Head of Communication & External Relations, Geneva Academy

Head of Communication & External Relations 80% (F/M/D)
For the Geneva Academy

CONTRACT: Permanent

ACTIVITY RATE: 80% 32 h / w

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 19.02.2024

STARTING DATE: as agreed

Introduction of the Academy :

The Geneva Academy provides postgraduate education, conducts academic legal research and policy studies, and organizes training courses and expert meetings. We concentrate on branches of international law that relate to situations of armed conflict, protracted violence, protection of human rights and transitional justice.

The role:

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of the Geneva Academy, you will be in charge of the Geneva Academy communication and overall external positioning of the institution, and promote its various activities (masters, training courses, research, the Geneva Human Rights Platform, events) in a coherent manner.

You will guarantee the integrity and coherence of the organisation’s external image, in accordance with its values. You will manage the Communication Officer, the Events Assistant and external relations unit and ensure timely deliverables of the highest quality.

Key responsibilities:

  • Development and implementation of the communication strategy;
  • Management of the Geneva Academy internal and external communication, and media relations to ensure visibility, coherence, accuracy and timeliness of published information
  • Management of the communication unit ( budget and finances, staff members) ;
  • Production of communication content for publications, the website and social media networks to promote research, publications, the master’s programmes, training courses , the Geneva Human Rights Platform and events ;
  • Development and implementation of communication tools, procedures and guidelines to ensure coherence of the Geneva Academy communication, both for internal and external communication ;
  • Builds and expands relations with local and international media, responds to queries from local and international media, identifies new media to promote the institutions’ activities;
  • Supervise and coordinate the organization of events to ensure coherence among the events organized by the Geneva Academy and the relevance of the communication developed around these events
  • Participate in institutional fundraising efforts
  • Takes part in the core management of the Geneva Academy and participates in the decision-making process.

To be successful in this role, you should have:

  • Advanced university degree in communication, journalism, international relations, international law, political science or related fields
  • At least seven years of experience in public relations, media and communication ideally in the academic, public or civil society sector
  • Strong understanding of human rights, international humanitarian law and international criminal law
  • Strong experience in web design and graphic design ;
  • Excellent commend of both English and French (oral expression and writing)
  • Creativity & innovation
  • Reactivity and dynamism
  • Availability and capacity to work with activity peaks
  • Reliability and autonomy
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Highly organized and structured
  • Sense of diplomacy and responsibility

What you can expect from us:

  • A thriving working environment with a dynamic international team.
  • A work in partnership with the main humanitarian and human rights institutions and experts.
  • A motivating, human, collaborative and inclusive working environment
  • A competitive salary and the usual package of insurance cover as well as five weeks of holiday

How to apply :

Swiss nationals, persons from the European Union or the European Economic Area, as well as persons with a valid Swiss working permit are invited to submit their applications with

1) a motivation letter

2) CV with two references

3) examples and references to websites, articles or communication products that you’ve created

by 19 February 2024

Apply online>>

By | January 25th, 2024|News|0 Comments

27th Webranking Report 2023-2024

 

For those interested, please find below an interesting webranking analysis, measuring the transparency of corporate communications across the digital channels of listed companies. This is the 27th edition of the Webranking Europe 500 2023-2024 research in collaboration with Comprend. This year, 44 of Switzerland’s largest listed companies have been selected for inclusion in the research sample, which considers the 500 largest European companies by capitalisation according to the STOXX All Europe 800 index.

To read the full report>>

KEY RESULTS OF THE 2023-2024 EDITION

Terna, Snam, and Eni emerge as the leading contenders in the European ranking this year, solidifying the dominance of Italian Energy and Utility companies.

Swisscom and Givaudan are the two Swiss companies among the Top 10 in the EU500 ranking this year, alongside five Italian, two Finnish, and one Swedish company.

Red Eléctrica de España earns the title of “Best Improver” in Europe, climbing 263 positions and gaining 21.2 points. Among Swiss companies, VAT Group demonstrates the most improvement in transparency (+14.6 points), followed closely by Belimo and Tecan, both gaining 11.2 points.

 

SWITZERLAND’S PERFORMANCE

In the Webranking research, Swiss companies display a mixed performance compared to their European counterparts. While Switzerland maintains an average score above the European average, with 47.9 points against Europe’s 47, the majority of Swiss companies continue to linger at the bottom of the rankings, with 64% scoring below the 50-point threshold. Noteworthy exceptions include industry leaders Givaudan and Swisscom, maintaining their dominance in the Chemicals and Telecommunications sectors, while Barry Callebaut secures the top spot in the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco sector this year.

