Digital Communication Officer

Job Offer
(strictly no recruitment agencies)

Join MSF OCG as a Digital Communication Officer!

We are looking for passionate candidates ready to contribute to our humanitarian mission.

Below, you will find the job details and the qualifications we are looking for.

Inclusivity and Diversity at MSF

Do your qualifications and experience not exactly match all requirements of the job?

At MSF OCG, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together to advance MSF’s social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.

We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don’t meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don’t fulfil every listed qualification.

We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will undergo reference checks.

Context & mission

Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent, international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, people affected by natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without regard to race, religion, creed or political affiliation (MSF Charter).

The MSF movement is built around 5 operational centers supported by 24 sections and offices worldwide. MSF Operational Center Geneva (MSF OCG) is one of these centers.

The Digital Communication Officer (DCO), based in Zurich, is primarily responsible for managing MSF Switzerland’s German-language digital channels and campaigns. This includes creating and publishing content across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Google Ads, the German-language newsletter, and the German section of msf.ch.

A key aspect of the role is editing, planning, publishing, and optimizing social media content, as well as actively managing online communities by monitoring interactions, responding to comments and messages, and fostering positive engagement.

The DCO works in close daily collaboration with the Digital Engagement Team in Geneva and counterparts in the DACH region (MSF Germany and MSF Austria) to coordinate content publication and community management across shared channels, including participation in an on-call system during weekends and public holidays.

The role ensures brand consistency and effective communication across all German-language digital platforms, in alignment with MSF’s policies and guidelines.

The overarching objective of this position is to analyze digital performance metrics, develop strategies to enhance MSF’s online presence and impact, and strengthen engagement within the German-speaking regions of Switzerlandaligned with MSF Switzerland’s communication and fundraising strategy.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Develop timely and consistent communication

• Actively follow the digital news agenda and trending topics that resonate with the Swiss German public.
• Stay alert on new trends, formats, and tools, flag them, and identify opportunities to integrate them in current communications initiatives.

Identify Communication Priorities

• Ensure alignment of German-language digital communication with the priorities of the MSF movement, OCG, and MSF guidelines.
• Collaborate closely with the Digital Editorial Officer (DEO) in Geneva to maintain consistency with MSF Switzerland’s editorial strategy.
• Actively participate in DigiProd meetings, weekly DigiTeam meetings, and DACH coordination calls.
• Review all upcoming content announced in the CWA (CIF and MDB content) each week in preparation for Editorial Board discussions.
• Contribute actively to editorial planning by helping define digital content priorities and publication decisions for the shared DACH channels and the Swiss German audience.
• Coordinate daily with digital team members in Geneva on content dissemination strategies and operational activities.

Produce German Content

• Write, edit, and develop online communications in German, including content for social media, the website, newsletters, and advertising campaigns.
• Coordinate with the Creative Unit in Geneva by briefing them on upcoming German-language projects and content needs.
• Adapt and translate content from English to German, ensuring accuracy and consistency through careful proofreading for MSF Switzerland’s websites.
• Oversee the Search Engine Optimization of the German-language pages on msf.ch.
• Draft, proofread, and distribute German newsletters using tools such as Mailchimp or Microsoft Dynamics.

Manage Social media publishing and community engagement

• Create, schedule, and publish engaging content across MSF CH-DE and DACH shared platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, …).
• Monitor social media channels for trends, comments, and audience engagement.
• Respond to comments, messages, and mentions in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Manage and grow online communities, fostering positive interactions and loyalty.
• Target regional and local influencer in order to increasing the overall exposure of MSF in German speaking part of Switzerland.
• Track and report on social media performance and community sentiment.

Animate social media and advertising campaigns

• Proactively contribute to the creation, the setup and the monitoring of promoted posts and advertising campaign in German including community management for any communication and fundraising campaign in German.
• Write content in German for digital advertising campaigns on META, TikTok, Google (including Google AdWords and Display), or other platforms, in close collaboration with the Digital Acquisition Lead and the Social Media Officer in Geneva.
• Manage the social media budget allocated for promoted posts and advertising in the German-speaking part of Switzerland in coordination with the Head of Digital Engagement.

Promote online events

• Available several times a year to attend weekend events and produce multimedia content for event promotion.
• Participate actively in the promotion of MSF events before, during and after the event (including video recording and pictures during the event) to share on live social media during the evening or the weekend.

Actively Contribute to Digital monitoring

• Gather and monitor daily CH-DE performances on digital channels and actively participate in feedback and learning meetings in close collaboration with the Digital Data Analyst to improve the overall engagement of supporters on digital channels.
• Set up any specific monitoring on social media during crisis and against disinformation in the Swiss German speaking part of Switzerland.

Be On call

• Be regularly on call, according to the team’s established schedule, during evenings, weekends, and public holidays.

Participate in Team Effort

• Supervise, train, and collaborate closely with the Digital Engagement Unit for trainee based in Zurich.
• Support the Head of the Digital Engagement Unit by taking on specific projects or campaigns related to digital activities, as requested.

Your profile

Education

• Bachelor’s in communications, Digital, or any related field.

Experience

• Established experience in Journalism and Communications.
• 2 years in digital communication, preferably in an international non-profit environment.
• Strong experience in social media and community management.
• Track records in monitoring and managing disinformation and online haters.
• Previous experience at MSF is a plus.

Languages

• Native German speaker.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills including ability to accurately synthesize complex and sensitive material to produce content for publication.
• Excellent in French or English, strong proficiency in the other language.
• Swiss German is a plus.

Skills/ Technical competencies

• Solid understanding of humanitarian contexts.
• Cultural and political knowledge of Swiss German part of Switzerland.
• Deep understanding of social media organics posts and advertising.
• Experience coordinating multi-channel teams in different areas.
• Agility in posting timely and producing content for various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced, news-driven environment.
• Has a strong sense for the news cycle and emerging trends.

Personal Abilities/Qualities

• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• High level of adaptability and problem-solving capabilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to deliver multiple simultaneous projects
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Ability to work independently in Zurich and collaboratively with people in Geneva, Germany and Austria.
• Aware of technological developments and market changes at digital.
• Willingness and ability to work during evenings, weekends, and public holidays during MSF events, when urgent situations arise or when high-visibility campaigns and community engagement are critical.
• Commitment to MSF’s principles of humanitarian action and medical ethics.

Terms of employment

• Full-time position 100% (40h/week)
• Open-ended contract
• Working place: Zurich, Switzerland
• Ideal start date: November or December 2025
• Gross annual salary (for 100%): from CHF 87’372.- to CHF 100’608.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)
• Paid vacation: 25 days per year, prorate temporis, plus any Swiss public holidays falling within the contract period.
• Pension plan: pension contribution covered 3/4 by MSF, 1/4 by staff member.
• Relocation package if moving from a different country to Switzerland.

How to apply

Candidates are invited to submit their application exclusively through our recruitment platform, following these guidelines:

• CV (maximum 2 pages)
• Cover letter (maximum 1 page)
• Documents must be submitted in either English or French.

The application deadline is August 24th, 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier if we receive a sufficient number of quality applications.

APPLY

All applications will be treated confidentially.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please note that we do not wish to use the services of recruitment or placement agencies.