Strategic Communications Manager 56 views1 application

The Center for African Leadership Studies (CALS) transforms African medical, business, governmental and nonprofit institutions and individuals with training, coaching, and organizational development that produces effective, values-based servant-leaders. The Center translates international evidence-based leadership development best practices into local cultural circumstances to meet specific needs with indigenous forward-looking solutions that respect tradition.

Job summery

The Strategic Communications Manager will oversee project communications, including all of the activity’s client reporting and presentation requirements as well as all external communications in country.  S/he will report directly to the CEO, and working with bilateral national partners and stakeholders. S/he will working closely with COO, and responsible for planning, initiating and managing the full breadth of the marketing and outreach interventions, with a strong focus on capturing and promoting the reach and impact of the activity. S/he will provide day‐to‐day management of the activity’s communications, reporting, and outreach to various stakeholders. S/he will additionally support activity sponsored events, by organizing, branding, and producing informational materials and facilitating business participation. This position works with all project components, including the Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge Management team, and external stakeholders in helping optimize marketing strategies, including but not limited to collateral development, client outreach, web and mobile applications, and social media.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop targeted messaging for the activity to convey its impact and success in keeping with CALS guidelines and priorities to internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain a communications strategy for the Activity to highlight achievements and effectively communicate progress ensuring that the strategy is aligned with CALS approach.
• Participate in weekly meetings with CEO, COO, and technical leads to ensure integrated communications management across activities, grants management, field implementation, and finance and procurement.
• Execute the overall communications strategy (internally and externally).
• Manage the process of developing and delivering contractual deliverables including quarterly and annual reports.
• Maximize, to as great a degree as practically possible, the use of mobile and internet technologies in Activity communications as well as marketing and outreach strategies.
• Work alongside all activity components and cross cutting team members in helping activity beneficiaries better understand and market their services to their target audiences.
• Provide advice, and implement international best practice models, on how entrepreneurs and Startups service providers market and communicate with each other, their stakeholders and clients.
• Provide quality assurance related to informational content and product development including power point presentations, fact sheets, case studies, success stories, brochures, profiles, and the preparation of talking points.
• Coordinate high-profile events, delegations, and field visits by government agencies, international organizations and donors, economic communities, embassies, and local partners and stakeholders.
• Take the lead in developing and maintaining the activity website, as applicable.
• Develop social media content for platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that are managed by the CALS communication department.
• Develop outreach materials including banners, brochures, reports and other forms of internal and external communications, and manage clearance processes.
• Follow communications protocols as agreed upon with CALS, the Chief of Party, and Corporate Communications team, including receiving approvals for outreach and deliverables.
• Represent the activity (as needed) at events and meetings as required and liaise with relevant stakeholders, including institutional and private sector partners, to increase visibility and maximize coordination.
• Conduct interviews and capture quotes or stories as needed for reporting.
• Support programmatic events, trade shows, exhibitions and initiatives (e.g., conferences and other vents).
• Support communications with the CALS Mission regarding activity implementation, knowledge management, and information dissemination.
• Ensure program materials are branded correctly and consistently in keeping with CALS standards and branding guidelines.
• Maintain an up to date and comprehensive Activity ‘Master Contact Database’ that can be searched by component, institution, geography, or name.
• Collaborate with technical staff on integrated activity plans and reporting requirements.
• Assist with the building of the capacity of activity staff to develop reporting and promotional content from project activities; support staff with templates and reporting guidelines as needed.
• Perform other duties as requested by the CEO or COO as needed.
• Develop and deliver a social media strategy for CALS

Carrier Level  :  Managerial

Qualifications:

• University graduate with a degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (Masters preferred); 7 years of experience in similar work;
• Previous experience in marketing in the field of development;
• Experience with international donor-funded programs
• Demonstrated ability to unpack and communicate complex concepts simply with a range of Stakeholders and sectors;
• Demonstrated experience in program and event management;
• Demonstrated experience in designing communications plans, developing and implementing knowledge management tools or systems, and developing content for social media platforms;
• Sound knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;
• Proficiency with graphic arts and desktop publishing software a plus;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong team player;
• Ability to travel to support project work;
• Ability to facilitate e-marketing and web-based technologies for professional purposes;
• Experience working collaboratively with institutional and private‐sector partners and stakeholders
• Ability to work well in diverse teams but also productive working individually with minimum Supervision;
• Well organized, strong analytical skills, creative thinker, innovative, demonstrated personal Initiative, stress tolerance, integrity and ethics;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills in English;
• The ability to produce various informational products under tight deadlines.