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Senior Media & PR Officer for Inclusion

Employer
Sightsavers
Location
Sightsavers Country Office location
Salary
Local terms and conditions apply
Closing date
14 Mar 2021

View more

Function
PR & Communications
Sector
International
Hours
Full Time
Contract Type
Contract

Job Details

Sightsavers has a fantastic opportunity for a committed, collaborative and experienced Senior Media & PR Officer to join our dynamic and busy media team during an exciting period of growth in our work, ensuring people with disabilities are included in development as well as combatting avoidable blindness and neglected tropical diseases.

Salary:         Local terms and conditions apply

Location:     Sightsavers Country Office location (further details available here)
 

Contract:     Two year Fixed Term Contract (with the possibility of extension)

About the role

As Senior Media & PR Officer you will report to the Head of Media and sit within Sightsavers’ wider media team.  This challenging and exciting role will raise the profile of, and build the reputation of, Sightsavers’ inclusion work through engaging and compelling media outreach, delivering high impact coverage across a range of international and national media outlets.

You will be responsible for leading targeted international media campaigns to support the Equal World campaign which influences global policy to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The role also involves promoting Sightsavers inclusion programmes which ensure people with disabilities everywhere can access health, education and employment without fear of stigma or discrimination.  This is a varied role and will involve:

  • Identifying proactive editorial opportunities and trending conversations to raise the profile of Sightsavers with key audiences through national, international, and specialist media.
  • Working closely with internal teams to identify where media can add value to meet objectives and strategic goals
  • Supporting the campaign to meet its objectives with targeted media that influences decision-makers
  • Researching and developing story ideas and communication plans about our inclusion programmes and the issues which drive them
  • Writing media materials including press releases, pitches and blogs
  • Identifying key audiences and maintaining relationships with journalists and bloggers
  • Supporting the running of the press office
  • Supporting with reactive media relations and media issues that pose a reputational risk to Sightsavers
  • Establishing relationships with disability organisations and our international teams

About you

You should have a passion for news and a proven track record of delivering effective high-profile media campaigns. You will have the ability to sell international development stories to the consumer, national and international media and be proactive in generating media coverage. You should be happy working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to make quick decisions. Creative flair and excellent communication skills are essential.

With significant experience working as a media officer, within policy or a campaigns role, the successful candidate will be comfortable implementing proactive PR and editorial opportunities to captivate our existing supporters and donors whilst reaching new audiences.  Experience of working with media outlets is desirable as you will be required to utilise these opportunities to promote our organisation, this includes establishing and maintaining these relationships with journalists and bloggers across the globe. 

The ideal candidate will have great attention to detail and strong communication skills.  You will have excellent writing and presentation skills, not just to our internal clients, but also to our external audiences. Proven experience in a similar role is an advantage, as is understanding of international development and health, preferably including inclusion related issues. You will also have sound knowledge of Windows based applications and be proficient in multimedia content gathering and production. When it’s possible to do so, this role may require occasional overseas travel; perhaps one or two visits per year (each around one week’s duration)

To find out more about this involved role, please read the job description.

Next steps

To apply for this role, please complete an application via our recruitment portal. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying.

Local terms and conditions apply to non-UK locations and can be confirmed prior to interview.  Please note that for a UK-based role, there will be an expectation that you can occasionally visit our offices in Haywards Heath, West Sussex (RH16 3BW)

Closing date: 14 March 2021

We anticipate that remote interviews will take place at the end of March 2021 and the evaluation process will include the submission of a written piece.

Company

Sightsavers Head Office

35 Perrymount Road,
Haywards Heath,
West Sussex RH16 3BW

Postal Address

Bumpers Way,
Bumpers Farm,
Chippenham SN14 6NG

Sightsavers is an international charity that works in more than 30 countries around the world to eliminate avoidable blindness and support people with visual impairments to live independently. Sightsavers is headquartered in the UK and has over 400 employees. It also has branches in Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Sightsavers works with partners in order to provide a comprehensive range of eye care services. In 2013, Sightsavers' projects provided eye health examinations for nearly 14 million people, performed 300,000 eye operations, and treated over 100 million people for neglected tropical diseases.

People are also referred for treatment to prevent blindness or restore sight. Through community volunteers in developing countries, Sightsavers distributes medication to prevent blinding diseases. The charity also trains eye care workers and surgeons and funds operations.

Of the 30 countries Sightsavers works in, 23 are in Africa. These include Mozambique, Mali, Liberia and Kenya. Sightsavers is also present in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.

In addition to its medical work, Sightsavers works with partners in order to train specialist teaching staff and supply glasses, Braille kits and other learning tools. The charity aims to educate communities and reduce stigma around visual impairment and blindness. Through its work, people with visual impairments and other disabilities are supported to live independently, get an education and earn an income.

Sightsavers is also a campaigning organisation, working with national governments to tackle the root causes of avoidable blindness, such as lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities. The charity’s ‘Put us in the Picture campaign calls on the international community to make global development inclusive of the world’s 800m people with disabilities. The campaign’s vision is for all people to have equal access to employment, education, healthcare and participation in society.

Backing up Sightsavers’ work around the world is a strong research capability. Research and policy work revolves around three priorities – health, education and social inclusion. Gathering and disseminating sound research evidence helps to ensure the charity’s programmes meet the needs of the people they are designed to serve. Research evidence is also a strong tool when advocating for policy changes with governments.

Sightsavers has many partners that assist with its aim of eliminating avoidable blindness and may also provide funding. Partners include the UK government’s Department for International Development, the European Union and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Read our latest article on Third Sector: Sightsavers: Work for an award-winning charity tackling blindness worldwide

Company info
Website
Telephone
01444 446600
Location
35 Perrymount Road,
Haywards Heath,
West Sussex
RH16 3BW
GB

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