Communications Officer

WERK seeks hire a communications officer for the Reading Champions project. The purpose of the activity is to improve and sustain student learning through a resilient and accountable education system together with families, communities and other Kenyan partners. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world and demonstrate leadership, versatility, and integrity in their work.

The Communications Officer will implement a communications strategy reflective of the donors Communications, Branding, and Marking Guidelines for the life of the activity. S/he will source and develop project communications including fact sheets, success stories, press releases, social media content, narratives for short videos, speeches, and other communications as requested. S/he will develop and maintain continuous engagement with local, national, and international media. S/he will maintain communications resources for the project and work with the monitoring and evaluation team to ensure that impact data is used regularly for key communications. S/he will support the development of all activity reports. S/he will work with the project team to ensure the activity has high-quality visual assets that will showcase the activity for diverse audiences.

The Communications Officer will support the implementation of the Reading Champions project branding strategy and ensure all branding and marking for the activity is compliant. S/he will work closely with the project team to develop an outreach strategy to engage with other donor activities and stakeholders and publicize the activity interventions and results at national and county levels. This may include organizing press releases, media attendance, and communications for all events in collaboration with the donor and partners. S/he will engage with partner counterparts and ensure the fidelity of all activity communications. S/he will disseminate key communications about activity results to the donor, stakeholders, and the general public following the donor and WERKs guidelines. This is a full-time position based in Nakuru County, with travel to Kilifi and WERKs headquarter office in Nairobi.

Responsibilities include:

1. Designing and implementing a communications strategy for the Reading Champions Project, to include creative product ideas and dissemination channels (may include working closely with local artists to develop communications for a diversity of audiences);
2. Sourcing storylines and developing communications such as fact sheets, success stories, press releases, social media content, narratives for short videos, speeches, and other communications as requested;
3. Developing and maintaining continuous engagement with local, national, and international media;
4. Identifying and working with high-quality photographers and videographers to build visual assets;
5. Supporting the development of monthly, quarterly, and annual project reports;
6. Supporting the organization of and communications materials needed for events;
7. Collaborating with WERK secretariat and project team to develop and adapt social media posts and success stories for national and county level audiences and build out key products;
8. Collaborating with Chief of Party and other project staff to develop slide deck presentations;
9. Building and maintaining a vibrant social media presence;
10. Coordinating with Chief of Party and WERKs head office, and the donor Communications Manager to ensure materials are following the donors branding and marking guidance;
11. Coordinating with stakeholders and partners to ensure fidelity of all Activity communications;
12. Contributing to the design and implementation of the activity’s learning agenda, including the cross-cutting Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) approaches.
13. Any other duty as may be assigned.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or a similar field is required.
2. 5 to 7 years of directly relevant communications experience required, preferably working for a national organization or agency.
3. Established contacts with local and national media (newspapers, television, radio, etc.);
4. Demonstrated ability to work with different teams, including donors, international staff, local project staff, consultants, and government officials;
5. Ability to meet tight deadlines and work well under pressure;
6. Proven experience coordinating, managing, and collaborating with a range of individuals in diverse contexts, including working with various artists, event coordinators, monitoring and evaluation teams, and partner communications staff;
7. Strong interpersonal skills and excellent oral and written communication skills in English required;
8. Strong creative skills; relationships with high-quality artists in a variety of mediums, a plus;
9. Strong proficiency in the use of MS Word, PowerPoint; proficiency in Adobe Acrobat or InDesign or other graphic design tools a plus;
10. Experience in developing content for social media, including Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook;
11. Experience in photography, a plus;