CARE Türkiye 

CARE International in Türkiye (CARE) has been in Türkiye since October 2014 responding to the needs of Syrian refugees under several programmatic areas including women’s economic empowerment, livelihoods and food security, legal aid assistance, WASH and Shelter.  

CARE places a programmatic focus on women and girls who are often disproportionally affected by poverty. CARE Türkiye puts women and girls at the center of our work as women are viewed as catalysts of change within their communities – CARE believes changing a woman's life will often change her community. In parallel, CARE integrates engaging men and boys programming who can also act as change agents, and together are able to address societal/gender norms which often underly protection issues.  

CARE Türkiye, together with partners, is now providing humanitarian assistance as part of an Earthquake Response strategy to individuals who have been affected by the series of earthquakes that hit Türkiye in February 2023.  

Job Summary 

CARE Türkiye Communications Officer will play a key role in the collection, production and dissemination of output that lends visibility to and communicates the impact of CARE’s earthquake response and ongoing programs in Türkiye with a special focus on women and girls. CARE Türkiye Communications Officer will work closely with CARE Türkiye Communications and Media Manager, CARE Turkey Communications Advisors and Turkey Program Team to ensure consistent messaging in line with CARE standards and strategy. 

The Communications Officer is expected to possess high-level observation skills, a strategic outlook combined with an ability to discern contextual changes, identify risks and opportunities for content collection and production work. The position holder will be expected to mobilize skills in technical domains to facilitate dissemination of content via proper channels in line with strategic needs, while ensuring communications activities on the ground are not causing further harm to communities CARE supports.  

The Communications Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Hatay Head of Area Office and in close coordination with the Communications and Media Manager, as well as with coordination with CARE Türkiye Communications Advisor and relevant members of communications staff in CARE Country Offices. 

Responsibilities and Tasks  

Job Responsibility #1: Collecting Content 

• Systematically gather communications material from the field and from program staff that align with CARE Turkey’s strategic, external communication plans, including human interest stories, blogs, web updates, photos, sound bites and videos that are tailored to different target audiences (internal, donors, public and/or media). 

• Identify potential interviewees, draft, and propose interview questions and conduct interviews with program participants on topics and themes relevant to CARE activities and earthquake response, as requested by CARE Core Team. Facilitate content collection that aligns with previously agreed points.  Ensure balanced representation of communities, genders, and participant groups. Identify unique angles to capture impressive stories & testimonies.  

• Act as a focal point and contact person for all communications-related concerns in the field.  

• Draft various types of content, including online (tweets, social media posts), video or audio material, press releases, human interest stories and other content. 

• Media coverage of various events and activities in the country office like international days, donor visits, and joint activities with partners then preparing communication content to be shared on social media and other communication channels. 

• Ensure all content is gathered in adherence to CARE’s Code of Content and rules regarding Consent and protection of the dignity of participants. Share and collect all relevant consent forms from interviewees and participants featured in content gathering activities launched in the field.  

Job Responsibility #2: Production of Communications Output & Contribution to Reporting 

• Support the production of diverse Communications output in the form of brochures, newsletters, social media posts, program videos. 

• Schedule and release posts through social media management tools observing the social media content plan and in view of U.N. and global key dates to boost interaction and engage relevant audiences.  

• Contribute to program quarterly, and annual reporting and other ad hoc reporting as required.  

• Contribute to reporting and messaging of CARE Türkiye program’s successes and lessons learnt via gathering inter-departmental input. 

• Develop promotional materials focused on Turkey Program for CARE Turkey Liaison team to be used for interaction with Turkish government institutions.  

• Draft content to be used in producing internal communications materials including internal newsletter, emails, presentations, and other documents. 

• Draft Program factsheets, brochures and other information products incorporating information received from Program Teams 

Job Responsibility #3 Coordination 

• Support the implementation of events on the ground, ensure and concentrate interdepartmental coordination as well as coverage during media missions, donor, governmental or municipal or similar occasions.  

• Liaise with management structures, government units for and during events on key dates (including national and global days of importance) to ensure coverage.  

• Coordinate with the Communications team to facilitate collection of relevant material for media requests. Conduct factchecking, report on contextual details to contribute to guiding documents.  

Job Responsibility #4 Other Responsibilities as assigned 

• The Communication Officer will be expected to support the Communication and Media Manager as needed on programmatic issues related to the earthquake response but beyond the deliverables outlined above. 

Education/Training 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in mass communications, Journalism, Media Studies, Public Relations, International Relations or other relevant field. 

Experience 

Required 

• Three years of post-degree work experience, of which at least one year in a not-for-profit humanitarian organization. 
• At least two years prior experience in communications (including the ability to demonstrate technical experience and skills in communications).  
• Demonstrated experience with digital photography and videography in a professional setting (for corporate/non-governmental communications, journalism, media, visual marketing, social media, commercial film, or advertising).  
• Demonstrated experience in storytelling in the form of contributing to the development of stories to be disseminated in social or other media. Familiarity with techniques of storytelling for impact.  
• Experience in implementing a social media strategy as a part of a wider communications strategy.  
• Knowledge of the situation of refugees in Türkiye.  
• General knowledge of the impact of the February 6 Earthquakes in Türkiye, and of aid efforts targeting affected communities in the region. Familiarity with immediate and long-term needs of earthquake-affected populations and with key components of repurposed programs that address the region.  
• Demonstrated ability to work in partnership with other organizations. 

Desired 

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment. 
• Knowledge of the main humanitarian actors and stakeholders of CARE’s Syria crisis response and Earthquake response programs.  
• Experience in implementing communications in crisis, emergency, transition, or development settings. 
• Experience in working with INGOs, NGOs, or international organizations.  
• Technical Skills 

Required 

• Strong communication skills 
• Excellent speaking and writing skills in Turkish and English.  
• Strong skill in handling a digital camera and other up-to-date equipment for capturing photos and portraits, videos footage, and recording interviews. 
• Good knowledge of social media platforms including but not limited to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Strong skills in developing and curating content for each platform and ensuring timely release.  
• Knowledge of scheduling posts on multiple social media platforms, analyzing and reporting on indicators of impact. 
• Competence with MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook. 
• Gender awareness and a commitment to gender equality. 
• Strong awareness of safety, security, and risk management best practices. 
• Good oral and written communication skills. 
• Strong People Skills like effective communication, active listening, teamwork, collaboration, and respectfulness. 

Desired 

• Experience in using WordPress Admin dashboard.  
• Proficiency in Adobe applications (Adobe InDesign, Photoshop) and industry standard editing tools (Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut).