Communications Officer

Title: Communications Officer

Supervisor: Communications Specialist

Location: CICan Kenya Office

Background

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is implementing a number of projects related to youth skills development in Kenya in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and other partners. The following projects are currently being implemented:

• The Young Africa Works-Kenya program is a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation, the private sector and the Government of Kenya to improve employment outcomes in the country. As a key strategic component of Young Africa Works, the Young Africa Works-Kenya/TVET Program (YAW-K-TVET) will strengthen the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and systems in Kenya. YAW-K-TVET is a 5-year program (2020-2025) implemented by CICan in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, other relevant Government of Kenya agencies, and the private sector. YAW-K-TVET will work through a partner-driven participatory approach focusing on developing 26 Centres of Excellence (COEs) as model institutions that will increase the participation of young Kenyans, particularly women, in market-relevant skills training programs to ultimately increase the number of youth in dignified and fulfilling work in the Big Four and digital sectors. in dignified and fulfilling work in the Big Four and digital sectors.
• The Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST) is a 7-year (2022-2029) program funded by Global Affairs Canada. KBEST has a strong focus on increasing the equitable participation of girls and women, youth and vulnerable populations in the Blue Economy. KBEST will include collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Education, 7 county governments, civil society and industry, working with 24 TVET institutions in the Coast and Lake Victoria regions of Kenya. It will share the expertise of Canada’s colleges and institutes in linking youth, educational institutions, and employers to develop training for employment programs in Kenya around the Blue Economy.

Job Summary

General Expectations

The Communications Officer will be responsible for CICan’s communications activities in Kenya. This includes communications requests coming from CICan, funders, and other partners, managing social media and working with other CICan staff on newsletters/digital briefs and communications products/promotional materials. In addition, the Communications Officer will provide advice, analysis of the promotional context and advice to support visibility of CICan projects in Kenya. The communications officer will, upon request, participate in events or meetings organised on various topical themes that relate to CICan projects. In particular, the Communications Officer will work closely with CICan and its partners to achieve effective visibility and recognition of the impact of CICan projects.

Reporting

The Communications Officer will work under the direction of the Communications Specialist to support the development, planning and implementation of program activities, and coordination of day-to-day work. The Officer is also expected to work closely with all other Kenyan and Canadian-based program staff including the Manager of Operations, Senior Technical Advisors, Gender and Youth, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Specialists, Senior Program Officers, Program Officers, Partnership Coordinators and Administrative staff. The employee is expected to work with a high degree of independence and autonomy.

The position is expected to involve some travel within Kenya.

Responsibilities

Social Media (30%)

• Manage and grow CICan Kenya’s social media engagement.
• Focus on content creation, basic online graphics and development of products and messages for public access and online platforms including project websites, Facebook, X, Instagram, and other relevant social media platforms.
• Author brief social media messages with corresponding links and source appropriate images for the postings.
• Provide analytics, identify trends and develop creative inputs in response.
• Review daily press and produce media monitoring reports.

Event Coverage/ Photography/ Videography (30%)

• Support and coordinate photography and videography activities for field activities.
• Work closely with the Manager of Operations, STAs and Communications Specialist to provide communication and media support to events/workshops/meetings and conferences.
• Support CICan’s participation in the Kenyan TVET sector coordination/ working groups by providing communications and coordination support functions as guided and agreed to by the Communications Specialist and Senior Technical Advisors.
• Engage in media calls and prepare press kits.
• Take, edit and post photos and videos.
• Build and maintain a library of all photos and videos for CICan projects; a database with photos and videos taken during events, which can be easily accessed by classification. Update media contact lists.
• Prepare event specific media monitoring reports.
• Gather content from the field.
• Work with other CICan staff and partners to undertake field visits and to write impact stories/success stories/case studies.
• Gather stories/interviews from implementing partners and beneficiaries via field visits as directed by the STAs and Manager of Operations.
• Produce stories from the field projects that reflect CICan projects’ reach and impact with a human-development interest focus for publishing.
• Prepare content for use in other publications including annual reports, e-newsletters and brochures and videos.

Implementation of CICan Programs’ Communication Strategies (40%)

• Participate in the design and support implementation of an effective and innovative communications strategies to further enhance CICan’s profile in Kenya.
• Review and assess CICan project communications activities using indicators established by the overall communications strategy.
• Highlight successes and challenges in implementing the communication strategies and give recommendations.
• In collaboration with the Communications specialist, coordinate media engagement and press coverage of CICan events.
• Pitch potential stories or identify gaps in content based on field work and research.
• Support coordination of regular briefings with CICan staff.
• Participate in various meetings with sectoral teams to help ensure the strategic positioning and visibility of CICan projects.
• Develop and maintain a network of strategic contacts.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Full fluency in English and Swahili.
• Kenyan citizen or legally permitted to work in Kenya. Note: CICan will not provide a work permit or sponsor individuals.
• Degree in a related field.
• 3-5 years of related communications, social marketing, advertising, public relations, or public outreach experience.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting, producing, and editing written products such as news/blog articles, reports, fact sheets, speeches, success stories, and press releases.
• Expertise in using social media and other media platforms including drafting and sharing messages on X, Facebook, etc.
• Expertise in photography and videography with demonstrated editing and production skills.
• Graphic design experience is highly desirable.
• Experience conducting interviews with government officials, project partners, and community members especially youth, in English and Swahili.
• Superior written English language skills.
• Familiarity with development cooperation and working with international organizations.
• Demonstrated experience working with an international team.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on a team.
• Strong writing, computer, and data skills.