The overall performance of Swiss companies aligns with the European sample across all sections. Particularly commendable are the results in the Careers section, where Switzerland secured the second position in Europe with a score of 53%, tied with Italy and surpassed only by Germany with 59%. Additionally, in the Reporting and About us sections, Swiss companies demonstrate high standards, surpassing the 50% threshold for these criteria.

However, challenges persist when it comes to more technical financial disclosures, with Swiss companies scoring below half in both the Investor Relations (27%) and The Share (36%) sections. Further, gaps emerge in communicating ESG and sustainability commitments, scoring 47%, which falls below the European average.

TRASPARENCY TO COMBAT GREENWASHING AND BUILD TRUST

In an era of growing scepticism towards companies and institutions, the results of the Webranking research emphasize, once again, the importance of prioritizing transparency in corporate communications. This not only entails presenting data and figures but contextualizing them, narrating the vision, and illustrating the impacts related to the company’s key topics. Transparency, in essence, means reaching a broader audience through accessible language.

This year’s edition reveals encouraging developments, notably the improvement in communication targeting employees and jobseekers, an area historically among the weakest in the research.

However, financial communication remains a persistent challenge for European companies, struggling to offer a compelling interpretation of their strategy and investment case, which extends to their approach to communicating ESG topics, where the absence of tangible numbers, objectives, and examples often leaves statements superficial.

The real opportunity lies in making one’s commitment tangible, especially in the face of a vast and diverse audience that demands more than mere statements of intent. The Lundquist .trust research, which builds on Webranking, helps companies that demonstrate excellent levels of transparency to push towards new frontiers of credibility, transforming transparency into trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By | December 13th, 2023|News, Other resources|0 Comments

Lunch event – from static to interactive content – 8 December 2023

From static publications to interactive content: the experience of the International Trade Centre

How do organisations make the leap from static publications content to dynamic content online? Natalie Domeisen will explain how the International Trade Centre has created engaging content on trade and development integrating text, video, animations and more. Natalie will share her experiences, focusing on opportunities and challenges for people looking to expand their organization’s multimedia capacity and impact.

The presentation will be followed by working groups to discuss challenges and opportunities. Please feel free to send examples of multimedia publications in advance (genevacom@gmail.com) – we’ll be happy to compile them for those attending the lunchtime presentation.

Date: Friday 8 December 2023
Time: 12h30 to 14h00
The Swiss Press Club, Domaine de Penthes, Chem. de l’Impératrice 18, 1292 Pregny-Chambésy, Geneva
Fee: CHF 30.- per person includes drinks and snacks

Please register online

About the speaker: Natalie Domeisen is the Head of Corporate Events and Publishing Programmes at the International Trade Centre. Natalie has extensive experience as a public affairs and communications professional in the international trade and development sectors, working across a range of areas including strategic communications, community outreach, publishing, pitch training and media relations.

By | November 20th, 2023|News|0 Comments

Social Media and Communications Coordinator – IDMC Geneva

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is a global centre of expertise established in 1998 to monitor and report on the situation of people who become displaced within their own countries. IDMC curates and analyses data from a wide range of sources, provide insight into the risk, scale, causes and impacts of the phenomenon, and supports partners around the world in identifying and implementing solutions to it.

IDMC is now looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Social Media and Communications Coordinator to help IDMC reach its organisational objectives by writing and editing communications content and managing IDMC’s social media presence and email newsletter. The coordinator will also assist with international press relations, help create strong communications guidance and policies and contribute to refining and delivering on the communications strategy.

This is a dynamic position providing an opportunity to work across the organisation with experts focused on different regions of the world, data management and analysis, policy and international relations as well as with an impact-focused communications team. IDMC produces tremendous amounts of data and analysis to inform policies and actions to address internal displacement, providing a wealth of potential content for communicating with our audiences. A solutions-oriented team player willing to dive into the topic will find many opportunities in this role to put this content to use and to grow and contribute in meaningful and rewarding ways to the success of the organisation.

