Senior Communications Officer, Africa Team

Please note: There is one Senior Communications Officer, Africa Team position available, which may be based in either Nairobi, Dakar, or Uganda. Candidates must already have the right to work in the location for which they apply and for the full duration of the one-year fixed-term contract.

INTRODUCTION TO GIRLS NOT BRIDES

Girls Not Brides is the only global organisation uniquely focused on creating and sustaining a worldwide movement to end child marriage and ensuring that this movement leads to tangible change for the girls at risk or affected by the practice. We are a network of over 1,400 civil society organisations in over 100 countries working in partnership to end child marriage.

Our vision is a world without child marriage where girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men and are able to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives. Our vision challenges deeply embedded social norms that harm the lives of girls, women and their communities.

We engage with wide-ranging stakeholders like government, civil society organisations, donors, research institutions and media to gather and share evidence and learning and build momentum to address child marriage in the region. There are 900+ Girls Not Brides member organisations in Africa. At present, the work of the Girls Not Brides secretariat is focused in both East and Southern Africa and in West and Central Africa.

INTRODUCTION TO THE ROLE

We are seeking a Senior Communications Officer to join our team based in Africa. The successful individual will sit in the Africa Team and work closely with the Communications Team, and as part of a cross-regional team across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the UK, to ensure regional work is represented across our cross-regional channels.

This position reports directly to the Head of Africa Engagement or any other person within the Africa team as designated by the Head of Africa Engagement.

The role comprises varied responsibilities, including contributing to the design of and leading the implementation of a regional communications strategy. The strategy will focus on positioning child marriage as a priority issue, effectively communicating the work of the Girls Not Brides secretariat and member organisations, creatively sharing evidence and learning in a way that is adapted to context and to diverse audiences at the national and regional levels, and integrating processes to ensure ethical communications, risk assessment and mitigation are in place.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for a passionate and talented bilingual (French and English) communications professional with experience of evidence-based storytelling, and the communication of evidence and learning to diverse audiences at the national and regional level. As Senior Communications Officer supporting the Africa Team, you will work closely with the Africa Team and our cross-regional Communications Team to strengthen our work and influence in the region and ensure it is represented across our cross-regional channels. You will work closely with member organisations in Africa to support their work and representation at the regional and global level and to contribute to further positioning ending child marriage as a key issue at regional and national levels in the Africa region.

You will have significant professional experience in strategic communications, including contributing to the development and implementation of context-sensitive, social-issue communications strategies.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Regional communication work

• • In close collaboration with the Girls Not Brides Communication Team and Africa Team, support the development and implementation of a regional communications strategy for the region – including digital, media, publications etc and support to members – with the objective of positioning child marriage in the region and highlight the work of Girls Not Brides and its member organisations.
  • In collaboration with the Africa Team, develop, design and edit regional communications materials, including, but not limited to, publications, newsletters, mail-outs, infographics, fact-sheets etc.
  • In collaboration with the Girls Not Brides Africa Team and our cross-regional Communications Team, develop and deliver strategic communications advice and deliver communication plans for Africa team related workplan activities to increase the reach and impact of our work, ensuring key messages reach the right audiences and influence outcomes.
  • Work with the Girls Not Brides Communications and Africa Teams to identify, develop and produce compelling stories and informative content from the region in a variety of formats (e.g. written, audio-visual) – including through engagement with member organisations – that influence target audiences, position ending child marriage and showcase the impact of Girls Not Brides and our members
  • Work closely with the Girls Not Brides Communications and Africa Teams to ensure the region is represented in a context-specific way across our communications channels (e.g. website, traditional media, social media etc) including the update and translation of key documents in English and French.
  • Provide technical support to Girls Not Brides members, National Partnerships and coalitions as needed in their communications as well as support any communications training and capacity building sessions, if needed.
  • Provide strategic advice and support to diverse teams, fostering open communication and proactively supporting colleagues to achieve shared goals.
  • Contribute to campaigns and other influencing and advocacy initiatives in the region and active engagement countries.
  • Monitor and analyse the success of communications campaigns in supporting the achievement of organisational objectives.

Wider Organisational Responsibilities

• • Commit to the mission and vision of Girls Not Brides, putting these at the forefront of all planning, work and actions.
  • Uphold the core values of Girls Not Brides in all areas of work and interactions with colleagues, members, partners, and other stakeholders.
  • Comply with Girls Not Brides’ policies and processes, with note for safeguarding, diversity and inclusion, the code of conduct and data protection.
  • Ensure that internal databases and monitoring information are kept fully up-to-date.
  • Commit to ongoing personal development and learning.
  • Fulfil any other reasonable requests for the advancement of Girls Not Brides.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience

• • A minimum of 7 years professional experience in a similar role in the not-for-profit sector, an international/intergovernmental organisation, a social movement or social enterprise.
  • Experience developing and delivering successful communications plans and campaigns that support organisational objectives.
  • Experience in working on sensitive issues in a balanced way, rooted in strong ethical communications and safeguarding protocols and the ‘do no harm’ principle, with a focus on solutions-driven messaging rather than sensationalism.
  • Experience in developing and producing stories and creative communications concepts.
  • Experience developing and delivery content for a variety of channels (e.g. media, website, publications, social media etc).
  • Experience in supporting non-specialists to develop relevant communications technical skills and materials.
  • Proven experience of applying human rights-based and feminist approaches and experience of working with young people and adults at risk through ethical communications.
  • Experience in supporting the development and delivery of communications strategies.

Skills and knowledge

• • A good understanding of civil society organisations and their operational contexts in East and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa.
  • A good understanding of how to tailor messaging and content to target specific audiences to achieve objectives.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and French with proven ability to write for different audiences.
  • Proficiency in photography/film making/video editing/graphic design.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop and manage communications platforms, relationships with consultants and suppliers, including photographers, designers, translators, etc.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple teams, build strong relationships, and proactively support colleagues to achieve shared goals.
  • Ability to work quickly and effectively under pressure, prioritise and juggle multiple tasks within tight deadlines, and to deliver time-sensitive high-quality work.