Under the direction of the Director the Communications Officer will:

• Develop, plan and implement a communications strategy for IANSA.
• Maintain close contact with people responsible for communications activities in IANSA member groups and in other relevant organisations, with a view to ensuring that the input of the IANSA Secretariat in communication related matters is relevant, necessary, timely and consistent with IANSA’s workplan.
• Work with IANSA members on the development of regional and thematic communication strategies, and support members in implementing those strategies.
• Support, where appropriate, IANSA members in their national media work and actively encourage joint sub-regional media work where relevant.
• Design and implement capacity-building activities designed to help IANSA members to undertake effective media and communications work.
• Identify and build relationships with journalists and undertake media work for key IANSA events, announcements and other activities.
• Lead, in close collaboration with the Director, the development of IANSA’s media-based responses to relevant events and developments.
• Identify and work with key spokespeople, including celebrities, to support them in speaking out against the proliferation of small arms in general and for IANSA in particular. Take responsibility for the development of all of IANSA’s printed and electronic resources including www.iansa.org, the quarterly IANSA newsletter, policy and occasional papers, email bulletins and other material as directed.
• To maintain an overview of key political, legal and social developments worldwide, directly relevant to current and potential IANSA campaigning activities, and to contribute related advice to the development of IANSA’s workplans.
• Assist the Director in the development of funding proposals, and monitor expenditure against budget.
• As a member of the IANSA Secretariat, make a strong contribution to the effective functioning of the Secretariat by supporting the activities of the Director and other members of staff, and undertaking other activities as directed.

The successful candidate will need:

• A degree (or equivalent) in journalism, communications or a related field. (E)
• A thorough understanding of the discourse on small arms and light weapons generally and policies for their control in particular and the international policy environment in which these issues are addressed. (D)
• At least five years experience of journalism or communications work, preferably in an international setting. (E)
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement a communications strategy, preferably for an organisation operating internationally. (E)
• Demonstrated ability to write for different audiences, including for journalists, the public, policy and decision makers. (E)
• Excellent spelling, grammar and attention to detail.
• Experience of undertaking communications capacity-building work with international partners. (E)
• Knowledge and experience of web design and authoring. (E)
• Knowledge and experience of publication processes. (E)
• Excellent understanding of the operation of media outlets and media markets. (E)
• Experience of representing an organisation at a national/regional or international level. (E)
• Proven political judgement. (E)
• Proven negotiation and influencing skills. (E)
• Experience of working successfully with others and ability to motivate partners from a distance. (E)
• Experience of working across different cultures. (E)
• Excellent communication skills in English, both orally and in writing. (E)
• Excellent command of French or Spanish. (D)
• Good command of other languages. (D)
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively. (E)
• Proven time management, work planning and organisational skills. (E)
• Ability to travel (up to 2 months each year). (E)

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