Senior Officer, Communications (AWARD)

Job opening ID	165
Department	AWARD
Posting title	Senior Officer, Communications (AWARD)
Designation	Senior Officer, Communications (AWARD)
Job Summary	The Senior Officer for Communications (SOC) will design and execute a communications strategy that support AWARD’s Outreach and Learning goals, contributing to positive perceptions of the AWARD’s work globally. The SOC will represent AWARD, manage media relationships and engagement, and protect the program’s brand. This job is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with a variety of stakeholders including donors, and implementation partners.
Deadline	04/07/2015
Number of positions	1
Job type	Full time
Location	Nairobi
Country	Kenya
Posted on	03/25/2015
Job Category	Nationally Recruited Staff
Roles and responsibilities	• Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy that includes digital, brand management, community engagement, and media engagement components. • Research, write and disseminate consistent and relevant content telling compelling stories of AWARD’s impact including case studies, speeches, articles and annual reports. • Provide editorial direction with design, production and distribution of all AWARD communications through a variety of platforms including digital media. • Produce public relations activities that are consistent and reflect the organization’s strategic vision while protecting the AWARD brand. • Drive the AWARD news room including managing media relationships, monitoring media coverage, organizing and staffing media events and crisis management. • Collaborate with peers in partner organizations to leverage the AWARD brand, and document & leverage AWARD’s presence at strategic events. • Provide communications and media training to members of the AWARD staff and surrogates to ensure consistent messaging. • Provide communications assistance to implementing partners. • Build, engage, and sustain communities of AWARD supporters, especially online. Working with the Director, manage communications with donors. • Help develop and support policy engagement strategies, help evaluate partnership and alliance opportunities, build and track efforts that offer compelling evidence, promote policies, boost political will and bring new resources in support of achieving programmatic goals. • Collaborate with the Monitoring and Evaluation unit to develop and coordinate means to seek regular input from the Organization’s key constituencies regarding the quality of programs and relevance. • Develop long and short-term plans and budgets for the unit and its activities, monitor progress, assure adherence, evaluate performance, and report progress to the Director. • Recruit, train, appraise, supervise, support, develop, and guide communication staff, interns and consultants. • Maintain a departmental climate that attracts, retains, and motivates top quality personnel.
Skill set	• Master's degree in public relations, journalism, international relations, or other relevant field. • Minimum of 7 years of relevant communications, media, and/or public relations experience. • Strong experience in and understanding of news media, including traditional and digital media in Africa. • Solid working relationships with regional (Africa) and international media. • Experience and ability to work multiple projects simultaneously in a demanding, fast-paced and complex environment. • Exceptional public presentation skills. • Excellent oral and written communications skills in English (French or widely spoken African languages would be an advantage). • Demonstrated ability to create persuasive and clear oral and written communications. • Ability to work across diverse communication platforms. • A professional demeanour and sensitivity to social practices in other cultures. Life and/or work experience in both developing country and developed country a plus. • Strong leadership and management skills in working with a team of diverse background. • Ability to stay calm and poised under pressure or crisis and remain focused in a rapidly changing environment. • Superior judgment and ability to maintain professional, upbeat attitude and sense of humour under tight deadlines. • Attention to detail and aesthetics • Initiative, creativity and a willingness to learn and have the ability to balance between scientific knowledge and creative thinking. • Demonstrated initiative to solve problems with high energy and a positive attitude. • Problem solves by selecting appropriate alternative sources of information to utilize and evaluate situations. • Ability to develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with media and policy partners.
Work experience	7 Years
Advert	Advert - Senior Communications Officer.pdf
Duty station	Nairobi, Kenya