Regional Media Manager

Job purpose and context

Since its establishment in 2018, MSF Lebanon has transitioned from a regional hub to a recognized institutional entity, focusing on Lebanon's medical, communications, human resources, operational support, and advocacy potential. The team has made substantial progress in rooting MSF in Lebanon and the MENA region, building its identity and Arabic voice, and contributing to the development of its international mobile workforce. MSF Lebanon has defined the following 3 overarching strategic pillars:

1. Institutional Rooting, ensuring that key target audiences recognize and accept MSF as a well-known, credible, trustworthy, and independent medical humanitarian organization in Lebanon and the wider MENA/WANA region.

2. Operational Support, providing relevant technical and strategic support to operations, benefiting from the expertise and resources available in the region.

3. Movement Contribution, launching and supporting initiatives to optimize resources and improve intersectional collaboration in and from the MENA/WANA region to enhance MSF operations.  

Today MSF Lebanon consists of a Human Resources team with a core mandate to secure and develop a mobile workforce from the region deployable to  MSF operations worldwide, a Communications team that provides communication advisory and capacity to meet MSF’s institutional and support operational communication needs, a Finance, Compliance and Support team who is responsible for the financial reporting and operational legality of the BO together with intersectional facility management ; a Medical Support Unit with specialty in Epidemiology and Public Health Policy Advocacy, in addition to a growing operational support team including a decentralized medical unit (MEMU) that is focused on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in MSF’s global portfolio in addition to a regional technical support team (METSU).

MSF Lebanon comprises of around 50 staff (including decentralized positions) from which most of them are located in Beirut with a smaller team in Cairo.

The Regional Media Manager is part of the MSF’s Lebanon Branch Office Communications and Public Engagement department and reports to the Director of Communications and Public Engagement. The job purpose includes:

Lead the development and implementation of a media engagement strategy, including a proactive and targeted media plan to maximise coverage of MSF’s work, and disseminate related humanitarian and medical issues, with a focus on both new platforms and traditional media.

Play a leading role in developing and maintaining a media network of local, regional, and international journalists in Lebanon, Egypt, and the MENA region in collaboration with MSF’s press officers in Dubai, and Amman.

Manage and support the communications and Media Officer by building their capacity to engage effectively with media and disseminate MSF content.

Contribute to media monitoring, develop media mapping for specific countries in the MENA region and create an analysis report about the media and communications environment, with a focus on its impact on MSF perception.

Accountabilities

Media management

• Act as a point of contact for local and regional media inquiries, ensuring timely and accurate responses.
• Liaise with MSF’s operational communications colleagues in the MENA region and around the world to channel specific media requests and identify relevant spokespeople.
• Facilitate journalists’ field visits to MSF projects in collaboration with MSF’s operational communications team.
• Manage and support the Communications and Media Officer by building their capacity to engage effectively with media and disseminate MSF content.
• Support MSF spokespeople by preparing documents for media interviews, key messages, statements/press releases, and speeches.
• Serve as a spokesperson when required, ensuring clear and consistent messaging.
• Propose and manage partnership projects with local, regional, and international media outlets to enhance MSF’s visibility in the MENA region.
• Develop collaborative initiatives with media organizations, including co-branded campaigns, feature stories, and special reports.
• Organise media briefings, press conferences, and other media activities.

During Crisis and Emergencies

• Manage media relations during crises and emergencies, lead/contribute to triage of media requests, and implement strategies to ensure accurate and timely dissemination of information while respecting MSF communications guidelines.
• Employ the best approaches to contain sensitive information, address misinformation, and protect MSF’s reputation.
• Coordinate with MSF communications teams to ensure clear messaging and alignment across all communications channels during high-pressure situations.

