International Media Coordinator

Location: London or Birmingham

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Salary: £36,666 per annum + £4000 London weighting (if applicable)

Closing Date: Sunday 05 February 2023

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an independent humanitarian and development organisation, serving humanity for over 38 years. With an active presence in over 40 countries across the globe, we strive to make the world a better and fairer place for those affected by poverty, conflicts and natural disasters.

IRW is recruiting for the position of ‘International Media Coordinator’ to join its dynamic External Relations & Advocacy Division, to be based in either its London or Birmingham Offices. The organisation is currently working to a hybrid working model.

The International Media Coordinator will deliver high-profile and impactful media coverage of Islamic Relief’s global work and strategic priorities. The postholder will design and deliver media strategies, build strong relationships with journalists and colleagues around the world, identify strong news angles, pitch compelling stories and develop creative ways to tell important stories. They will respond quickly to disasters, get neglected issues back into the news agenda and promote advocacy campaigns on issues such as women’s rights, climate change and forced displacement.

The successful candidate must have or be:

Extensive relevant professional experience, either in media-related roles with an NGO or government department, or as a journalist
Proven track record of delivering high profile international media coverage on relevant issues
Proven ability to make and maintain strong working relationships with journalists
Demonstrable sense of news values and what makes a good story
Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to take complex and technical information and package it in a concise and engaging way for different audiences
Strong storyteller with the ability to develop and pitch stories in a compelling way
Creative ‘out of the box’ thinking, good imagination and innovative ideas
Experience of producing high quality press releases, news articles, op-eds, blogs etc
Ability to work proactively and show initiative, and to work calmly under pressure, deliver quality work to tight deadlines and balance multiple competing priorities
Knowledge of current trends in digital communications and social media
Strategic insight into which outlets and journalists to target for different stories
Understanding of international news and global affairs, and the complexities of doing media work in politically sensitive or conflict-affected countries
Willingness to work flexibly at short notice - e.g. working some evenings and weekends when emergencies occur, and travelling to countries where Islamic Relief works