What you will do

The main roles and responsibilities for this position are:

Written content:

  • Work with IDMC colleagues across the organisation to identify appropriate content types to present their data and analysis in the most compelling ways.
  • Coordinate writing, editing and quality assurance processes for all communications products to Director, multimedia features, and relevant parts of publications as well as other potential products.
  • Write and edit communications content, including website and newsletter text, social media content, introductions and other communications-oriented portions of publications, video scripts and other content necessary to implement the communications strategy.
  • Consolidate existing style guideline documents, maintain and update IDMC style guide, work with the IDMC design team to update relevant parts of the IDMC brand guidelines.

Social media engagement: 

  • Work with the Head of Communications to develop a strategy for IDMC’s social media presence, including a review of our audiences and their needs, the most suitable platforms to invest in, opportunities to improve our outreach, paid promotion, and relevant key performance indicators.
  • Identify ways to proactively engage IDMC’s target audiences, ensuring that our content is relevant, timely, accessible and engaging.
  • Liaise closely with all IDMC departments to stay on top of latest developments and find new ways to promote our key products and events.
  • Manage IDMC social media channels in accordance with IDMC, IDMC communications and IDMC social media strategies, including establishing a strong brand voice and reputation on each platform.
  • Conduct regular audience research and partner/peer benchmarking, analysis of our impact and what’s working or not working, and stay up-to-date with current trends, technologies and applications to inform decisions and overall direction.
  • Support staff and partners who amplify our content with suggested messaging, social media training, and social media kits for various products.

Content planning and dissemination: 

  • Maintain an editorial calendar of internal and external events, IDMC content, external hooks, and other relevant moments for engagement.
  • Take the lead on promotion of IDMC events via website content, social media, newsletter updates and assisting the director’s office with official invitations.
  • Work with the Head of Communications to develop a strong email newsletter strategy then produce and disseminate IDMC’s email newsletter accordingly.
  • Coordinate with the Director’s office and external relations departments to maintain and update IDMC’s newsletter and centralised contact lists.

If you are curious and would like to learn more about this role; please click here to access the full Job Description.

What you will bring

Are you a proactive, solutions-oriented and enthusiastic communications professional? We are looking for a Social Media and Communications Coordinator with demonstrated experience writing and editing compelling content and with an ability to translate technical language into clear, engaging, audience-friendly messaging. You will also possess a solid understanding of social media trends and analytics across multiple platforms, with demonstrated experience managing social media accounts, ideally in similar contexts.

In addition, you will have:

  • Relevant degree and at least five years of professional experience in communications, media relations, marketing, social media, or related fields.
  • Working knowledge of Mailchimp/Salesforce and/or other email marketing tools.
  • Experience with internal displacement, migration, humanitarian or development sectors is desirable.
  • Fluent in English, both written and verbal. French an asset.
  • Excellent writing and editing skills.
  • Strong organisational or project management skills to ensure quality and timely delivery.

For reasons related to the procedure for work permits in Switzerland, only candidates with an EU/EFTA nationality or a valid work permit for Geneva, Switzerland can be considered for this role. Kindly specify your permit in the application if relevant.

By | September 13th, 2023|Careers, News|0 Comments

External Relations & Communications Consultancy – DNDi

DNDi’s External Relations (Fundraising) and Communications teams are looking for a part-time consultant who is a communications generalist with fundraising experience and superb writing skills to provide support to the Innovation for Children programme.

In coordination with the External Relations and Communications teams, the consultant will provide communications strategy, planning, and plan execution on DNDi’s Innovation for Children programme, which is working to develop better medicines for children to fill urgent treatment gaps.

Further information >>

By | September 13th, 2023|News|0 Comments

GCN Lunchtime seminar 28 April – follow-up

Thanks to all the members who attended our lunchtime seminar on Friday 28 April – on Taking a stand for sustainability.

A special thanks to Alice Richard, who enlightened and challenged the audience with an interactive presentation that allowed participants to reflect on the value of existing communications approaches and messages about sustainability. We spent an entertaining hour questioning existing ideas and exploring new ones.

A few impressions of the event can be found below, courtesy of photographer Geraldo Pestalozzi.

We will be in touch soon with another networking event in the coming weeks.

The GCN Team

By | May 4th, 2023|News|0 Comments

Volunteering Communications Manager (Based remotely in the Switzerland)

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is seeking a talented Volunteering Communications Manager to join our team! The Volunteering Communications Manager equips key stakeholders with the messaging and tools they need to communicate clearly about Habitat for Humanity’s volunteering initiatives. The Volunteering Communications Manager works closely with members of both the Integrated Programs division and the Global Communications division to interpret technical information and ongoing shifts in Habitat’s approach to volunteering for a wide range of audiences, from Habitat staff and the volunteers themselves to community members and partners.

