Head of Communications - HALO USA

Role: Head of Communications, HALO Trust (USA) Inc.

Position: Full time, Exempt

Responsible to: Executive Director, HALO Trust USA

Responsible for: Marketing Manager, Associates

Salary: $130k - $150k per annum, dependent on experience

Location: Hybrid, based in Washington office

Job Purpose: The Head of Communications for the HALO Trust (USA) is a unique new opportunity for a highly experienced communications professional to build a team and lead a major step change in our approach to communications in the US.

About Us:

The HALO Trust globally employs over 12,000 people in 30 countries to create safe and secure environments in war-torn communities by clearing landmines, managing stockpiles of weapons, and destroying unexploded ordnance.

Funded primarily by the US Government and other governments around the world, as well as a growing cohort of corporates and philanthropists, the HALO Trust is a global humanitarian organization that helps countries recover after conflict. Although HALO is best known for our work clearing landmines and other unexploded ordnance, including IEDs, shells and ammunition, we also help to break cycles of violence by working with governments and the military to manage small arms and mitigate the risk of violence. 

Today, we are working in a growing number of countries in conflict, including Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, and Libya. Our work is incredibly purposeful – it saves lives and restores livelihoods in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

About the Role:

The Head of Communications will work closely with HALO USA’s Heads of Philanthropy, Government Affairs and Congressional Affairs, as well as the Global Communications team in the UK to raise awareness of the organization and its work around the world. This is a highly collaborative role, and working with the Global Comms team in the UK the successful candidate will set the strategy and pace for HALO’s communications in the US. By leveraging your media contacts, experience and knowledge of digital comms channels, as well as networking in DC, you will plan and deliver an integrated, results-driven comms plan.

We are on a mission to not only get our humanitarian work front and centre with the State Department and Congress, but to keep it there. We need to engage our existing private donors, appeal to new ones, and elevate HALO’s voice.

If you are a dynamic individual with the experience to lead our US comms to new levels, we’d love to hear from you.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead an integrated comms and media strategy for the US, with a fully costed plan, aligned with HALO USA’s strategic goals and the Global Comms strategy.
• Build and lead a highly motivated, multi-functional team in DC, ensuring effective collaboration across all HALO USA teams, Global Comms and other key directorates.
• Grow fundraising support from new donors in the US by elevating content to address multi-million-dollar targets for private and flexible funds.
• Grow HALO’s grassroots advocacy by setting the framework for compelling campaigns, that can support legislative goals and build stronger ties between constituents passionate about addressing conflict issues and their Congressional representation.
• Lead and oversee our digital communications, to build HALO USA’s web presence and increase engagement across social media channels.
• Ensure that HALO USA’s digital channels are well maintained, with engaging, optimized content for all key audiences.
• Develop strong relationships with donor communications partners to inform communication strategies that can support the fundraising efforts of the Executive Director, the Board, and key departments.
• Build and nurture relationships with priority internal stakeholders including Trustees, HALO Ambassadors and staff
• Harness relationships with news bureaux in DC and position HALO as a go to source of comment
• Brief CEO and other spokespeople before media interviews
• Align with Global Comms regarding lines to take on potentially controversial issues, ensuring language and tone are nuanced for US audiences.
• Act as spokesperson for HALO and coordinate media training for new spokespeople when needed.
• Drive thought leadership initiatives and partnerships, focused on the policy themes agreed by the strategy team.
• Help to expand our network and build relationships with other NGOs and Think Tanks
• Seek speaker opportunities for our CEO and other spokespeople
• Commission and manage agencies when we need fresh perspective and/or additional capacity.
• Work with Global Comms to inform the approach to benchmarking research in/for US audiences and feed into the brand discovery project which is planned for 2024.
• Keep HALO USA current using fit-for-purpose systems, processes and platforms to boost and manage our comms; share ideas and learning with colleagues at HQ.
• Ensure that we monitor and measure performance to understand ROI, track KPIs and guide future strategy

All HALO staff are expected to undertake the following general duties:

• Work within the framework of HALO’s core values, promoting its ethos and mission statement.
• Work towards achieving programme and/or group business plan objectives.
• Ensure familiarity with, and adhere to, all HALO policies and procedures and keep informed of HALO activities.
• Travel within the US and overseas as and when required.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience as a communications or media relations professional, with at least 5 years in a leadership role and solid experience and understanding of digital comms.
• Experience of leading comms and acting as a media spokesperson for an NGO or organization aligned with HALO’s humanitarian work.
• Excellent people skills, with outstanding written and verbal communication and demonstrated expertise in leading complex communication activities.
• A proven ability to think outside the box, manage issues and remain calm in a crisis.
• Strong business acumen, with a track record of excellent stakeholder management.
• Exceptional writing skills and a journalist’s nose for a story.
• An enviable contact book and established relationships with reporters, editors and TV producers, with the ability to ‘newsjack’ the news cycle and insert HALO as a global authority.
• Politically savvy with a solid understanding of policy issues relevant to humanitarian affairs.
• Experience of developing successful state-wide and national advocacy campaigns.

This list of essential responsibilities and requirements is not intended to be exhaustive. The HALO Trust USA reserves the right to revise this job description as needed to comply with actual job requirements.

Benefits

• Vacation Time: 25 days (5 weeks) paid vacation (PTO) accrued at 16.667 hours per month.
• Sick Leave: 5 days (1 week) paid Sick-Leave.
• Holidays: HALO USA observes all USA Federal holidays.
• Savings Plan: A 401(k) retirement savings plan is offered to our employees, but managed entirely through our Payroll provider, Insperity. HALO USA will ‘match’ up to 5% of an employee’s contributed monthly savings to their 401(k) account.
• Health Insurance: Health Insurance benefits are offered to employees through HALO’s payroll provider, Insperity. HALO pays a portion of the employee’s monthly health insurance premium. (Applies only to employees that choose to partake in the health insurance plan.)
• Dental Insurance: Dental Insurance benefits are offered to employees through HALO’s payroll provider, Insperity. HALO pays a portion of the employee’s monthly dental insurance premium. (Applies only to employees that choose to partake in the dental insurance plan.)

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter (no more than 2 pages) outlining how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role by no later than 15th January 2024.

If there is a sufficient calibre of applicants, we reserve the right to close the role earlier than the date noted.

The HALO Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. The HALO Trust is committed to a culture that is both diverse and inclusive and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

The HALO Trust is committed to ensuring that it provides a safe and trusted environment which safeguards and promotes the welfare and wellbeing of anyone who comes into contact with, or is part of, the Charity, with a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours which challenge this.