CBM works with persons with disabilities, their families, local partner organisations, alliance partners including UN agencies, global organisations, and Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs). CBM has been involved from the outset with "VISION 2020: The Right to Sight", a global initiative with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020, and other global initiatives such as the provision of affordable hearing aids, education for all and community mental health. CBM is also recognised as a collaborating organisation by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Together with its partner organisations, CBM is active in more than 672 projects in 68 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and in 2013, reached more than 24 million people. CBM’s International Office in Bensheim, Germany, is accepting applications for
Manager Communications
Location: Bensheim, Germany
Contract Duration: 2 years (with possible extension)
Contract Start: As soon as possible
Objective:
The Communications Manager promotes CBM’s work regarding inclusion, disability, human rights and accessibility, as well as the Organization’s Christian values to internal and external stakeholders. The incumbent develops and implements a CBM global communications plan in close cooperation with CBM’s President, including editorial policy, online strategy, press releases, publications, global reports, emergency and crisis response communications, advocacy communications, staff events. Furthermore, the incumbent supports the development and coordination of digital media and communication sources of CBM such as intranet (SharePoint) and the external website.
Main tasks
Proactively manage the Communications function and team of CBM, in order to provide and develop an effective communications approach, meeting short- and long-term needs of the CBM organization and its stakeholders. This entails:
Internal Communications
- Ensure the free flow of information
- Know what and how to improve the feeling of belonging of the employees, increasing their awareness about the organization, its principles and values.
- At the same time, identify ways and means to gauge and get feedback, feelings and opinions of the CBM employees
- Identify ways and means to promote the CBM Family organization, its values and principles
- Create an open, multi-directional flow of communications within the organization that provides feedback process, sharing of information, of principles and values that will contribute to achieving the objectives of the CBM Family
Crisis Communications
- Plan, design, implement and evaluate a crisis communications program in cooperation with the Health, Safety and Security function (HS&S)
- Identify and promote the importance of having a crisis communications plan versus a reactive way in addressing crisis
- Coordinate with concerned departments and design a crisis communications plan that would cover step by step the measures, ways and procedures in handling a crisis, if possible before, during, and after it occurred
- Implement the crisis communications not as a mere tool that will be used in times of emergency or crisis but a pro-active and strategic system that should be ingrained in the organization’s day to day activity
Publications and Editorial Work
- Working in collaboration with CBM’s stakeholders to support the production of appropriate publications
- Plan, arrange materials, edit, rewrite and verify articles / releases, videos, and photographs and other communications materials
- Identify articles/topics to be communicated internally and externally
- Identify what message should be communicated and what effective medium of communications should be used and what are the objectives
- Plan and outline the theme, messages and articles to be communicated, their presentation and timetable
- Audit the existing communications program to further improve the tools and message, thus making the communications materials effective
Intranet and Website Coordination and Development
- Support the development of an information strategy for CBM globally
- Support the intranet administration (SharePoint)
- Coordinate and supervise Website activities together with Editors
- Participate in future cbm.org development phase (i.e. advocacy, viral campaigns, online donations, global approach)
Professional Profile and Requirement
- Minimum of 3-5 years in a Communications / Public Relation Management position preferably in a multinational corporation or an international/ not-for-profit organization
- Relevant degree or professional qualification
- International experience, preferably in developing countries, would be an asset
- Experience in strategic and operational Communications management with solid team leadership experience
- In depth knowledge and experience of latest communications methodology, tools, practices and processes
- Knowledge of communications systems, platforms and channels including social media, intra- and extranet solutions (e.g. Web-site management, SharePoint solutions, Web conferencing tools etc.)
- Understanding of basic principles of web/SharePoint accessibility
- Language skills: English (professional proficiency), German, French and/or Spanish (advantageous)
Personal Profile & Competencies
- Persuasive communicator
- Collaborative relationship builder
- Results oriented
- Decisive
- Personal credibility
- Valid work permit for EU/Schengen countries
The future job holder adheres to CBM’s values and commits to CBM’s Child Protection Policy.
HOW TO APPLY:
CBM encourages persons with disabilities to apply for this position.
Candidates with the required profile and proven experiences, who meet these qualifications, are invited to submit, in English via e-mail, a meaningful letter of motivation, stating why he/she wishes to work for CBM, CV, copies of diplomas, three professional references and salary expectations torecruitment@cbm.org
Only applicants with a valid work permit for EU/Schengen countries can be considered.
Application deadline: December 14th, 2014
