outlets with global influence.

Overseeing and managing social media channels.

• Increase the quality and quantity of AAI’s social media reach.
• Oversee and support the Web and Social Media Officer to deliver digital enageement strategies for key moments and campaigns.
• Input into and provide the first round of sign off for web copy and social posts.
• Support the Web and Social Media Officer to build relationships with key country colleagues.
• Support the Digital Content lead in the delivery of an external digital content strategy which strongly aligns to our agree brand values and mission on a coherent and powerful way.

Managing Media Relations work

• Increase the quality and quantity of AAI’s media coverage.
• Oversee and support the Media Relations Officer to deliver media strategies for key moments and campaigns.
• Input into and provide the first round of sign off for statements, press releases, blogs and op eds.
• Support Media Relations Officer to build relationships with key country colleagues.
• Lead on strategic direction of the global media team.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Education and Qualifications

• BA degree in journalism, communications or relevant fields.

Essential Experience

• Substantial experience in media relations or communications role, ideally in an international or INGO context.
• Keen news sense and proven experience to identify and promote an engaging story.
• Good experience of devising, coaching, advising or delivering media training either remotely and face to face.
• Track record of creating and driving media strategies to increase profile.
• Experience living and working in more than one country.

Essential Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge and experience of developing 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.
• Proven capacity to inspire and motivate a diverse team;
• Ability to work in a multicultural context and manage remote working relationships.
• Collaborative working style and proven ability to navigate difference perspectives and work effectively in a complex organisation.
• Entrepreneurial and determined; sees opportunities where others see problems. 
• Excellent writer/editor – including press releases, features, opinion pieces, letters to editor and blogs – particularly under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrable stakeholder management skills.
• Thrives under pressure, able to meet tight deadlines and exercise judgement in managing multiple priorities.
• Willingness to travel and on occasion at short notice
• A commitment to working out of hours and at weekends/public holidays when required, including taking part in out-of-office media cover.

Language Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Proficiency in another language is desirable

People Management Responsibilities

• Coaches team members (at least three) in skills; leads, schedules, allocates and monitors work