Do you have at least 2-3 years of experience in in public relations and communications with a specialized interest and expertise in media and policy relations? Are you looking for freedom in your role as well as the ability to work with a very international scope dealing with 60+ different countries? Are you interested in a non-profit organization culture that works for a greater mission? Are you currently based in the Netherlands with a valid work permit?

Then look no further!

Reporting to the Communications Officer, the Media and Outreach Officer will be responsible for media relations, with a focus on policy makers. This is a great opportunity for a motivated individual to shape the public outreach strategy of a large, international organization.

Job Responsibilities

• Increase the profile among journalists, media, public and policy makers by proactively pitching stories and working with research colleagues to write op-eds and guest articles in external publications
• Train and support spokespeople to represent at public events and in the media
• Plan, prepare and coordinate media events such as press launches of study reports
• Compile media lists and develop and report back on media relations and coverage of work
• Develop and maintain an active network of relevant media contacts, ideally building on existing relationships carried over from previous roles
• Support the Communications Officer with managing and expanding social media channels
• Create content, manage, and update public-facing pages on the website
• Support colleagues with organizing and managing events (e.g. annual research conference)
• Keep up to date with the main issues and debates in education policy and pro-actively identify opportunities for contributions
• Identify opportunities for briefings and dialogue between government officials and the organization's officials
• Prepare communications materials (written and multimedia) to support the recruitment and retention of participants for studies

• Must have a minimum of two years in a professional media relations or public outreach role on behalf of an organization, preferably in an international setting
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills; a confident public speaker; skilled in adapting key messages to suit different audiences; skilled in communicating research to a policy audience
• Excellent digital and online communication skills, previous professional experience with social media and website management is preferred
• A Bachelor’s degree, preferably in journalism, communications/media relations, international relations, or other relevant discipline
• Great net-worker – able to develop and expand relevant journalist and media contacts; ability to build and maintain strong relationships among internal and external stakeholders.
• Comfortable working with lots of data and being able to create data insights
• A natural storyteller - adept at identifying and crafting stories which interest the target audiences and attracts media attention
• initiative, attention to detail and cultural sensitivity for working within an international context
• Ability to manage a busy workload with tight deadlines
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to initiate ideas and follow them through to completion
• Must be currently based in the Netherlands with a valid work permit (our client is unable to sponsor candidates without a valid work permit for the Netherlands)