Creative Communications Intern

TERMS OF REFERENCE CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

General Information

Reference: VA/PRF/2026/12 Title: Creative Communications Intern Duty Station: PEMSEA Resource Facility, Quezon City, Philippines Duration of Assignment: Ten (10) months, March to December 2027 Reporting to: Communications and Knowledge Management Lead Type of Assignment: Internship (EAS Congress 2027)

Background PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) is a regional cooperation mechanism whose mission is to promote sustainable development of coastal and marine areas. It comprises of 11 country and 22 non country partners in the East Asian Seas region who are committed to implement a joint regional strategy called the ‘Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia’ (SDS-SEA). The PEMSEA Resource Facility serves as the technical and secretariat arm of the Partnership.

In preparation for the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2027, tentatively scheduled for three to four days in October 2027, the PEMSEA Resource Facility, together with BFPI, is offering a ten-month internship program. Interns will work alongside PRF staff through the full Congress work cycle: mobilization (March), preparation (April), scale-up (June), the Congress period (October) and close-out (November–December).

The Creative Communications Intern will build audiences and tell the story of the Congress and PEMSEA’s youth and local government work.

Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision and guidance of the Communications and Knowledge Management Lead, the Creative Communications Intern will carry out the following duties and responsibilities. Percentages indicate the approximate share of time over the placement:

I. Audience Development and Content (45%)

• Support the audience development and promotion plan and a content calendar.
• Produce social media content, short videos, photo essays, and visual narratives linked to SDS-SEA themes.
• Design social media cards in Canva using existing templates, following the social media plan and calendar, including writing the copy for each card, producing the specified formats (reel, carousel, GIF and others), and preparing upload-ready files for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Support the Youth Ocean Storytelling Initiative.

II. Branding and Documents (20%)

• Assist the Communications and KM Unit in updating EAS Congress 2027 documents with correct branding.
• Contribute edited and designed outputs for the compendium.

III. Exhibitor Registration Support (10%)

• Encode registered exhibitors in the EAS Congress 2027 exhibitor sheet or database.
• Document each exhibitor’s specific requests and queries and refer them to the right staff.

IV. Congress Coverage (25%)

• Provide live coverage of the Congress.
• Manage consent and content clearance for photos, videos, and quotes.
• Build an asset library for handover.

The Communications Unit will provide the complete branding guidelines, the social media calendar, and the Canva template designs.

Expected Deliverables

Phase Deliverables Preparation Audience development and promotion plan; content calendar; branded Congress documents Promotion (ongoing) Content products against agreed targets (cards, reels, carousels, GIFs, videos, photo essays) Congress period Live coverage package; consent and clearance records Close-out Asset library for handover; edited and designed outputs for the compendium

Internship Arrangements

• Placement: Ten (10) months, March to December 2027.
• Location: PEMSEA Resource Facility office, DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.
• Supervision: Fortnightly check-ins, monthly accomplishment reports, a mid-term review and an end-of-placement assessment. A monthly workplan will break down the tasks in this TOR into manageable portions.
• Orientation: Integrated coastal management (ICM), source-to-sea governance, code of conduct and the Congress work cycle, followed by role-specific learning.
• Support: Stipend or cost-of-living allowance, insurance, and work- related travel and subsistence where applicable. Interns are expected to use their own laptop.
• Conditions: Code of conduct, data privacy and consent, publication clearance, intellectual property and systems access rules; safeguarding and grievance procedures apply.
• Shared surge duty: During the Congress surge period, each intern may support logistics and administrative tasks for up to about 10–15% of their time. Travel, finance and procurement remain staff functions, and no intern is the sole owner of any of them.
• Completion: Review of outputs against deliverables, organized files, process documentation, data and product handover, an exit interview, and a certificate of completion.

Qualifications and Skills Required

Eligibility: Filipino citizen, aged 18 to 30, and available for the full placement from March to December 2027, including the Congress period.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, design, media, or a related field. Applicants currently enrolled in a graduate program, or who graduated within the past two (2) years, are encouraged to apply.

Experience: Experience, including internships, campus publications or freelance work. A portfolio showing social media, video, or design work is required.

Technical Skills:

• Working knowledge of Canva and basic video editing tools.
• Basic photography and videography skills for live event coverage.
• Ability to explain technical ocean and coastal issues accurately and in plain language.
• Good copywriting skills and attention to detail.
• Familiarity with Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn formats and basic analytics.
• Understanding of consent and clearance practices for photos, videos and quotes.
• Ability to work harmoniously in a team, adapt to diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.

Language Requirement: Fluency in English, with effective oral and written communication skills.

Technological Skills: Proficiency in Canva and a basic video editing tool (e.g., CapCut, Premiere Rush or similar); MS Office or Google Workspace.

Selection Process Applications are first screened for eligibility and completeness. Eligible applicants are then assessed by a panel of PEMSEA and BFPI representatives on motivation, subject foundation, engagement, communication and role-specific skills, including the work sample, followed by an interview of shortlisted applicants.

Applicants are requested to submit a cover letter with statement of availability, CV with names and contact details of two (2) references, and a link to your portfolio or work samples, via email to recruitment@pemsea.org. Kindly indicate the vacancy reference number and title in the subject line: VA/PRF/2026/12 – Creative Communications Intern.

Deadline of application is on December 15, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. For more information on PEMSEA, please visit www.pemsea.org.