Communications Coordinator

We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities

Blue Ventures develops locally led approaches to marine management that benefit people and nature alike. By listening and responding to basic needs, we design our models to catalyse and sustain marine conservation, unlocking the potential of coastal communities to manage their resources. We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and are committed to advancing the rights of small-scale fishers throughout the coastal tropics.

Summary job description

We are looking for an experienced, creative and passionate Communications Coordinator to help drive forward ambitious plans to amplify our work. This exciting role encompasses shaping stories from communities and partners, sharing learning, crafting content to advocate for the rights of small-scale fishers and finding creative ways to connect and raise the voices of fishers to a range of audiences internationally.

The Communications Coordinator will work across a wide range of communications tasks with a focus on writing, editing and proofreading the stories of our work. You will research and deliver communications opportunities recognising and articulating the experiences and efforts of small-scale fishers in driving marine conservation. You will support communications which align BV to relevant marine policy opportunities to amplify conservation action and impact. We are looking for an individual who embraces innovation and thrives in environments that are dynamic, fast-paced, collegiate and ambitious. Reporting to the Communications Manager, this is a full-time role.

Blue Ventures is a fast growing and mission-driven social enterprise, offering excellent opportunities for further professional development.

Candidate profile

You will demonstrate a proven track record of communications outputs. A passion for writing will be at your core and you’ll love creating pieces which speak to a variety of audiences and across channels. With a background in journalism, science communication or media relations you will be passionate about marine conservation and the natural world. You likely already have a social media presence and online publications. You will be knowledgeable about developments within the public and political agenda around global fisheries, marine policy, climate change and natural climate solutions and you’ll understand how these impact Blue Ventures’ work in marine conservation. You’ll love the challenge of producing punctuation perfect mission driven copy at the drop of a pen.

You’ll be able to engage proactively with a range of different audiences with your communications, and comfortable taking a story all the way from an idea to a variety of published formats. You will be able to demonstrate empathy, humility and sensitivity in your writing, and will communicate in a style that exemplifies Blue Ventures’ core values.

You will thrive in environments that are dynamic, fast-paced, collegiate and ambitious, and be able to demonstrate experience of working independently and solving complex problems in challenging situations.

The successful candidate will be a motivated, proactive and highly organised individual. We are looking for an individual who is open to new ideas and embraces innovation, who can demonstrate experience of building effective working partnerships remotely. Assessment of applications will include candidates’ alignment with Blue Ventures’ core values and mission to support human rights-based approaches to marine conservation and fisheries management.

Key responsibilities

● Create original content in line with BV’s strategic priorities, raising the profile of community-led marine conservation and small-scale fisheries management efforts, highlighting the work of our team and partner organisations

● Coordinate writing, editing, proofreading, design and production of communications materials and publications including news articles, press materials, photo stories and wider digital communications content to agreed timescales and priorities

● Support other members of the team in identifying communications priorities from their work and selecting the correct channel(s) for those outputs ● Contribute updates to our websites, blog and social media content, ensuring internal coherence and fit with key messages and branding

● Coordinate and maintain appropriate and consistent language and terminology across all communications channels and media

● Contribute to the training of staff, partners, networks and communities on communications, including writing, storytelling and design

● Ensure staff are well briefed on key communications issues and opportunities

● Check facts and evidence to ensure the accuracy of communications outputs

● Proactively seek opportunities to showcase our learning and work

● Contribute to visual and audio projects (planning, scripting, storyboarding, messaging)

● Work with the Communications Manager to explore new ways to communicate with target audiences

● Work with the Communications Manager to identify sector trends and best practice to incorporate into Blue Ventures’ outputs

● Contribute to communications team strategies and wider development opportunities

Skills and experience

Required

● Demonstrable background in science communications or journalism and a strong understanding of the marine conservation and small-scale fisheries sectors

● Proven experience in developing high-quality communication materials – Postgraduate/graduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field and/or proven experience in rural development or environmental conservation

● Demonstrable skills in communication of complex information to a diverse range of stakeholders

● Fluency in written and spoken English

● Excellent proofreading and editing skills

● Excellent time management and organisational skills

● Confident, strong interpersonal skills and ability to relate to and work effectively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, at all levels – Capacity to undertake research and development work independently as well as part of an international team, collaborating remotely across time-zones

Desired

● Understanding of participatory approaches to communications in a development context including ethical considerations of content creation and dissemination – Interest in user centered design principles and experience with their application in communications outputs

● Experience with travel and work in remote locations

● Competency in additional language(s): French, Bahasa Indonesian, Malagasy, – Kiswahili or Portuguese

● Knowledge of collaborative working with Google Docs and the GSuite setup – Experience with content management systems (eg WordPress) and digital asset management systems

● Competence in documentary photography, experience in editing and processing images and/or film

Blue Ventures is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young and vulnerable people and expects all members of staff to share this commitment. We take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who contravenes our policy. All candidates will be asked questions on safeguarding and child protection. We want people of all backgrounds to see themselves represented and included in our work, so we actively seek to diversify our team and bring more voices to the table and offer a range of benefits to encourage a work life balance.