ROLE PURPOSE:
The Public Relations and Media Coordinator at Save the Children plays a pivotal role in enhancing the organization's visibility and reputation through strategic media and social media engagement. This dynamic and rewarding position involves the development and implementation of comprehensive public relations strategies aimed at effectively positioning Save the Children and its institutional achievements in various media outlets. The incumbent will craft compelling content and materials tailored for diverse audiences, including media, donors, partners, and allies, ensuring that our mission and impact resonate widely.
The Public Relations and Media Coordinator, with a strong background in journalism or media relations, will play a key role in securing media coverage across national and international platforms. Based on the ability to analyze scientific, technical, social and economic data to uncover compelling narratives.
Key responsibilities include collaborating with Program Development and Quality Teams, as well as Advocacy and Communication teams, to identify and develop impactful stories, data insights, and actions that highlight our work and its significance. The coordinator will also maintain and nurture ongoing relationships with key media outlets (national and international) and stakeholders while continuously updating and managing Save the Children’s media directories.
As part of Save the Children’s commitment to creating a world where every child thrives, the Public Relations and Media Coordinator will embody our values of diversity, inclusivity, and anti-racism. This role will support our mission by fostering an environment that challenges systemic oppression and promotes equality, ensuring that our communications reflect the rich diversity of the communities we serve.


KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
1. Strategic Content Development:
Lead the creation of high-quality strategic content tailored for media, donors, partners, and other key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with Save the Children’s institutional goals and ongoing humanitarian and nexus projects.
2. Visibility, Communication Planning, and Coordination:
Identify and capitalize on visibility opportunities for the Country Office by developing and implementing communication strategies. Collaborate with the communications team and technical specialists to maximize these opportunities. Work across departments and with external partners to leverage skills and expertise, ensuring impactful media coverage and support for critical initiatives. Liaise with the Regional Office and members to execute communication activities, facilitate visits, and coordinate incoming communications surge support during emergencies when necessary.
3. Building and Maintaining Relationships:
Cultivate and maintain strong internal relationships with area offices, the Global Media Unit (GMU), and SCI members, while also establishing external partnerships with media and key communication stakeholders as needed.
4. Information Gathering and Analysis:
Coordinate with technical specialists to gather, analyze, and disseminate key information regarding children's issues in Ukraine. This should inform strategic audiences and enhance advocacy efforts.
5. Media Relations Management:
Build and sustain relationships with journalists and opinion leaders to effectively pitch stories that advance Save the Children's objectives, mission and vision. Respond promptly to media inquiries and facilitate interviews by providing relevant content.
6. Media Material Production and Dissemination:
Create compelling media materials, including press releases, briefings, and multimedia content, ensuring their timely dissemination to enhance visibility and impact across various platforms. Proactively identify and generate story ideas and news angles, facilitating media coverage, and producing high-quality materials such as case studies, vblogs, video footage, photography, and social media content. Collaborate closely with journalists and field teams during missions to ensure impactful storytelling and extensive media outreach. Consolidate information on ongoing activities and responses in Ukraine to provide comprehensive and timely updates for media and public communications. Work in close cooperation with the Digital Communication officer to support the use of digital and social media in raising awareness of our issues among diverse audiences.
7. Campaign Support, Positioning, and Capacity Building:
Contribute to the positioning of institutional communication campaigns and global initiatives, ensuring effective messaging and outreach to support fundraising and advocacy objectives. Train staff to effectively serve as spokespeople for the organization, ensuring preparedness for media engagements and enhancing communication skills across the team.
8. Crisis Management and Reputation Protection:
Implement crisis management strategies, conduct media monitoring, and respond to emerging issues to safeguard Save the Children’s reputation and maintain public trust.
9. Collaboration and Resource Management:
Collaborate across departments and with external partners to ensure effective resource allocation, timely delivery of agreed deliverables, and the overall smooth operation of team initiatives.
10. Travel and Additional Responsibilities:
Travel within Ukraine and internationally as needed to provide effective media support for Save the Children’s initiatives. Perform additional tasks as required to ensure the smooth operation of the team and support Save the Children’s mission, including acting as a spokesperson when necessary. Generate impactful media briefings and press releases to influence policymakers and support fundraising objectives. Participate in out-of-hours rotations as needed.
Undertake other tasks and responsibilities as required to ensure the smooth functioning of the team, cross-departmental cooperation, and the overall mission of Save the Children.
QUALIFICATIONS
University degree or equivalent experience in journalism, media, communications or similar discipline.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential Qualifications:

• Degree in journalism, strategic communication, media relations, or public relations.
• Minimum of 3 years of proven experience and achievements in public relations, including successful engagement with media and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategies independently to secure significant media coverage across various outlets.
• Exceptional interpersonal relationship management and strong communication skills.
• Proactive mindset with the ability to make strategic decisions to achieve desired outcomes.
• Well-established contacts for generating news stories with international journalists, editors, and the broader media landscape.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the capacity to tailor messages for diverse audiences and media platforms.
• Politically and culturally aware, exhibiting qualities of patience, tact, and diplomacy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and Ukrainian.
• Strong alignment with the mission, vision, values, and objectives of Save the Children.
• Ability to influence and collaborate cross-organizationally, effectively engaging with senior managers and field teams at all levels to advocate for specific viewpoints.
• Competence in communicating effectively and empathetically with the individuals we support, including children, young people, and their families.
• Ability to confidently analyze data (scientific, technical, social economic) to uncover stories and develop compelling news narratives.
• Proven capability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasks effectively while managing multiple projects under pressure.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience in human rights and child rights issues.
• Previous experience working in international non-governmental organizations.
Background in multimedia production.

Save the Children is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.