Are you passionate about human rights and tropical forests? Are you an exceptional communicator and digital native? Do you lie awake wondering how you can use your communication skills to create positive social change in the world? If so, you might be who we’re looking for!

We are recruiting a Communication & Media Officer to join our global human rights charity of 50+ dedicated staff. In this job, you will play a key role in supporting, planning and delivering all aspects of our communication work, as well as developing platforms and strategies to amplify the voice of those we work with.

You will understand – and proactively target – various audiences, including policy makers, local communities, supporters and our partners and staff. You will write, edit, and publish content across various channels, including online, social and print. In addition, you will use your expert communication skills and fastidious attention to detail to support staff to produce high quality content, and to create spaces for the voices of our partners.

As the successful candidate, you will have at least 3-5 years’ experience in all aspects of communication and be fluent in written and spoken English. Strong preference will be given to those with a working knowledge of Spanish; French is also beneficial. You will be working as part of a small team engaged in collaborative work across our organisation, therefore excellent people skills are a must.

About Us

Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) is an international NGO that supports forest peoples to assert their rights to control and manage their territories and forests.

We work with forest peoples in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, to help them secure their rights, build up their own organisations and negotiate with governments and companies to ensure that any economic and conservation activities on their lands respect their rights to self-determination. For more information see our website.

Key Responsibilities:

Communication

• Provide creative, editorial and operational support for communications projects
• Plan and create compelling multimedia communications materials, including video editing and production
• Develop strategies with the team to increase engagement and audience monitoring and retention
• Maintain and manage Twitter and Facebook accounts, regularly contributing to key messaging and live tweeting events
• Provide input into developing FPP’s websites to provide trusted and powerful online content and promote engagement with multiple audiences
• Support with the writing and production of FPP publications including the Annual Report and monthly digital newsletters
• Provide communications support for our campaigns and fundraising efforts
• In future, this role will require some overseas travel to attend meetings and events on behalf of FPP

Media

• Assist with forward planning and dissemination of press releases, articles, and blogs across a variety of channels
• Monitor and report on relevant press coverage, including news stories which would benefit from indigenous peoples’ perspective
• Build relationships with key journalists and media outlets to become a trusted voice on indigenous, human rights and conservation issues

Principles

• Work with respect for the right to self-determination of forest peoples
• Create space for ‘local voice’ and ensure FPP’s own communications complements and supports (but does not replace, dominate or subsume) the voices of forest peoples and their locally based community-based or civil society organisations
• Support the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, and champion how this relates to communications outputs

Terms

• Salary in the range of £26,000 – £28,300pa depending on qualifications and experience
• Location: Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, UK (flexible for the right candidate)
• This is a permanent contract, and benefits include:20 days leave per year, plus all public holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year when the office is closed
• Time off in lieu and flexible working hours

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

• At least 3 to 5 years relevant experience in a communications role, ideally within an NGO, advocacy or international context
• Degree in journalism, communication or equivalent experience
• Excellent written and spoken English, with demonstrable experience of writing copy, editing and publishing for print and digital media
• Skilled with a range of digital communication tools and platforms, including social media, content management systems and standard communication tools
• Excellent organisational skills, a positive attitude, the ability to work under pressure, and flexibility to prioritise tasks at the last minute
• Interest in human rights, environmental protection and international affairs, and a commitment to FPP’s vision, mission and values
• The skill to work in a multi-disciplinary team and a proactive approach to developing the role

Desirable Requirements

• Experience of communications work in multilingual contexts and environments, preferably with indigenous peoples or local communities
• Strong preference will be given to candidates with a good level of written and spoken Spanish
• Excellent photography and/or videography skills, including video editing, Adobe InDesign and/or Photoshop experience

To Apply For This Post

Please send the following three pieces to info@forestpeoples.org by 23:30 GMT, 12 April 2021.  Please include ‘Communication and Media Officer’ and your name in the email subject line and the following:

• a cover letter (2-pages max);
• a CV; and
• a 300-word piece (see below):

Please write a short article on recent events (impacts of Amazon fires / deregulation / COVID on forest communities, for example) in the style of the articles on FPPs’ blog. We would also like you to include a sample Facebook post and tweet to promote the piece.

The piece will be used to assess your writing skills – please refer to www.forestpeoples.org for ideas / examples. You are free to rewrite an existing piece.

If you wish to discuss this role further, please contact Tom Dixon, Communication & Media Manager via email on: info@forestpeoples.org. For UK-based roles, candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK. Please mention Journo Resources when applying for roles – it really helps us out.