UK & NL – Communications Intern

Description

LOCATION: Edinburgh, London or other locations in the UK, or The Hague, NL.

DATES OF INTERNSHIP: start MAY 2021 – 4 months duration

HOURS PER WEEK: 3 days/week

FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERNSHIP:
£9.30/hour in Edinburgh and other UK locations; £10.75/hour in London; EUR 400/month in the Hague

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

ABOUT MERCY CORPS EUROPE

Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) has grown rapidly both in terms of the volume of activity and its complexity. With offices in Edinburgh, London, Geneva and The Hague, we now attract over £100m in income, and employ around 100 domestic and expatriate field team members. The breadth and impact of our programmes makes Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve in the field and we are always looking for talented individuals who share our passion and commitment.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

● Increase knowledge and understanding of strategic communications in the humanitarian aid sector

● Sharpen content production, storytelling and writing skills

● Receive feedback on and review of ideas and work

● Interact with various stakeholders, partners, and Mercy Corps team members in Europe and globally, and grow a network within the aid sector

● Gain deeper understanding of governments’ and NGOs’ responses to humanitarian

and complex crises

● Understand the requirements of working in a global organization.

DELIVERABLES

Mercy Corps has ambitious goals to influence policy and practice in key European contexts, including Edinburgh, London, The Hague, Geneva and Brussels, around humanitarian aid, development, climate and peacebuilding.

This means raising the profile of major complex crises, persuading governments to invest more,

and more effectively, in ending conflict and violence, and ensuring humanitarian response helps

people to become increasingly independent and resilient going forward.

The Communications Intern will work closely with the Mercy Corps Europe communications team and others to increase our visibility in Europe, position ourselves as credible thought leaders on key issues, and engage new audiences. The ideal candidate will have fluency in written and spoken English, be social media savvy and have a demonstrable passion for the issues we work on.

This internship will expose candidates to all aspects of communications, with a focus on digital and social media engagement.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

In close collaboration with the Head of Media and Communications (the Hague), the Senior Digital Communications Officer (Edinburgh) and the Media and Communications Officer (London), the Communications Intern will assist with:

Digital and social media

● Updating Mercy Corps Europe social media feeds (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram); monitoring and responding to comments to help generate conversations around key topics

● Creating shareable content, such as social media cards, videos, infographics (depending on skillset)

● Co-designing and managing social media campaigns and other visibility and influence

actions around key moments, such as World Humanitarian Day

● Monitoring trends and opportunities for improving our social media engagement

● Promoting the use of social media among team members

● Compiling social media statistics and sharing these internally

● Updating the europe.mercycorps.org website

● Working closely with global marketing & communications digital and social teams to ensure alignment.

Media

● Drafting and editing media statements, press releases and blogs

● Monitoring news and producing summaries and briefings for internal distribution

● Compiling media lists ahead of big events or campaigns

● Researching story ideas.

Influencer strategy

● Supporting our new influencer strategy by conducting research into the use of influencers/ advocates in the INGO sector.

General

● Updating team and cross-team editorial calendars

● Proactively contributing ideas and taking part on team-wide initiatives and events (such as webinars and training).

● Representing Mercy Corps at external events (where applicable).

IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

● A graduate or a final year undergraduate student in international development,

● international relations, communications, marketing, conflict studies or any other relevant field.

● Demonstrable passion for issues around humanitarian and complex crises

● Demonstrated ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and be flexible, and work collaboratively with team members as required

● Fully computer literate

● Social media savvy

● Excellent written and spoken communication skills, fluent in English

● Demonstrated sensitivity to people and cultures globally.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

● Experience with design software and managing and developing online content

● Writing content for publication (e.g. blogging, media)

Mercy Corps interns represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Candidates interested in this internship should submit a CV and a statement of interest prior to the closing date of April 6th, 2021. In your statement, you are encouraged to discuss any experiences relevant to the projects

outlined. You may wish to describe your career interests and discuss your previous work and

educational experiences demonstrating these interests.

All applicants should be able to demonstrate the right to work in the location targeted for hire by the start date of the internship.

Mercy Corps Diversity Statement

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.