Communications Officer B3 (33/19 ADD)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.  

Job Category:  Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)

Job Subcategory:  Communications, Press and Media  

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)  

Main purpose of job:

The job holder will lead engagement with Ethiopia’s media industry, helping to inform and influence key decision makers and the general public about the work of the embassy. Joining a growing team the job holder will act as the main point of contact for media enquiries delivering key messages that promote the work of the UK in Ethiopia. The job holder will help the embassy build links with influencers and stakeholders as well as supporting the Ambassador and other members of the senior team with media and TV interviews. The job holder will continually monitor local media reporting on areas of interest to the UK through timely and succinct reporting.  

Roles and responsibilities:

• The UK’s Embassy in Addis Ababa is one of our largest in Africa, and the development programme run from within it is our biggest on the continent. The UK also works closely with the Government of Ethiopia on matters of regional and international security, and in promoting economic reform and protecting human rights. 

• We are proud of our longstanding bilateral relationship with Ethiopia and as Ethiopia reforms we are keen to further improve our relationship with the country’s growing and evolving media industry. We are therefore expanding our communications team, linking in with new influencers and activists as well as retaining our strong relationship with traditional print media, TV and radio. This role, sits within the Communications, Engagement and Soft Power Team and will help showcase the important work the UK is doing to support Ethiopia’s development. 

• The successful candidate’s primary role will be to act as the lead press officer helping to promote a positive image of the UK. They will do this through building strong links within Ethiopia’s media industry, linking in with new stakeholders and influencers active on social media. The job holder will deliver high quality press-releases so excellent English language skills are essential. The successful candidate will also regularly brief the Ambassador and other senior team members ahead of interviews, ensuring our key messages are delivered and reported local media. Occasional regional travel in Ethiopia will also be required as the embassy looks to increase its reach and influence throughout Ethiopia’s regions. To build these links knowledge of one of Ethiopia’s regional languages is desirable. 

• The job holder will also provide regular reporting on the state of the media industry and media freedom in Ethiopia. To do this they will need to use their imitative, working with others across the embassy to get a gain a clear and accurate picture of the challenges the media industry is facing and how it will be impacted by new regulations and the rise of social media influencers. The officer will help support the delivery of the embassy’s media freedom work, helping to advise where the UK should look to support and influence to help empower local journalists to deliver fair, accurate and impartial reporting.

• The jobholder will also support the wider communications and soft power team, particularly on producing engaging social media content. This will include the opportunity to learn new digital skills and travel on field trips to gather content with different teams within the embassy.

  This is a wide ranging job covering the fill range of communications work. The position offers an excellent opportunity for a junior professional to refine their media skills and perfect their analysis and reporting through regular contact with senior members of the embassy team 

Essential qualifications, skills and experience:  

At least 3 years’ working experience

Experience and knowledge of Ethiopia’s media sector

Language requirements:

Fluent English and Amharic

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

Knowledge of other Ethiopian languages are desirable

Required competencies  

Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace

Application deadline:  29 October 2019

Grade:   B3 (L)

Type of Position:  Permanent

Working hours per week:  36

Region:  Africa

Country/Territory:  Ethiopia

Location (City): Addis Ababa

Type of Post:  British Embassy

Number of vacancies:  1

Starting monthly salary:  20,298.71 ETB

Start Date:  15 November 2019  

Other benefits and conditions of employment  

Working patterns:

The standard working hours of the British Embassy for office staff are 0800-1645 Monday-Thursday and 0800-1300 on Fridays. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required when travelling around Ethiopia. Time off in Lieu will be given where possible.

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The successful candidate will get access to a range of learning and development opportunities, including on the job training and workshops with communication experts.

They are likely to be able to attend training in the UK as well as communications events and training across the Africa network.

Additional information  

Annual Leave and Public Holidays:

Locally engaged staff of all grades will be entitled to paid annual leave as follows:
Up to 2 years 22 days
After 2 years services 25 days
After 5 years services 30 days

In addition to annual leave, the British Embassy observes up to a maximum number of 14 Ethiopian, British and Religious public holidays each year. A list of such Embassy holidays will be published each year. Office Staff required to work on these holidays will be granted time off in lieu or overtime where circumstances permit.