Post Date: Mar 26, 2025

Closing Date: Apr 09, 2025

Reference: IRW-CO-023-2025

Number of Vacancies: 1

Salary Range: As per company salary scale

Years of Experience: 5 – 7 years

Probation Period: 3 month

Contract Type: Fixed-term

Contract Duration: 1 year

Contract Extensible: Maybe

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree

Gender: Any

About Islamic Relief Worldwide

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international, non-profitable, non-governmental humanitarian relief organization with its head quarter in Birmingham, UK. It enjoys consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a signatory to the Code of Conduct for International Red Cross and red Crescent Moments and NGOs in Disaster Relief. Islamic Relief has been working in Afghanistan for more than 23 years, providing emergency relief and implementing life-changing development projects for some of the most vulnerable people in the country. Islamic Relief set up our first Afghanistan office in 1999. Since then, IRA continued providing assistances in emergency relief, food security, livelihood, education, health, nutrition, shelter, orphan sponsorship, Ramadan and Qurbani programmes.

Job Summary

The Media and Communications Coordinator will be responsible for building the profile and influence of Islamic Relief’s presence in Afghanistan by delivering impactful media, advocacy, and communications at national and global levels. The post holder will develop and deliver external engagement strategies, build strong relationships with key stakeholders such as donors, media, and partners, and come up with creative new ways to communicate our work and the stories of the people we serve. Working closely with field teams and global offices, the post holder will ensure strategic communication and consistent messaging for a range of issues and audiences.

Duties & Responsibilities

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

The coordinator will build strong working relationships and provide technical support to the Country Director, the senior management team and program teams in provincial offices across Afghanistan. The successful candidate will work closely with global colleagues at Islamic Relief Worldwide, particularly in the Media & Advocacy, Global Editorial and Creative Content, and Content and Media divisions. You’ll also, at times, engage with Islamic Relief’s member offices around the world. The successful candidate will also build strong external relationships by liaising closely with donors, journalists, representatives of NGOs, UN agencies, the wider civil society and the private sector in the country.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The job holder is accountable for fulfilling his or her roles and responsibilities in accordance with Islamic values and principles of fairness, humanity, honesty, respect, and fair treatment of his/her colleagues and staff.

1.      Delivering impactful and high-quality media and communication work

• Develop and implement an external media and communication strategy to raise the profile and influence of Islamic Relief Afghanistan.
• Manage a media and communication unit to ensure that Islamic Relief Worldwide and its global member offices receive a regular flow of high-quality multimedia content, including case studies, testimonials, photos, and videos, to support fundraising, media, advocacy, and other key strategic objectives.
• Ensure that donor communication and visibility requirements are satisfactorily met.
• Engage with local, national, and international media to highlight Islamic Relief’s work, priority issues, and the needs of communities.
• Proactively identify new angles and stories to sustain international media interest in Afghanistan and work closely with global media colleagues to respond to new requests and opportunities.
• Coordinate media interviews, act as spokesperson when required/authorized, and support and train other staff to ensure a diverse pool of spokespeople.
• Produce or manage the production of compelling print and multimedia materials, including videos, brochures, fact sheets, annual reports, and presentations.
• Respond quickly to breaking news and emergencies/disasters.
• Oversee increased social media engagement that contributes to program, fundraising and advocacy objectives in Afghanistan and internationally.
• Proactively develop a cadre of trained and screened consultants, photographers, videographers, translators, and other required professionals to be engaged on a need basis in different geographical and program areas of Afghanistan.
• Organise and host field visits for journalists, content gatherers and other key stakeholders.
• Produce press releases, opinion pieces, web blogs, and other media materials.

2.       Lead Islamic Relief’s advocacy work

• Develop strategic advocacy priorities for Islamic Relief in Afghanistan
• Collaborate with program teams to ensure that the impact, learning, and innovation from Islamic Relief programmes are effectively presented and communicated to key external stakeholders.
• Actively participate in NGO/UN working groups and joint advocacy, media, and communication initiatives; and build strong working relationships with relevant focal points at donors, partner organizations and other NGOs.
• Provide up-to-date information, context analysis, and evidence-based messaging to support Islamic Relief Worldwide and global member offices in carrying out effective global advocacy and external management.
• Represent Islamic Relief in external forums such as meetings with authorities, donors, policymakers, clusters, etc., and identify new opportunities for national-level engagement. Write speeches and talking points for senior management at public events.
• Work with other departments to develop and implement an engagement strategy for building relationships with new stakeholders, such as the private sector, academics, researchers, influencers, and the banking sector.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive records of stakeholder mapping and engagement.
• Work closely with global colleagues to identify events and opportunities to raise Afghanistan issues with policymakers and donors at the global level.
• Ensure Afghanistan is represented in Islamic Relief’s global priority campaigns on issues such as climate change, hunger, and gender justice.
• Undertake or support research as necessary

