Role Purpose
The Global Media Officer will join a fast-paced, dynamic media team working hard to maximise Plan International’s presence across a range of global media (print, broadcast and digital) with an additional remit to support and guide media relations activity across the Plan International federation. The post holder will be expected to use strong news judgement skills to react quickly and strategically to the international news agenda and proactively develop and secure coverage for stories that position Plan International as the go-to development and humanitarian organisation advancing children’s rights and equality for girls.
Dimensions of the Role
- Develop and own relationships with key global media outlets and journalists, building and promoting Plan International’s external profile as a leading humanitarian and girls’ rights organisation.
- Support media colleagues across the Plan International federation to promote our work and priority issues in their respective national markets. This includes developing key media messaging, content and handling advice.
- Building regional and country office capacity, by providing technical advice, guidance and quality improvement coaching, to further media outreach, both globally and at point of impact.
- The role is primarily to support external communications. However, the post holder is expected to work collaboratively which requires flexibility and transferable skills.
- The post holder will report to the Global Media Manager and may be asked from time to time to manage external freelancers (e.g., photographers).
Accountabilities
- Lead on Plan International’s global media monitoring and reporting, compiling regular media horizon scanning reports and a quarterly media hits report.
- Using strong news judgement and knowledge of the global media landscape, build relationships with a wide range of journalists at influential global media outlets, resulting in consistent high quality media coverage.
- Develop, deliver and evaluate media and communication strategies to raise the profile of Plan International’s humanitarian and development programmes, and our fundraising, policy, advocacy and influencing campaigns.
- Proactively spot opportunities to respond to the news agenda and position Plan International as a key girls’ rights and humanitarian organisation, drafting spokesperson quotes, social media posts and press releases at speed and co-ordinating quick signoff.
- Respond quickly and effectively to calls and emails from journalists, liaising with our technical experts and country/regional office colleagues to provide a timely service to global media. This will include being part of an on-call media rota during evenings and weekends.
- Maintain an up-to-date list of expert and youth spokespeople across key subject areas and operational countries/regions.
- Provide briefings and training for media spokespeople, including youth spokespeople, as required.
- Produce high-quality media content, working both remotely, and when possible, travelling to programme countries. This could include interviewing case studies and/or Plan International experts, organising photography or ghost-writing blogs/op-eds.
- Develop a range of innovative media packages and pitch these to print, broadcast and online media. Work with digital team colleagues and other offices across Plan to ensure content can be used across all channels, owned and earned.
- Work collaboratively with digital team colleagues to ensure maximum amplification of media and news content across all platforms, including suggesting social media posts and managing the upload of press releases to the global website.
- Ensure the media team’s work is visible across Plan International, attending and contributing to meetings and working groups, and compiling highlight presentations.
- Undertake reasonable additional duties and responsibilities as requested by the Global Media Manager.
- Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy.
Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge Required
Essential
- Proven experience working in a busy news/media organisation or in a PR/media relations team.
- Excellent verbal and writing skills in English, with the ability to produce punchy news copy and to adapt writing style to meet the needs of different audiences and media outlets.
- Proven success at developing and placing media stories, from identifying an idea, to collating the relevant information and assets and securing high quality coverage.
- Ability to build productive relationships with journalists, and to creatively and tenaciously pitch stories to the media.
- Use of a media monitoring platform such as Vuelio or similar.
- Strong knowledge of global media outlets, their ways of working, audiences and requirements.
- Ability to work quickly and flexibly under pressure, and motivating and supporting colleagues to do the same.
- Ability to persuade, lobby and influence peers and colleagues and form productive relationships and contacts.
- Experience of tailoring communications to different audiences and channels, including media, social media and digital.
- An understanding of ethical storytelling and how safeguarding applies to media and communications work.
- Experience interviewing and working with programme participants in a sensitive way, that honours the principle of “do no harm”.
- Strong understanding of humanitarian and development issues and rights-based work.
- Ability to work independently and on own initiative, with strong organisational skills to manage a wide and varied workload.
- Ability to work enthusiastically as part of a team, and to form collaborative working relationships both internally and externally.
Desirable
- Experience working with or within international NGOs, multilateral institutions, or global development organisations.
- Experience in global governance, advocacy, or external relations.
- Familiarity with thematic areas such as girls’ rights, education, health, or climate change.
- Formal training or qualifications in communications, public policy, international relations, or related fields.
- Understanding of feminist leadership principles and anti-racism approaches.
- Additional language skills, particularly French and/or Spanish.
