Published: 10 January 2022. Application deadline: 28 January 2022.
CONTEXT
The World Alliance of YMCAs supports some 120 national YMCAs and four regional YMCA Area Alliances across the globe, to provide young people with safe spaces and opportunities to take an active role in transforming their communities. We are proud and passionate as the oldest youth empowerment organisation in the world, and one of the largest.
2022 is a big year in which we will launch YMCA Vision 2030, and coordinate the 4-yearly YMCA World Council. Vision 2030 will signal the start of a defining strategic period for the YMCA and for the world in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
PURPOSE
Good communications is vital to the success of World YMCA’s work – telling stories across the YMCA Movement and beyond, animating our work through testimony and image, and engaging young people.
The Content and Digital Communications Officer will play a critical and very practical role in that task. This is a superb opportunity for an organized, creative and energetic person who is ready to take responsibility for our website and social media platforms, and help to galvanise other communicators across the entire global YMCA Movement.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Strategy & messaging: ensure that content and platforms align with communications strategy and messaging, especially in story-telling to support the four key pillars of YMCA Vision 2030: Community Wellbeing; Meaningful Work; Sustainable Planet; Just World.
- Digital platform management: from planning to implementation, take day-to-day and month-to-month responsibility for the content, look and structure of World YMCA’s website, its social media platforms and its regular news bulletin outputs.
- Content creation: scope, research, gather, write and illustrate inspiring and relevant stories for the World YMCA website and social media.
- Social media: ensure an active and interactive presence, building on continuous monitoring of the YMCA digital footprint and adopting a forward-looking approach incorporating new external trends and critical internal priorities; coordination of campaigns
- Website: ensure a regular flow of new and lively content and the maintenance of existing and institutional content; ensure the clarity, navigability and appeal of the site
- Monitoring: responding to YMCA-wide and worldwide news stories and developments, and ensuring that World YMCA communications is responsive, topical and timely.
- Databases: manage and grow databases, target listings and social media followings.
- Additional design, web & video support: provide support in graphic design, website management, and video creation/editing.
- Network: Support the Director of Communications in building a working network of YMCA communicators all over the world.
- … and more: support other elements of the communications workplan, as requested by the Director of Communications.
The post offers both freedom and responsibility in identifying the channels and the contents to inspire key audience groups both within the global YMCA Movement, and beyond it.
REQUIREMENTS
Essential
- At least 3-5 years’ experience in a similar Content and Digital Communications role
- Familiarity with current youth/social/development/democracy issues, and a strong will to support young people’s development and growth.
- Experience of producing creative, engaging English copy for diverse audiences – from formal/institutional audiences to young people.
- Editing and proofing skills – excellent (ideally Mother Tongue) command of English.
- Excellent understanding of online and social media, and their application to communications and engagement activities.
- Experience of developing a wide range of targeted communication materials, especially feature stories and case studies.
- Technical skills in design, content management, video editing etc. Familiarity with any/all of these platforms/programmes an asset:
- all social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, more
- YouTube, FlickR
- WordPress, Wix
- Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Lightroom
- MS PowerPoint, Apple Keynote
- Mailchimp
- Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere, Animoto
- Experience of measuring, assessing and evaluating the impact/footprint of websites, social media and other campaigns.
Desirable
- Experience of managing external agencies/suppliers.
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent – ideally in communications, journalism or the Humanities.
- PR/communications qualification.
- A good general knowledge of the global media environment.
- French, Spanish or other languages an asset.
Other key professional/personal attributes include:
- Ability to manage own workload in a demanding environment, balancing competing priorities and deadlines.
- Excellent people skills as the core of relationships with staff, and daily exchanges inside and outside the YMCA.
- Dynamism, proactiveness, open-mindedness.
- Respect for the Christian ethos and values of the YMCA.
- Cultural awareness; commitment to equality and diversity.
- Willingness to work outside regular office hours, to meet tight deadlines and to accommodate meeting colleagues in different time zones.
DETAIL
Reporting
The Officer will report to the World YMCA Director of Communications.
Timeframe, location, salary
Subject to successful completion of a 2-month probation period, the position would be contracted full time for a period of 12 months, starting as soon as possible in 2022. The contract would thereafter be renewable by mutual agreement.
While the Director of Communications is based in Geneva and would ideally see and even work alongside the candidate as much as possible, this remains in principle a remote position: candidates can be based anywhere in the world. Candidates based outside Switzerland would be expected to visit Geneva periodically, and on occasion to travel elsewhere too.
The post offers an attractive salary, the range of which will be dependent on experience and location, and will be discussed at interview.
Application
Please send a cover letter and CV to office@ymca.int by 23:00 CET/Geneva time on Friday 28 January 2022, specifying ‘Content & Digital Communications Officer’ and your name in the title of the email.
We plan that shortlisted candidates will be invited to carry out written exercises by 4 February, and to attend an online interview in the week of 14-18 February. It is hoped that the chosen candidate can start work as soon as possible thereafter.
Thank you for your support and interest – we look forward to hearing from you!
YMCA Europe and World YMCA seek a Project Manager and Proposal Writer
YMCA Europe is hiring for a joint position with World YMCA, a “Project Manager and Proposal Writer” to increase the capacity of the YMCA Movement at European level and beyond to attract EU funding and implement meaningful, impact-focused programmes.
Deadline for application is 10 February 2022.