Reporting to the Senior Director of International Communications, with a cross functional reporting to the Senior Director of Volunteer and Institutional Engagement (VIE), the Volunteering Communications Manager is responsible for increasing the understanding of Habitat’s volunteer initiatives. This position, in collaboration with colleagues in Global Communications and International Programs, manages the creation of compelling content and messaging in concert with Habitat’s brand and tailored to specific audiences.

This position can be remote within one of the country locations HFHI operates in.

Responsibilities:

  • Collaborate with volunteer program and communications colleagues to develop and periodically update key global messaging and content about HFHI’s volunteering (35%).
  • Prepare Habitat leadership, fundraisers and other key stakeholders with messaging and communications tools for specific opportunities, including webinars, conferences, events and other key moments (25%).
  • Collaborate with communications colleagues around the world to integrate volunteer messaging into Habitat’s communications, ensuring that Habitat communications and storytelling reflect and advance the organization’s program strategies related to volunteering (20%).
  • Serve as first point of contact for questions and requests directed at volunteer initiatives and engagement as part of community moderation (10%).
  • Other related duties as assigned by supervisor (10%).

Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field.
  • 5 years in communications work, especially managing global projects with multiple stakeholders and/or interpreting technical information for various audiences.
  • Proficiency in building creative concepts and demonstrated ability to see projects through to completion.
  • Ability to write, edit, evaluate, and curate strong content related to volunteering and/or international development while meeting brand, marketing and messaging needs.
  • Ability to lead the creation of complete content packages; established experience with photo selection, design collaboration, etc., all while maintaining brand standards.
  • Strong communications and problem-solving skills.
  • Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural competencies and organizational and project management skills that demonstrate an ability to successfully collaborate with a variety of departments and stakeholders.
  • Active support of HFHI Values:

*Humility – We are part of something bigger than ourselves
*Courage – We do what’s right, even when it is difficult or unpopular
*Accountability – We take personal responsibility for Habitat’s mission

  • Safeguarding: HFHI requires that all employees take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguarding our intended beneficiaries, their communities, and all those with whom we work. Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of Habitat for Humanity’s code of conduct.

Preferred:

  • Previous nonprofit experience a plus
  • Experience analyzing data and with data visualization

For further information and to apply >>

By | April 18th, 2023|Careers, News|0 Comments

Lunch event – 28 April 2023 – Taking a stand for sustainability

The Geneva Communicators Network is pleased to announce our first in-person lunchtime seminar for 2023!

The communications industry is full of great, creative, forward thinking and influential minds. Your skills have the power to change the narrative on sustainability and make lasting change. But the industry is awash with green claims, misleading messaging and exaggerated language… if you work in PR and comms, there’s no way you haven’t come across this type of disinformation and spin. Do you verify the claims you are being asked to communicate? Are you using your talents responsibly? Are these questions uncomfortable? This interactive and reflective workshop will use humour and out of the box thinking to explore purpose and help you identify how you can be part of the solution.
Date: Friday 28 April 2023
Time: 12h30 to 14h00
The Swiss Press Club, Domaine de Penthes, Chem. de l’Impératrice 18, 1292 Pregny-Chambésy, Geneva

Fee: CHF 30.- per person includes drinks and snacks

About the speaker: Alice Richard is a sustainability catalyst, designing and leading learning experiences that help bring sustainability to life. A Scottish national living in Switzerland, Alice’s career has bridged private and non-profit sectors and has been built around products and collaborations that drive positive change. A former United Nations staff member, she worked for UNICEF for 14 years before founding her sustainability training company Co-CREATE ImpACT. Today, Alice provides services to a wide range of educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and corporations; and is regular expert for UNITAR on the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Commission on gamifying sustainability. Alice brings together genuine passion for making the world a better place with her 20+ years of experience and expertise helping organisations ‘think out of the box’, to advance sustainability with inclusive, energising and thought-provoking training.
By | April 4th, 2023|News|0 Comments

Social media manager – The WHO Foundation, Geneva

The WHO Foundation (WHOF), launched in May 2020 and headquartered in Geneva, was created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO. Its mission is to mobilize greater private capital and partnership to advance the mission of the World Health Organization (WHO), enabling catalytic impact on the people whose lives rely on WHO’s work and facilitating innovation to maximize the impact of the resources invested.

