Director of Communications

**ABOUT MSF**

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation committed to two objectives: providing medical assistance to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion, natural and man-made disasters; and speaking out about the plight of the populations assisted. MSF assists people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation. Today, MSF is present in more than 70 countries, where thousands of MSF doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts, and other medical and non-medical professionals work together to bring essential health services to people caught in humanitarian crises.

**PURPOSE**

Provides strategic direction on public communication for MSF Southern Africa (MSF SnA) in order to represent and position MSF to audiences and stakeholders, shaping their perception of the organisation in Southern Africa according to its social mission and in support of advocacy, operational communication, fundraising and recruitment objectives.

**REPORTING STRUCTURE**

The Director of Communications (DirCom) reports to the Executive Director of MSF SnA and is part of the Management Team accountable for the overall implementation of the 3-year Section’s Strategic Plans. The DirCom leads the 9-person Communication Department and its Coordination & Challenge Team (CCT). The CCT consists of 3 Communication Managers - responsible for Content production and Positioning (Input Team), Regional Operational Communication and Digital & News media Outreach (Outreach team) - who each manage sub-teams for each pillar of action.

**ACCOUNTABILITIES (OUTPUTS AND KEY ACTIONS)**

**OUTPUT 1**:
**Provide Strategic Leadership, Management and Direction on MSF’s Public Positioning to Meet Operational & Business Challenges**

**Key Actions**:
**As a member of the MSF SnA Management team**:

- Contribute to the definition of the Section’s 3-year Strategic Orientations and Annual Action Plans that drive the development to meet its local and regional ambitions approved by the MSF SnA Board of Directors.
- Developing collective decisions and setting regional priorities for MSF Southern Africa that inform internal policies, and recommendations to the Board of Directors that impact the day-to-day functioning of the Section.

**As Director of Communications**:

- Lead the development of the Communication Department’s 3-year strategies and the implementation through Annual Action Plans to increase awareness of humanitarian crises and medical humanitarianism to position MSF among audiences and stakeholders in Southern Africa, serving the social mission, supporting advocacy and resource mobilisation (fundraising and recruitment) objectives.
- Liaise with the Programmes Committee of the MSF SnA Board of Directors, participating in meetings, providing updates and information where required and relevant for accountability purposes.
- Maintain and evolve the MSF SnA Positioning Framework to meet dynamic challenges of influence and resource mobilisation in South Africa. This includes actions that proactively position MSF and accountability for any, and all public communication campaigns or events - either developed in partnership with Operational Support Unit, Fundraising or HR Departments, or run exclusively by the Communication Department.
- Ensure standards for ethical communication related to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion guidelines are known, understood, and adhered to within the Communication, Operational Support Unit, Fundraising and HR Departments and take accountability for public communication outcomes.
- Ensure regular content audit reviews on MSF SnA’s public communication vis-à-vis the Positioning Framework and targets related to the MSF’s International Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Guideline for content produced and curated for diverse audience engagement actions.
- Lead the development of specific public positions on issues linked to operational or advocacy priorities where the MSF SnA Section is involved and coordinates the resulting collaborations with the Regional Comms Manager and Head of Operational Support Unit.
- Direct, in consultation with the Executive Director, MSF SnA’s reputation management and public accountability to stakeholders while also ensuring emergency preparedness and capacity within the Communication Department to execute crisis communications plans, as and when required. This includes accountability for managing and protecting MSF’s brand and trademark in Southern Africa.
- Foster the collaborative culture between Operational Communications (OCBa, OCG, OCP) in the region and the MSF SnA’s Communication Department to support MSF’s social mission, while also offering exchanges and development opportunities to staff.
- Act as spokesperson for MSF SnA to convey operational and institutional message to audiences via news media interviews or public events where MSF’s soc