Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian organization that provides impartial medical care to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care in over 70 countries. We welcome candidates who bring a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to join us in working toward MSF’s common mission.
External Communications Manager
Job Purpose
To manage our communication and reputation with the media and the wider community; and to protect MSF HK’s brand through proactive planning, monitoring, response and mitigation, if needed. The overall aim is to raise the visibility and acceptance of MSF in Hong Kong by promoting the profile and identity of the organization, as well as its international humanitarian agenda in conjunction with the overall MSF HK communications strategy.
Principal Accountability
- Drive the development and formulation of external communications strategies for the key audiences, considering different communications needs and background, and make sure that they are in coherence with the overall communications strategy of MSF HK
- Coordinate and implement MSF HK’s external communications campaigns in Hong Kong to ensure that all communications work is timely, targeted, mutually supportive and coherently promote the varying objectives, namely public awareness, fundraising and field recruitment.
- Ensure that accurate, transparent and timely information on MSF's activities worldwide as well as our humanitarian principles and concerns are delivered to specific audiences.
- Provide strategic analysis and recommendation in the time of crisis
- Team Management -Supervise, coach and manage team members / direct reports.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
General Planning and Coordination
- Lead and plan all MSF Hong Kong external communications activities and initiatives in Hong Kong to maximize the impact and in compliance with the overall external communications strategy
- Ensure that strategic messages are efficiently and effectively communicated across well-defined platforms
- To support the Communications and Engagement Director in planning all costs and resources of external communications activities in Hong Kong in the budget process
Media relations Management
- Define media and external relation strategies in line with institutional goal and objectives
- Lead and drive with the support of Communications Officer on network development with targeted media for prominent coverage of MSF's work and international humanitarian crises
- Responsible for all press-related work including writing release, coordinating press events, responding to press inquiries, request for interview and filming
- Support possible public advocacy, fundraising and/ or recruitment activities / campaigns in Hong Kong
- May be delegated by the Director of Communications to be the spokesperson for media interviews in Hong Kong when necessary
Crisis Management
- Propose positioning/strategy on related crisis to protect the brand of the organization internally and externally
- Scenario planning to facilitate the draft of communications tools such as reactive lines, Q&As and others
- Monitor and analysis trends in media reporting on specific issue/crisis and alert the management team in a timely manner
- Outreach campaign development and management
- Lead in identifying key areas of collaboration and opportunities with external stakeholders to facilitate MSF Hong Kong’s visibility on strategic platforms
- Collaborate with stakeholders within and beyond MSF HK to contribute to the success of the institutional goals and objectives.
Supervision
- Manage and directly supervise one Communications Officer
- Set clear attainable objectives and collaborate with the above staff to establish appropriate development paths
The Ideal Candidate
- University graduate
- Minimum 7 years' experience in the field of journalism or public relations, with at least two of those in a managerial/supervisory capacity
- Previous experience in leading and implementing effective comms, media, or PR strategies
- Experience in crisis communications
- An established network of media contacts and knowledge of local and international media in Hong Kong
- Strong interest and knowledge of international humanitarian aid and world affairs
- Commitment to the aims and values of Medecins Sans Frontieres
- Proactive and able to work independently but also a good team player
- Fluency in both spoken and written English and Chinese
- Ability to work under pressure and to respect deadlines
- Willingness to work outside normal office hours and be on call to respond to emergencies and requests from local media and international colleagues
- Good presentation skills
How to apply?
Send your motivation letter and full resume with expected salary and date of earliest availability by e-mail to recruitment@hongkong.msf.org. Applicants not invited for interview within 8 weeks may consider their applications unsuccessful. All information collected is solely for recruitment purpose and will be treated in strict confidence. Please read the “Personal Information Collection Statement” before providing any personal data to Médecins Sans Frontières (HK) Limited.
