Local Media Liaison

SCOPE OF WORK:

Internews and partners are working to increase the quantity and quality of essential information flowing from aid organizations and the government to Ukraine’s more than one million Internally Displaced Persons by cooperating with existing media in the regions to produce “news-you-can-use” content and by acting as a communications intermediary between international/national aid agencies and the IDP and host communities they hope to assist.

Internews is looking for a Local Media Liaison (LML) for a six months assignment (to be extended for two years contingent upon funding). A national media specialist with sound understanding of and a wide network of contacts within the national and regional media, the LML will provide advice and technical assistance to aid organizations to work with local media organizations on how to leverage online and social media networks. The LML will work closely with and report to the Humanitarian Liaison Officer (HLO)[1], who will mentor the LML to take over the duties of the HLO after six months.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The LML will assist the HLO to:

• Represent the liaison work of the Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC)[2]. Network, actively participate in all relevant humanitarian coordination events to identify critical information needs of the affected populations;
• Ensure the role of CDAC Network is clear to all the humanitarian response stakeholders: local governments, civil society, donors, INGOs, military/peacekeepers(if needed) and private sector;
• Strategize with media partners on how to address critical information needs. Serve as the main focal point for regional and national media wanting to connect with humanitarian response stakeholders.
• Advocate, and forge consensus among all those involved in the emergency response on tools and approaches for establishing effective two-way communication with local communities.

·         Coordinate needs assessments of local media infrastructure: its current operational conditions, equipment, training needs, etc. Lead a sector-specific needs-gaps analysis and facilitate the development of multi-sector strategies and tools to address them;

·         Monitor the existing and enhanced media coverage, conduct the preliminary content quantity and quality analysis;

·         Mentor regional and national media to ensure the uninterrupted and timely humanitarian reporting, contribute to it’s improvement, help with production (when needed);

·         Contribute to overall written program reporting for funders.

·         Any other duties as required by the HLO (and/or Internews management).

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Strong knowledge of Ukrainian media sector and its key actors, both national and regional, is a MUST
• University Degree in Journalism/Communications (or other relevant degree).
• Minimum 2 years of demonstrated progressive experience as Communications Manager/Media Expert/Project Manager in one of the leading media/ international projects.
• Fluency in spoken English and either Russian or Ukrainian.
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills and the ability to liaise authoritatively with figures from the humanitarian community, local media, local government and army, and other relevant actors, when required.
• Interest in and familiarity with new media and new digital applications for citizen journalism and information access.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills, both written and oral.
• Willingness to work in demanding, stressful, and, at times, dangerous situations under difficult living conditions with respect for basic security rules.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, professional judgment that reflects positively on the image of the Internews humanitarian project.
• An understanding of the vision/mission, core values and objectives of Internews.
• Psychological resilience and a sense of humor.

 Desired:

• Experience working in relief operations in challenging environments.
• Experience using media and communications in humanitarian emergency responses.

To apply:

Please, send an up-to-date version of your CV in English and Ukrainian with a cover letter and a list of minimum 3 references to [email protected];  [email protected]

by August 5, 2015.

In your cover letter, please answer specifically the following questions, in a maximum of one (1) page:

• Detail your experience liaising with a wide-range of media partners and stakeholders, particularly as a representative to regular coordination and working group meetings, if applicable.
• Provide examples of your experience working on media and communications in humanitarian emergency response situations, if any.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.