Global News Manager Africa

TITLE: Global News Manager Africa

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Global Media Unit

LOCATION: Senegal

GRADE: International 4 (Light) 

CONTRACT LENGTH: 2 years, renewable

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3:  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Save the Children is looking for an experienced journalist/TV news producer in Africa to join our global media team in a roving role to focus on prioritised humanitarian contexts and new crises and be part of our emergency response team. You will have experience working with or in international media and of working in Africa and/or vulnerable or fragile contexts. You will be able to travel at short notice – for up to half of your time – to lead our media response in humanitarian crises. You will need to be confident with on-camera interviews and supporting senior staff to build their interview and social media skills. You will have strong people skills to build and maintain a network of international media correspondents in the region and to work with colleagues across the Save the Children movement.  You must possess strong news judgment to spot news angles and unique stories and have the journalistic and technical skills to be able to pitch, research, and report stories for the world’s largest independent child rights organisation. You will be happy working on stories on your own, more collaboratively as part of our team, and leading groups of journalists to cover our work in hard-to-access locations. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to Global Head of News with a dotted line to our Regional ACCM Director for West and Central Africa

Staff reporting to this post: none

ANNUAL GROSS SALARY RANGE: $60,000 – $65,000 (offer will be based on experience/internal equity and financial availability. SCI offers a competitive benefits package outside of salary).

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :      

• Act as frontline deployment officer for humanitarian emergencies across Africa, regularly deploying and acting as a key focal point for media management and coordinating media responses across multiple countries
• Build and maintain a strong network of contacts with international journalists as well as identify and build key international partnerships within  Africa
• Spokesperson on Save the Children issues and help provide training and support to senior spokespeople across the organisation 
• Write newsworthy press releases and gather content in liaison with Regional Media Managers/Country and Regional Offices to generate information/story angles for circulation to the international news media, and ensure Regional sign off on all media plans and products 
• Generate media coverage in international media in line with our organisational priorities with a focus on prioritised humanitarian contexts and new crises
• Help to coordinate International Press Trips and media visits in the region
• Ensure Regional Media Managers’ visibility, input and oversight of global plans for press trips and media output to reflect regional and in-country advocacy and media priorities
• Collaborate with communications, advocacy, policy and fundraising teams to ensure our media messaging reflects organisational priorities in prioritised and new crisis contexts
• Liaise with Regional Media Managers to help deliver key “global moments” on key responses and contexts across the region
• Backstop for Regional Media Managers when on leave, travelling
• Support Regional Media Managers to manage incoming media requests
• Support Regional Media Managers on category 1 emergencies as needed, handling members and international media requests, helping to deliver media products such as press releases and media Q&As
• Liaise with global teams to produce products from the region on thematic areas and campaigns such as hunger, education, climate change
• Scope new global media and thought leadership opportunities   
• Initiate longer-term, child-led storytelling for a global market
• Liaise closely with Save the Children media teams in member countries to encourage culture of input, collaboration, and accountability, developing strong, positive relationships
• Support with risk mitigation media work and media strategy on reputational risk issues, in alignment with Regional Office – including drafting appropriate media lines, as necessary, and coordinating our response to global media colleagues, as needed 
• Be available for 'out of hours' on-call media work, with the ability to be on call over weekends several times a year, and to be further available 'out of hours' to manage emergency and urgent situations, as and when necessary.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS 

• University degree in communications or journalism, or equivalent field experience

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• At least 7 years’ experience working in or with international media
• Experienced in the African region with strong knowledge of the complex context
• Track record of working in vulnerable or fragile contexts
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to travel at short notice for extended periods of time (up to one month at a time)
• Proven relationship building skills in order to build and maintain a strong network of journalist contacts, as well as with colleagues across Save the Children 
• An initiative-taking, proactive, inspiring attitude with the ability to prioritise an unpredictable workload and solve problems quickly with limited support
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A commitment to Save the Children's vision, mission, values and approach and commitment to safeguarding children in accordance with our policies
• Confident in  English and French
• The ability to work as part of a small team across time zones and multitask when needed with strong interpersonal skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of the NGO sector
• Already based in the region
• Contact network in the region
• Photography and video skills 

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience and be flexible as the role becomes established in the organisation.

Equal Opportunities 

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Female applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.