3.Provide technical expertise to other Islamic Relief departments                                                   

• Provide technical support and strategic advice to the Country Director and senior management team (SMT).
• Assist program teams with effective communication and visibility strategies
• Ensure standardized branding throughout field offices and operational areas.
• Ensure consistent messaging about Islamic Relief’s identity, work and other key issues for management, program teams and field offices to use with a range of stakeholders.
• Work closely with program teams to ensure effective linkages between programmes and advocacy/communications and contribute to the development of new project proposals and budgets.
• Build the capacity of Islamic Relief field staff to engage in local-level advocacy, external representation, and media outreach.
• Contribute to developing and reviewing Islamic Relief’s country strategy and goals in Afghanistan.
• Manage and oversee the work of freelance consultants (e.g., filmmakers, photographers, translators, researchers) as required.

4. Protect Islamic Relief’s reputation and ensure effective risk management

• Ensure that sign-off processes are in place and adhered to at all times.
• Lead on rolling out relevant policies and guidance to staff, such as social media policies and photo/video guidelines.
• Champion safeguarding, diversity, and the dignity of individuals in our communication, media, and advocacy work.
• Identify and respond to potential reputational risks.
• Work closely with global colleagues to support the organization’s Reputational Risk
• Management and Crisis Communications.
• Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, personal development, and strong performance management.

Job Requirements

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The post holder must show a good understanding and empathy for Islamic values and principles and commitment to IRW’s vision and mission.

Essential

• Bachelor Degree in relevant fields such as Mass/Media Communication / International relations / Journalism
• At least 5 years’ cumulative experience in humanitarian media and communication roles and at least 2 years’ experience in either coordinator or manager roles.
• Extensive relevant professional experience in media/communication or advocacy roles, preferably with humanitarian NGOs in Afghanistan.
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality media materials, communication, and advocacy work on relevant issues.
• Demonstrable ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders such as donors, journalists, NGOs, UN agencies and the diplomatic community.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to take complex and technical information and package it in a concise and engaging way for different audiences.
• Fluent in oral and written English. A bilingual speaker (Dari and Pashto) is desirable.
• Proactive and creative ‘out of the box’ thinking, good imagination and innovative ideas.
• Experience producing high-quality press releases, talking points, Q&As, news articles, op-eds, web blogs, etc.
• Good understanding of the humanitarian sector and communications needs for fundraising, advocacy, and campaigns.
• Good understanding of national and international-level advocacy, government affairs and engagement with donors and multinational institutions.
• Proficient in utilizing social media platforms and knowledgeable about the latest trends.
• Ability to initiate and work calmly under pressure, deliver quality work to tight deadlines and balance multiple competing priorities.
• IT knowledge, with a strong command of MS Office applications (particularly Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams), and ideally design software.

Desirable

• Previous experience of managing staff, budgets and performance
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan in a similar role
• Strong photo/video skills
• Experience of using design software.
• Experience of delivering training on media, communications or advocacy
• Experience managing crisis communication, including earthquakes, floods, disease outbreaks, famine, displacement, and conflict.

Personal qualities

• Committed to upholding Islamic Relief’s values and humanitarian principles
• Acts with professionalism and integrity at all times
• Able to maintain composure under pressure and in times of crisis
• Able to take initiative and work independently with limited supervision
• Energetic and determined, with a positive demeanor and disposition
• Respectful towards others; diverse opinions and beliefs.
• Confident in representing Islamic Relief externally with a range of senior stakeholders
• Demonstrates collaboration and teamwork
• Able to work with discretion and confidentiality as required
• Willing to travel, sometimes at short notice, and work outside normal office hours as required

Submission Guideline

Interested and qualified national candidates should submit a cover letter explaining their motivation and updated CV to the following:

https://jobs.af/jobs/media-and-communications-coordinator

The closing date for accepting applications is 09 April 2025.

Please clearly state the Vacancy Announcement number and title of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your CV’s cover letter.