Content adaptation and dissemination

• Ensure the timely and effective dissemination of MSF public communications content to local, regional, and international outlets, including press releases, emergency updates, articles, and other materials.
•  Adapt MSF’s communication products for media use by editing, repackaging, and contextualizing content to meet the needs and formats of diverse media channels.
• Identify key narratives and themes to amplify MSF’s impact in the region.
• Proactively identify opportunities for covering MSF’s stories and news by leveraging existing MSF content and generating new, region-specific thematic.
• When needed, draft press releases, op-eds, media briefings, and other communication materials.
• Profile international staff working with MSF and ensure covering their stories in local and Pan-Arab media outlets, by working closely with the Human Resources department.

Media mapping and engagement 

• Conduct media mapping of key markets in the MENA region to identify opportunities for MSF to engage with traditional and new media. This includes identifying key media outlets, platforms, and influencers relevant to our activities.
• Build and maintain a network of local, regional, and international journalists in Lebanon, Egypt, and the MENA region in collaboration with MSF’s press officers in Dubai, and Amman, and maintain an updated database of their contacts.
• Develop and implement a proactive media engagement strategy to nurture relationships with journalists, editors, and influencers to establish MSF as a trusted source of info in the humanitarian and health sectors.
• Ensure media activities are tailored to diverse audiences across the region.

Digital integration

• Collaborate closely with MSF Communications teams to ensure media efforts align with the overall communications strategy, including digital strategy initiatives.
• Strengthen MSF’s digital presence by leveraging media relationships to publish MSF news on their digital platforms.
• Facilitate cross-collaboration with media outlets to amplify MSF’s reach and visibility in digital spaces.
• Ensure a cohesive approach to traditional and digital media engagement, optimizing content for online distribution.

Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting:

• Regularly monitor MSF’s mentions in local and regional media, and oversee the production of a  comprehensive weekly press reviews that highlight key political, humanitarian, and health-related news in the region.
• Analyze regional media trends, audience behaviours, and platform usage to refine and adapt MSF’s media engagement strategies effectively.
• Evaluate the performance and impact of media strategies, producing regular reports on media coverage, key metrics, and qualitative analysis of MSF’s visibility.
• Develop reports on the media and communications landscape relevant to MSF, identifying misinformation, disinformation, and narratives that could impact MSF’s reputation and perception.

Other

• Provide media and communication briefings to MSF’s staff and spokespeople.
• Provide media training and capacity building to MSF spokespeople in the offices and the field when needed.
• Work closely with the international recruitment team and medical department to coordinate media engagement activities responding to their needs.
• Contribute towards Strategic and Annual Plan exercise for the department of communications, including supporting the Director of Communications on Budget Management.
• Gap fill for team members or the line manager when needed.
• Provide direct support to MSF operational communications teams in Lebanon, MENA and beyond through detachment or gap-fill opportunities.

Key Interactions

Internal stakeholders: Communications Team members, BO departments (Medical, HR, Advocacy); operational communications team in Lebanon, MENA, and around the world, MENA Press officers Working Group, MENA Coms Hubs; MSF media teams around the world.

External stakeholders: Journalists, editors, correspondents, media influencers, freelancers

Job Requirements

Experience:

• 5 years of professional experience in media relations, preferably in the humanitarian and development sector.
• 2 years of experience in team management is an asset.

Language: Fluent in English and Arabic, French is an asset (both spoken and written)

Competencies:

• Peoples Management, level 3
• Service Orientation, level 2
• Strategic Vision, level 2
• Behavioural Flexibility, level 3
• Teamwork & Cooperation, level 3

Knowledge:

• Good knowledge and understanding of the humanitarian sector
• Solid understanding of the context as well as the the media and communications environment in Lebanon and the Middle East.
• Knowledge and understanding of good practice of media pitching and digital media.

Functional Technical Skills:

• Exceptional and proven writing skills in Arabic and English

• Ability to work under pressure, managing multiple projects within tight deadlines.
• Excellent networking and negotiation skills

Other Requirements:

Flexibility to travel regularly between Lebanon and Egypt, and across the region when needed.