Communications Manager

Communications Manager

Part-time: 18.75 hours per week (0.5 FTE)

Contract duration: Fixed term until 30 June 2026, with strong likelihood of extension

Line managed by: Head of Policy & Engagement

Location: Remote within the UK (with occasional travel as needed)

Salary: £40,000 FTE (£20,000 pro rata)

About GISF and Protect Aid Workers (PAW)

The Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) is a member-led NGO network working to strengthen security risk management across the humanitarian and development sectors. With over 150 member organisations, GISF provides resources, convening spaces, and expertise to help keep aid workers safe.

Protect Aid Workers (PAW) is a multi-partner mechanism that supports humanitarian personnel who have experienced serious security incidents while carrying out their work. PAW provides financial assistance and access to legal support to aid workers and their families following critical incidents, including detention, serious injury, kidnapping, or death. The mechanism aims to fill gaps in protection and support where organisational or national systems are insufficient. PAW is delivered through a consortium of partners, including GISF, Legal Action Worldwide, and Protect Humanitarians, and funded by the European Commission.

About the role

GISF is seeking a Communications Manager (0.5 FTE) to lead a high-quality, high-impact communications for the Protect Aid Workers (PAW) initiative, ensuring strong, consistent, and compelling public-facing outputs that amplify the programme s impact and visibility across partner and audiences. The role will be embedded within the PAW programme, while reporting into the GISF Secretariat under the line management of the Head of Policy and Engagement.

Key responsibilities

Lead on priority PAW communications deliverables, including:

Human stories and case-based communications

• Work closely with PAW case managers to identify suitable stories of aid workers who received support from the PAW mechanism following an incident
• Develop and produce compelling written and visual human stories with consideration of sensitivities
• Translate case learnings into accessible comms products

Design and visual communications

• Develop and maintain PAW graphic templates and visual assets
• Produce partner comms kits, social media assets and visual toolkits
• Ensure consistent branding across all PAW outputs, including materials produced by partners

Events and external engagement

• Support the events team with communications needs for key programmatic events
• Develop event-specific comms plans, materials, and live outputs
• Coordinate with PAW partners to align messaging

Other

• Provide additional communications support as needed

Person specifications

• Demonstrable experience leading communications for complex programmes, partnerships, or campaigns
• Experience developing human stories end-to-end, from identifying suitable cases to final presentation
• Competence in graphic design tools, particularly InDesign and Canva
• Proven experience producing high-quality visual materials, including templates, toolkits, or brand assets
• Ability to turn ideas into clear, visually engaging products (infographics, reports, slide decks etc)
• Strong writing skills for different audiences
• Experience leading communications for events

Attributes

• Strong judgment and sensitivity when handling difficult subject matters
• Ability to build trust with partners and beneficiaries
• Commitment to high-quality delivery and collaborative working style