Introduction

Are you a creative thinker with excellent communications skills, keen to work in one of the world’s largest scientific organisations?

As part of CERN’s Media and Digital Communications activities, we are looking for a Communications Officer to further CERN’s mission. The main stakeholders include: policy makers, the international scientific community, media, and the general public across CERN’s Member and Associate States, and globally. 

You will join the International Relations Sector (IR), Education, Communications and Outreach Group (ECO) that is responsible for maintaining support for CERN's mission from all its stakeholders, generating public engagement with CERN’s activities and with fundamental research, fostering community-building within CERN and the international particle physics community, and raising awareness of CERN’s societal impact.
The group is composed of professionals covering all its activities: writers, media officers, graphic and web designers, social media specialists, education specialists, exhibition developers, photographers and video editors, event curators and organisers.

Functions

As Communications Officer in the Media and Digital Communications section, you will:

• Contribute to the development of CERN’s media and digital multichannel communications strategy.
• Coordinate the different stages of external communications projects and campaigns, including identifying the best distribution channels and ensuring effective project management.
• Manage and monitor social media channels and external newsletters.
• Identify and propose new channels to reach external audiences, especially: policy makers, the international scientific community, media, and the general public across CERN’s Member and Associate States, and globally.
• Coordinate the evaluation and monitoring activities related to communications projects and activities, including weekly, monthly, quarterly, and project reports.
• Serve as a member of CERN’s crisis communications team, and participate in regular crisis communications training and exercises.
• Contribute to activities within existing networks, such as Interactions and EPPCN as requested.
• Supervise and mentor junior members of the team.
• Share resources and assist with other activities related to media and digital communications as requested. 

Master's degree or equivalent relevant experience in the field of science/technology, complemented by a degree in science communications and/or marketing or a related field.

Experience:

Required skills and background:

• Proven experience in communications related to science, technology, industry, or knowledge and technology transfer.
• Proven experience in several of the following fields: developing communications plans; digital communications; social media campaigns; preparing talking points and fact sheets; newsletter editing; content creation (writing, presentations, audiovisual material); evaluation and monitoring of communications plans; report writing; event organisation; public relations; public understanding of science; science communications; web development (e.g., Drupal); crisis communications.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage simultaneously several projects with different timelines;

Technical competencies:

• Strategic communications planning.
• Science communications.
• Social media.
• Text editing and proof-reading.
• Crisis communications.

Behavioural competencies:

• Working in the interest of the Organization: accepting and complying with strategy and directions from hierarchy.
• Working in teams: building and maintaining constructive and effective work relationships.
• Communicating effectively: delivering presentations in a structured and clear way; adjusting style and content to the audience; responding calmly and confidently to questions.
• Learning and sharing knowledge: sharing knowledge and expertise freely and willingly with others; coaching others to ensure knowledge transfer.
• Demonstrating flexibility: demonstrating openness to new ideas and situations.

Language skills:

• High proficiency in English: ability to understand and speak English in professional contexts as well as the ability to draft texts for publications and/ or official communications and to make oral presentations.
• The knowledge of the French language or the willingness to acquire this rapidly.

Eligibility and closing date:

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization. Employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We welcome applications from all Member States and Associate Member States.

This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should normally reach us no later than 08.02.2021 at 12:00 pm CET.

Employment Conditions

Contract type: Limited duration contract (5 years). Subject to certain conditions, holders of limited-duration contracts may apply for an indefinite position.

These functions require:

• Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.

Job grade: 6-7

Job reference: IR-ECO-PRD-2021-1-LD

Benchmark Job Title: Communications/Public Relations /External Relations Professional