We are

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organizations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.

The EU Delegations to Lebanon and Syria (sub-Office Beirut) work in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the Lebanese government in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.

We offer

The post of Press and Information Officer (Local Agent Group I) in the Delegations’ Operational Sections. The team consists of thirty-three people and there are typical working hours. Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed functions depending on the needs of the Delegation, and on the changes of these needs. The successful candidate will serve under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of Sections, providing support, expertise and assistance in the communication field. Following main tasks and duties are currently required:

Developing and implementing the operational communication strategy

1. Complementing the work of the Communication Officer and the Cooperation Sections by providing support on a daily basis and by independently carrying out tasks and working towards tight deadlines within a team.
2. Assisting in developing and implementing high-quality visibility and communication actions which match the profile and key features of the development cooperation programmes under the management of the EU Delegations.
3. Such actions require an effective and constant flow of internal and external information and interaction between the programme managers in the EU Delegations and in EU-funded projects, as well as other key stakeholders regarding visibility and communication.
4. Liaising with stakeholders, designing and drafting visibility and communication materials (speeches, press releases, promotional texts for Facebook, Tweets for Twitter etc.) and ensuring the effective communication between will be key in this position.
5. Assisting in the management and organization of all presswork of the Delegations.
6. Participation in all information activities of the Delegations (including public events, publications and website)
7. Editing of publications of the Delegations (e.g. newsletter, success stories).
8. Participating in public events/seminars including on the EU, photographic coverage and reporting

Visibility of EU values, policies and programmes

1. Contributing to the Delegation's press and information activities with a view to improving the Delegation’s visibility in a structured and sustainable way
2. Managing, planning, coordination, implementation and supervision of all communication related activities of the EU Delegations and the EU-funded projects
3. Supervising and synchronizing the design of all visibility materials produced, including update of visibility and communication material and documentations and to ensure cross-media actions to the EU Delegation’s Website and Facebook, Twitter, You Tube etc.
4. Supporting the planning and organization of events (training seminars, workshops, conferences etc.) and meetings, in particular assist in the preparation and compilation of speeches, press releases, briefings etc.
5. Supporting the design and production of high-quality visibility and communication material (e.g. calendar and greeting cards)
6. Coordinating field visits (in close cooperation with other colleagues of the EU Delegations)
7. Drawing up specifications for visibility and communication actions, including providing inputs to the EU funded projects
8. Monitoring and ensure compliance of projects with EU visibility guidelines; following-up on the use of visibility budgets by EU programmes and projects
9. Maintenance of the website (in close cooperation with the Press/COMM Officer)
10. General: Provide support to other communication related tasks as defined by the Heads of Cooperation(s).

The selected candidate will be recruited on a fixed 3-year contract. The base salary will depend on relevant and verified employment experience. The exact salary range will be communicated upon finalizing the recruitment.  There is a competitive benefits package, subject to certain conditions, including personal leave days and public holidays, health insurances and a retirement savings plan.

The expected start date will be on 1/11/2022. 

Minimum requirements / eligibility criteria (necessary for the application to be considered)

1. Medically fit to perform the required duties;
2. Enjoys civil rights and permits for employment under local law;
3. BA degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or similar fields;
4. Fluency in English and Arabic;
5. 3 years of experience working in public relations, communications and/or advocacy actions within multilateral or international organizations, the private sector or governmental bodies.

Assets / selection criteria (basis for awarding points to select the best applicant)

• Ability to write and communicate orally in English, including good drafting skills;
• Ability to rapidly produce quality outputs and to work under tight deadlines;
• Experience in managing social media as communication tools;
• Ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts both within and outside the Delegations;
• Advanced computer skills on MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail applications, social media platforms relevant for the above-mentioned tasks and duties;

The following will be considered an asset:

• MA degree and additional relevant studies in the aforementioned fields;
• Good command of French and knowledge of an additional EU language would be considered as a strong asset;
• Having knowledge of external relations, internal policies and functioning of the European Union;
• Experience of working in a team in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• Experience in public speaking;

How to apply

Please submit your application, consisting of a cover letter Europass format CV and a declaration on honour regarding the good standing/work rights/medical fitness] via the functional mailbox delegation-lebanon-recruitment@eeas.europa.eu clearly indicating in the subject field the position applied for Press and Information Officer no later than 01/09/2022 (midnight). Only complete applications received on time via the functional mailbox will be considered.

The successful candidate will be subject to a medical and background check.

The process

After the deadline for applications, the eligible applications will be admitted to the Selection by the Committee set up for this purpose.

Depending on the number of applications received, successive phases of Selection may include shortlisting of candidates based assessment of the information provided in the cover letter, CV, practical testing and interviews. Best candidates will be invited to the final interview, test, presentation or whatever final phase is most suitable.

Only candidates admitted to each successive selection phase will be contacted individually. The Delegation will use the same means of publication as for this job advertisement to inform the remaining candidates once the recruitment procedure has been completed and that a candidate has (or has not) been recruited.

The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure. During the selection process, please do not contact the members of the Selection Committee, but address your questions and comments to the Delegation’s Administration.