GISF Communications Officer

Full time – working 37.5 hours per week

Salary: £28,000-£30,000

Line managed by: Communications Lead

Responsible for line managing: n/a

Location: London, UK (hybrid – at least 2 day a week in office)

About GISF

The Global Interagency Security Forum strengthens NGO safety and security practices worldwide. We have more than 130 member INGOs and offices in London and Washington, DC. GISF’s member-led structure makes us a trusted platform for collaboration, a driver of innovative security risk management (SRM), and a repository of best practices. We also work closely with policymakers to enhance their understanding of SRM. We strengthen NGO security practice worldwide by:

• Maintaining and building from our expertise in humanitarian security risk management
• Offering trusted platforms for coordination and knowledge sharing
• Driving innovation, capturing best practice, and improving SRM capabilities.
• Supporting policy-makers and the humanitarian system to increase their understanding of SRM and maximise access to people in need

What We Offer

• 25 days of annual leave increasing annually after 2 years, up to a maximum 30 days (plus bank holidays)
• Office shutdown between Christmas and New Year
• Employer Pension contributions
• A focus on professional development, including access to overseas events, workshops, and training

The Job

The Communications Officer will play a critical role in GISF’s Communications team, working closely with the Communications Lead. The Communications team supports the work of all other teams across GISF, including Research, Membership & Events, Policy & Advocacy, and more.

The Communications Officer will work on a wide array of communications outputs, including social media, e-newsletters, the GISF website, printed brochures, branded materials, the GISF podcast, and more. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working on a diverse range of communications products, using different software tools, and consulting with a variety of external contractors, such as web developers and printers. Being proactive and adaptable are key skills for this role.

Job Description

The Communications Officer will be responsible for creating content across a wide range of Communications platforms. Some of the core duties of the role include:

• Organising GISF’s social media posting on LinkedIn and X (Twitter). This includes writing text for social media posts, designing graphics using Canva, and scheduling posts using Agorapulse. The Communications Officer is also expected to follow social media and sectoral trends to identify opportunities for engagement.
• Maintaining and updating GISF website content. This includes uploading new resources and publications; ensuring the vacancies, events and training sections of the website are regularly updated; and acting as a contact point with GISF’s external web development support team, to introduce new elements to the website and resolve issues when they arise. The Communications Officer also collects monthly website data using Google Analytics.
• Writing and designing GISF’s fortnightly newsletter. The newsletter is designed and sent using Mailerlite, with graphics created on Canva. The Communications Officer is expected to proactively suggest content for the newsletter and make sure it reflects the latest news from GISF, as well as the wider sector of NGO security risk management.
• Designing printed materials. These can include flyers, brochures, display banners, and more for GISF events and external events. The Communications Officer is expected to ensure promotional materials are designed, printed and delivered in a timely manner to maximise engagement with attendees at events.
• Supporting in the dissemination of new GISF publications and products. The Communications Officer is expected to take a proactive approach in reaching out to external contacts to promote GISF’s latest content. The Communications Officer should develop a dissemination plan for each new product, encompassing external outreach, member engagement, social media promotion, and more.
• Supporting with the creation and dissemination of GISF’s podcast. This includes attending planning meetings to develop new episode ideas; assisting with recordings; liaising with external audio editors; uploading episodes to Spotify and YouTube; and promoting the podcast though social media, newsletters, and more.
• Contributing to the development of GISF communication plans. The Communications Officer is expected to bring a clear plan of the communications schedule to regular meetings. They will think creatively and suggest new ideas including ways to grow GISF’s audiences, implementing plans for promoting specific GISF publications, and more.
• Identifying possible allies for GISF communications. This might include other NGOs, journalists, think tanks, or universities that cover similar areas of interest to GISF and can promote GISF content or collaborate on podcasts, blogs, events or webinars. The Communications Officer is expected to proactively identify and reach out to such individuals and organisations and connect with them on specific projects.
• Interpreting GISF’s analytics data to inform better strategies. The Communications Officer is responsible for gathering data for GISF’s monthly reporting, including analytics from GISF’s website, social media and e-newsletter. The Communications Officer is expected to note trends and suggest improvements.

Strategic support

The GISF Communications team consists of two people, and GISF has a staff workforce of around 20. Therefore, the Communications Officer is expected to play an active role in the team, contributing new ideas to both the Communications team and the wider organisation. This includes:

Person Specification

Essential Skills/Experience

• Excellent communication and writing skills, and excellent attention to detail.
• Some experience in a similar job or volunteer role.
• Experience in developing communications content appropriate for different channels.
• Ability to create visual graphics/designs for communications outputs.
• Ability to summarise information and present it through clear and persuasive writing or visual representations.
• Confident user of digital technology and tools (particularly in relation to managing websites and social media platforms).
• Independency in work and flexibility to changing priorities.
• Willingness to support others and adapt to different tasks.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Strong interest in the humanitarian and development sector.
• Ability to collaborate within an inclusive team environment.
• Sound knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• University qualification.
• Editing experience.
• Graphic design skills and video editing/multimedia skills (or motivation to develop them).
• Interest and/or experience in compiling and interpreting communications analytics.
• Experience using Google Analytics and Salesforce.
• Additional language skills (especially Arabic, French or Spanish).
• Motivated self-starter and ability to take initiatives.
• Experience in developing a communications strategy and identifying target audiences and key messages.
• Experience in using Mailerlite for mass email communication.
• Experience in managing websites (using WordPress) and SEO skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities

Working in the Communications Officer role at GISF offers many exciting development opportunities. These include:

• Travel opportunities. GISF hosts three major events in Europe and North America and attends numerous humanitarian sector events throughout the year, such as HNPW and AidEx. The Communications Officer will have the opportunity to travel to several of these events.
• Training opportunities. GISF has access to online training resources, opportunities to attend in-person HEAT training (depending on travel locations) and encourages personal development .
• Networking opportunities. As a membership organisation, GISF is connected to over 130 NGOs and related humanitarian organisations, providing a unique opportunity for staff to build strong and wide networks across the NGO and humanitarian sectors.