Communications and Outreach Officer

Reports to: Country Director and Communications Director at HQ

Location: Ramallah, Palestine

Contract Duration: 9 months (with possible extension) 

About the ILF

 The International Legal Foundation (ILF) is seeking a Communications and Outreach Officer to join our local Palestinian team and work with a committed and diverse global organization. This position provides an opportunity to be a member of an enthusiastic and diverse team that is committed to continually advancing local leadership, ownership, and decision-making.

Established in 2001, the ILF is a leading global advocate for the right to counsel. Our mission is to make justice a reality for poor people by fighting to guarantee high-quality legal representation for everyone arrested or detained. Around the world, we provide criminal defense services and build sustainable, effective legal aid institutions.  

Headquartered in New York City, the ILF has legal aid programs operating in Afghanistan, the Republic of Georgia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Palestine, and Tunisia. To date, ILF lawyers have represented more than 80,000 people suspected or accused of criminal offenses and trained thousands of legal aid lawyers to provide quality legal aid services. The ILF also performs high-level advocacy, pushing countries, international institutions, and donors to prioritize legal aid as a fundamental human right and a crucial global development issue. Our work prevents torture and mistreatment, promotes alternatives to detention, and builds fair and effective justice systems.

Since 2010, the ILF has been providing quality legal aid across 11 governorates in the West Bank and advocating to strengthen legal aid for all Palestinians.

About this Role

Communications play a key role in realizing the ILF’s mission. We are seeking a creative, experienced, and thoughtful Communications and Outreach Officer who will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies and content to:

• Advocate for the expansion of legal aid and raise local awareness of issues that impact access to justice for individuals accused;
• Enhance our brand profile through local press outreach and social media engagement;
• Amplify the voices and successes of our staff, clients, and partners;
• Engage donors through high-quality print and multimedia content;
• Align with and reinforce the ILF’s global communications strategy and priorities.

Success in this position will elevate the ILF’s work and promote its mission, creating new opportunities for support, partnership, and innovation. Based in Ramallah, the Communications and Outreach Officer for Palestine will report to the ILF’s Country Director in Palestine along with the Director of Communications in New York. This person will work closely with the ILF’s Palestine team to support communications, advocacy, partnerships, and fundraising efforts.

The ILF Offers

• International and dynamic working experience.
• Opportunity to take initiative and realize your ideas.
• Full-time employment contract.

Antiracism, diversity, and equity are critical to the ILF’s mission to secure equal access to justice for all. Our success is dependent upon providing the space, resources, and support that allow our global team to bring their full selves to work, and to thrive. The International Legal Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We practice inclusive hiring and work to achieve and maintain diversity across races, genders, sexualities, abilities, and experiences. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities to apply.

Responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:

Communications Management & Program Support

• Coordinate closely with the ILF’s New York communications team, ILF Palestine leadership, and other global staff to develop and implement communications strategies and work plans.
• Ensure all ILF Palestine staff adhere to the ILF’s photo and story permission guidelines and employ the highest standards of ethical storytelling.
• Track and report on project activities and outcomes in accordance with project requirements;
• Author program reports as required, in English and Arabic, including biweekly, quarterly, and annual reports.
• Ensure consistent ILF branding and messaging across all communications mediums, tailor global messaging for local audiences.
• Provide professional communications advice and support to ILF Palestine leadership; prepare colleagues for media appearances and offer training as needed.
• Willingness to travel to various offices across Palestine to facilitate communication, provide on-site support, and strengthen collaborative efforts within the organization.
• Support the organization of programs and events.
• Assist with internal communication deliverables.

Content Creation & Distribution

• Manage the ILF Palestine’s digital communications and platforms, including social media and email outreach.
• Consistently and proactively plan, produce, and schedule compelling online content that amplifies the voices and experiences of ILF clients, advocates, and partners, and demonstrate the impact of the ILF’s work.
• Proactively bring content ideas to showcase ILF Palestine’s work and achievements on ILF’s global social channels and website to the Advocacy and Communications Director in New York.
• Design online and offline visual materials including social media graphics, posters, banners, flyers, brochures, etc.
• Conduct interviews with lawyers and clients for written materials as needed.
• Conduct country-level press outreach. Build relationships with local journalists reporting on Justice in Palestine; maintain relevant media lists.
• Monitor local news and closely follow Palestinian politics, criminal justice, legal aid, and social issues to contextualize the ILF’s work.
• Build and manage relationships with stakeholders and donors, attend meetings and compose MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) with support from the legal team.
• Capture multimedia, including photos and videos, to depict ILF’s mission and impact; or coordinate with professional contractors as needed.
• Research and fact-check communications materials.

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A successful candidate will have the following qualifications and skills:

• A commitment to the ILF’s mission and goals
• Education: Bachelor's or Master’s degree, preferably in English, Media, Communications, Journalism, or a field relevant to the ILF’s work.
• Required experience: 3-5 years of relevant, professional experience in media, journalism, advocacy, communications, marketing, or community outreach.
• Language: Fluency in Arabic and English, both written and spoken.

Skills:

• Excellent writer, proofreader, and editor with the ability to meet tight deadlines and respond to emerging crises; proven ability to analyze and interpret dense material to produce compelling content that is tailored to various audiences.
• Experienced using social media to drive public engagement.
• Proven graphic design skills in Adobe Creative Suite or other similar programs.
• Tenacious follow-up and journalistic skills; not afraid of giving someone a call and digging for information.
• Team player with strong interpersonal skills; able to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
• Experienced working collaboratively in Google Suite and with Microsoft Office.
• Photography, video editing, or other multimedia production experience would be considered an asset, but are not required.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize.
• Ability to work independently.

Kindly submit a resume and cover letter with salary expectations to [email protected] by Jan,14.2024. No telephone inquiries please.  Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.