WHOF was therefore created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO to marshal new resources from philanthropists, foundations, businesses, and individuals to support its mission: promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, while protecting the neutrality and independence of WHO as the world’s leading health authority. WHOF is a nexus for unique opportunities in global health, facilitating game-changing opportunities between the private sector and WHO. Our focus is on mobilizing grant income, shared value partnerships, and investment to power WHO’s work.

PURPOSE

The Social Media Manager is responsible for overseeing the digital communications function in support of the organization’s broader development objectives. He/she will develop and implement an integrated digital communications strategy to enhance the Foundation’s external profile and will liaise with service providers (social media production, web development, hosting services, security, external agencies). The digital communications strategist will serve as the lead for web and digital communications management.

REPORTS TO
The Social media Manager will directly report to the Chief Communications Officer of WHO Foundation.

ACCOUNTABILITIES & FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy Development and Execution

  • Spearhead development and execution of an integrated digital communications strategy, working closely with the Chief Communications Officer, Foundation teams, and WHO counterparts to identify gaps, opportunities, and approaches for strengthening brand awareness and engagement with target audiences as the Foundation grows and evolves.

Digital communications

  • Oversee social media, liaising closely with WHO Foundation team, initiatives, campaigns, and partnerships leads to align and convert messaging narratives to appropriate digital channels.
  • Oversee management of Foundation website, social media and other externally facing digital platforms.
  • Develop digital communications protocols and engage external vendors for web maintenance and strategy as the Foundation and content needs evolve.
  • Craft, execute, and commission digital communication assets such as animations, film and social media creative (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Web) to support Foundation content opportunities.
  • Evaluate digital communications with social listening, analytics reports and provide recommendations and to report on successes.
  • Monitor social sites for news, trends and emerging themes to help inform the content, and provide alerts to the team on important marketplace developments as they occur.
  • Keeping online content up to date and in line with digital communication trends.
  • Researching and writing blogs for the website around key Foundation themes and activities.

Campaign strategy

  • Build and implement digital campaign communications/fundraising campaigns to support key milestones and initiatives of the Foundation and its partners.
  • Create, research, source high-impact content for campaigns, website, and digital channel appeals.

Internal Coordination and Management

  • Work with the communication and campaign teams to manage the digital communication workstream, with external agencies and other subcontractors where relevant.
  • Edit and update an editorial calendar with external key dates, internal events, global UN days, and more.
  • Participate in Interim Secretariat staff, campaigns, appeals, and various initiatives meetings and provide written updates on progress where requested.
  • Ensure harmonization between the campaigns, partnerships, strategy & impact, and communications workstreams.
  • Liaise directly with the CEO, members of the board, and WHO colleagues as appropriate.
  • Support Foundation events for digital communication activities.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

PROFILE

  • A minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressively responsible experience in digital communications strategy, with a proven record of conceptualizing and executing successful strategies/campaigns and working across sectors.
  • Self-starter with strong leadership skills and aptitude for working with autonomy and entrepreneurship, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.
  • Comfort with and/or experience of operating in a lean, start-up environment.
  • Demonstrated project management skills, ideally including executing large-scale, multi-actor campaigns and collaborations and reporting on metrics/measurements.
  • Experience managing under crisis conditions in fast-turnaround global “emergency” situations.
  • Knowledge of project budgeting and agency management are highly desirable skills.
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills and diplomacy, with insights into DEI are essential to the role.
  • Demonstrated record of setting clear standards for accountability, value for money, risk management and zero tolerance to fraud and corruption.
  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), in digital communications, digital marketing or campaigning, international relations, or related fields.
  • Aptitude to work with flexibility, entrepreneurship, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort.
  • Must have excellent writing and content development skills with strong proofing abilities and careful attention to detail.
  • Fluency in English, French is an advantage.

OFFER

  • Rewarding work in a dynamic and innovative non-profit environment with appealing growth and learning opportunities
  • A collaborative workplace within a truly global team
  • An agile, fast-moving and flexible environment
  • Potential to leverage a multinational name and organization in the form of WHO

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • Type of contract: Permanent
  • Location: Geneva (relocation needed)
  • Working rate: 100%
  • Estimated start date: ASAP

For further information and to apply, click here>>

By | March 7th, 2023|Careers, News|0 Comments

Internship opportunity at UNEP Geneva

New internship opportunity with UNEP Geneva

By | March 3rd, 2023|News|0 Comments