Communications and Advocacy Specialist - MEER

World Vision

13d

About The Position

The Communications and Advocacy Specialist supports the development and implementation of communications, advocacy, and engagement strategies that enhance World Vision’s visibility, reputation, and influence across the Middle East and Eastern Europe Region (MEER). The role co-leads risk communications, media engagement, and reputation management, and supports external relations, advocacy initiatives, and meaningful child participation. It develops communications products and social media content, coordinates media outreach, and provides technical support and guidance to field offices. The position also strengthens internal communications and cross-functional coordination to ensure consistent messaging, and contributes to emergency communications and advocacy responses as required. The role includes regional and field-office coordination on communications risks, media monitoring, content production, advocacy, and child participation. It also supports the organization’s Christian identity through internal and external communications and participation in devotions and other activities that foster mutual growth in Christ. The successful applicant is expected to affirm World Vision’s core documents, observe conduct compatible with Christian principles, maintain high professional ethics, and act in accordance with cultural sensitivities.

Requirements

University degree in Communications, Journalism, International Relations, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Minimum five years of relevant professional experience in communications, advocacy, media relations, public affairs, or external engagement within the humanitarian, development, or non-profit sector.
Experience developing and implementing communications and advocacy initiatives at national, regional, or international level.
Experience working with multiple stakeholders, including media representatives, civil society organizations, government actors, donors, and community representatives.
Experience providing communications and/or advocacy support to field teams and/or local partners.
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Must be in good physical health.
The successful applicant must affirm World Vision’s core documents, observe conduct compatible with Christian principles, serve with a high level of professional ethics, and strive to act in accordance with cultural sensitivities.
Regular attendance at team and office devotions, chapel, and prayer gatherings is expected in line with applicable policies.

Nice To Haves

Relevant professional training in communications, advocacy, media relations, digital communications, or humanitarian programming.
Experience working in complex humanitarian and emergency contexts.
Knowledge of another language relevant to the Middle East and Eastern Europe Region (MEER).
Strong communications content development skills, including photography, videography, graphic design, storytelling, and multimedia content production.
Experience in social media management, monitoring, audience engagement, and digital communications.
Excellent report writing, editing, proofreading, and report design skills.
Experience drafting advocacy messages, key messages, talking points, policy briefs, and other advocacy materials.
Good knowledge and practical experience in child and youth participation approaches and initiatives.

Responsibilities

Co-lead risk communications, media, and reputation work with the Advocacy, Communications & External Engagement Senior Advisor and coordinate with field-office, regional-office, and global risk leads.
Ensure communications, media, and reputation risks are addressed in a timely and effective manner, including ensuring field offices address risks and draft reactive statements promptly.
Onboard communications risk focal points, ensure they complete online training, and organize regular refresher training.
Provide regular updates to the senior advisor and SDO about major communications risks and coordinate with risk leads to mitigate negative outcomes.
Update and assign media, risk, and reputation cases in EthicsPoint.
Support advocacy initiatives, including external engagement events, reports, policy briefs, talking points, and key messages.
Support child participation initiatives with field-office focal points and children’s councils, and help establish sustainable child and youth participation mechanisms at field and regional levels.
Support conceptualization and implementation of regional external engagement events.
Support communications and social media content production and design.
Update regional-office website pages in WVI; review and publish field-office content in WVI; upload regional content in Storyhub and respond to content requests.
Support social media posting and monitoring, communications dashboard and Hootsuite rollout, and lead the regional rollout of the Cision media monitoring tool.
Produce quarterly media monitoring reports through Cision and support media engagement using Cision’s media-pitching tools.
Lead coordination with external designers on external products such as reports and capacity statements; ensure regional products meet quality, branding, and safeguarding standards.
Help explore how AI tools can facilitate and improve communications and social media content development.
Provide field offices with technical communications, social media, advocacy, child participation, risk communications, media, and reputation support as needed.
Support field offices with Cision onboarding and use, and support regional and field offices with emergency advocacy and communications during emergencies.
Support development of regional internal and external pools of communications and advocacy experts who can be deployed during personnel gaps and emergencies.
Attend regional and global advocacy and communications coordination calls and provide regular updates.
Disseminate MEERO communications and advocacy products through key Teams channels and support internal communications, including the Ignite newsletter and WV Central.
Participate in devotions and other activities that enrich and develop mutual growth in Christ.
Ensure World Vision’s Christian identity is represented in external and internal communications and advocacy.