Research and Communications Manager

Position description

Lushomo helps partner organisations do good by communicating complex information effectively. We work mainly with United Nations clients and other international organisations in the areas of health, environment, education and economic development. We are mission-driven and only take on work that has a positive social impact. Lushomo is growing steadily, and together we are becoming leaders in information design and research communication.

We are currently looking for a research and communication manager with a strong academic background relating to health, environment or international development. The right person will have a blend of strong communication skills, creativity and technical know-how. They will be organised, digitally savvy, quick to learn and work well under pressure within a small team.

‍Here’s what you would get out of it:

• Experience working with international organisations. The majority of our clients are from major intergovernmental agencies including the UN and OECD
• Be part of a friendly and supportive team
• Freedom to work from anywhere
• Learn the latest information design approaches from an experienced team
• Experience design thinking and human centred design in action
• Become part of a small, successful team, growing year on year
• An ideal base from which to move into a range of sectors, including UN, corporate or research – anywhere where making complex information more accessible is prized
• Work with leading researchers on issues relating to health, environment and broader international development
• Have dedicated time each week for learning and career development

This position will involve traditional project management activities such as planning, delegating and delivering to time and budget. However, a big component of the role is digesting and summarising technical content (often health or environment, but other fields as well) to generate creative and effective materials in a range of print, video and online formats, communicating ideas to designers, developers and editors, and steering projects through to completion. This involves conceptualising visual products, such as vignettes, videos and animations as well as data visualisations, infographics. It also involves assimilating complex technical report content and generating digestible, easy to understand information for diverse audiences.

In short: you will be figuring out what a client wants to share and how, and proposing the creative solution and process for delivering on that request. It is important that you have an interest in design, web and film and will enjoy working in an iterative, unpredictable process.

We often work under pressure to meet tough deadlines and within tight budgets but the work is varied and each day is different. We are always pushing the boundaries to learn new technical skills (such as interactive data design, UX/UI, augmented reality etc.) and keep our products fresh and relevant in a fast-changing communications landscape. Visit our website, Lushomo.net for lots of examples of the type of work we do.

Qualifications

The applicant must

• Be a post graduate in public health, life sciences, development, communications, film or another relevant field
• Have excellent technological skills, able to work on a range of digital platforms
• Be resourceful, self motivated, and able to work remotely (or in our Cape Town office)
• Be an adaptable team player and enjoy working in a collaborative environment
• Be able to simply and effectively communicate data and concepts
• Have excellent writing and communication abilities in English
• Have an eye for detail and excellent coordination and organisational skills
• For junior-level candidates, you will have fulfilled the criteria above and be willing to get stuck in in a fast-paced, challenging environment to learn as quickly as possible how to successfully manage projects and accounts
• For more senior candidates, we will be expecting a strong academic background, management experience and experience in work with communications.

Also beneficial:

• Previous experience working in visual design, media or another communications-related field.
• Knowledge of Adobe suite, GIS, Tableau, PowerBI or other design or data visualisation software.
• Exposure to any of a wide array of technical skills: data analysis, coding/development (front- or back-end), graphic design, video production, photography, etc.
• Language skills, particularly in any of the 5 UN languages other than English.
• This is a full-time, permanent position.

Application instructions

If you are interested in joining the team please submit your CV, a cover letter, and a 2 – 3 min informal Loom video (https://www.loom.com/looms/videos) telling us why you’re a good fit for this role.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.