Vice President, Global Communications

Position description

The END Fund is the world’s leading collaborative philanthropic investment vehicle dedicated to controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The END Fund’s vision is to ensure people can live healthy and prosperous lives free of the risk of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). NTDs are parasitic and bacterial infectious diseases – including intestinal worms, river blindness, trachoma, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis – that affect over 1.7 billion people globally. Since our founding in 2012 through 2025, with our partners, the END Fund has provided over 1.86 billion treatments for NTDs worth more than $3 billion. To continue to drive impact and achieve its vision, The END Fund focuses on:

• Mobilizing and investing resources for maximum impact,
• Advocating for innovative, integrated and cost-effective NTD programs; and
• Facilitating philanthropic and private sector engagement to end these diseases.

By engaging a community of activist-philanthropists and taking a systems approach, the END Fund works in collaboration with governments, local and international NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, and academic partners on the global campaign to control and eliminate the most prevalent NTDs by 2030. The END Fund works globally in 30 countries, with a primary emphasis in Africa. You can learn more about the END Fund here.

About the Position

The END Fund is searching for a seasoned professional to join as the Vice President, Global Communications, who will work closely with the CEO to design and oversee the strategy and execution of a strategic global communications plan. They will lead efforts to develop and implement thought leadership and content used globally in order to support the positioning of the END Fund, reflect our breadth of capabilities, and create a receptive audience for our fundraising and programs teams to leverage. They will also oversee and participate directly in an elevated events-based strategy to continue to strengthen the END Fund brand and fulfil its natural role as a convenor of various stakeholders across the NTD ecosystem. The Vice President, Global Communications will work collaboratively with the END Fund’s fundraising, programs, and advocacy colleagues and will partner especially closely with the CEO and members of the Senior Leadership Team to spearhead and steward a proactive and strategic global communications plan aligned with broader organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities

Global Communications Strategy

• Develop, refine, and execute an integrated strategic communications plan which includes corporate brand stewardship, media relations, and partnership campaigns. Ensure that all communications activities reinforce and assist the END Fund’s mission, support and advance organizational goals and priorities, and adhere to best practices in communications and public relations. In concert with the CEO and Department heads, use data to inform activities.
• Lead the END Fund’s thought leadership strategy including the full use of the organization’s “leadership voice” and the various staff and Board members it comprises. This requires close collaboration with varied internal and external leaders to create and disseminate content locally, regionally, and internationally in support of the above mentioned overarching communications strategy.
• Closely collaborate with the Investor Relations team in order to synchronize activities in support of our fundraising goals. Develop a high-functioning mechanism whereby the Communications team can act as a more effective service provider to our fundraising workstreams, and cycle those contributions through donor reporting processes accordingly.
• Drive the development of a targeted media strategy that directly bolsters fundraising efforts by elevating the brand and influence of the END Fund in the eyes of donors through strategic channels and by leveraging existing and new campaigns (e.g. Giving Tuesday, end of year giving, adventure fundraising, and events).

Brand Ambassadorship

• Serve as one of the primary stewards of the END Fund brand including:
  • Acting as a primary spokesperson for the END Fund alongside its CEO, Senior Leadership and Board of Directors, regularly representing the organization at events (as emcee, speaker, and panelist) and at high level strategic meetings
  • Enhancing meaningful relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences (e.g. government officials, high net worth individuals, corporate and foundation partners, etc.) to advance the END Fund’s position with relevant constituents
  • Ensuring consistent language and brand voice across all external-facing materials and products
  • Support the development and curation of unique and highly creative assets that reinforce The END Fund’s brand
• Partner with the team to strengthen The END Fund’s social media presence, shaping and elevating excellent content that ensures the END Fund is telling its story in an authentic and compelling way that focuses on people and its overall mission of ending neglected tropical diseases in vulnerable communities.
• In close coordination with the fundraising team, act as the main communications point of contact for donors which includes:
  • Reporting on communications activities and other such deliverables in fulfillment of grant requirements
  • Creating strategies to show donors how their investments are being used
• Identify significant media and public policy issues that can be leveraged to support the END Fund’s work, and create and implement plans to leverage them.
• Manage crisis communications for the organization and serve as executive editor for the organization’s public content.

Events and Strategic Partnerships

• Work closely with the CEO, Investor Relations (fundraising) and other members of Senior Leadership to develop proactive and strategic event-based communication strategies, acting as a primary liaison with global strategic partners including donors and governments around the creation of high profile events.
• Oversee strategic communications partnerships with other entities who can promote our values, facilitate our communication goals, and introduce us to new and influential audiences.
• Participate in partnership campaigns to encourage inclusion of NTD and private philanthropy messaging at high-level events and on influential platforms.
• Work with implementing partners and ministries of health to help build communications capacity, enabling better storytelling and communication back to the donors about their investments

Team Management

• Manage and mentor a high-performing team of staff and vendors that will support strategy and execute against key work streams in communications, public relations, marketing, digital, media engagement, storytelling, and other functions. Ensure quality and consistency across all external materials by setting clear expectations and deadlines, providing needed resources for project completion, monitoring progress, and serving as a coach and mentor to the team.
• Oversee and manage a global communications budget that appropriately amplifies the overarching work and impact of the organization and is composed in part by a series of grant- or fund-specific sub-budgets.
• Strengthen behaviors of collaboration, strong management practices and accountability across the Communications team, establishing a center of excellence within the organization and ensuring that accountability, time management, and prioritization are embedded in the team and its service to other functions in the organization.
• Champion the ongoing improvement of the END Fund’s position on issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring they consistently inform our language, actions, and organizational culture.

Who You’ll Work With

You will report to the Chief Executive Officer of The END Fund, Dr. Solomon Zewdu

You will supervise a global communications team of 8-10. You will frequently collaborate with the Senior Leadership team and Investor Relations team internally, as well as donors and other key partners externally.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experiences

• Minimum 15 years of experience in strategic communications, with demonstrable experience in and a strong passion for public sector or health related campaigns
• Demonstrated experience effectively managing a team of creatives; hiring, developing and mentoring staff to create a high-performing team that delivers strong outcomes
• Minimum 5 years of public ambassadorship (i.e., representing an organization publicly as a brand steward / senior leader)
• Demonstrable experience designing and executing public-facing and private events with fundraising and brand-building outcomes
• Demonstrable experience developing and executing targeted media strategies with fundraising outcomes
• Strong collaborative team-work experience, including experience playing a leadership role in a large-scale, multi-stakeholder initiative
• Exemplary communication skills, both verbal and written, in English required (multi-lingual appreciated)
• Ability to translate technical material and distill programmatic learnings for both technical and non-technical audiences; experience reporting to philanthropic or bilateral donors preferred
• Proactive communicator and collaborator who enjoys working in a dynamic, evolving, cross-cultural, globally distributed team
• Passionate about philanthropy and public health, with a global mindset and perspective; strong geopolitical savvy as well as knowledge of current events
• Proficient knowledge in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Google products (Drive, Mail, Calendar); comfortable working virtually on a globally dispersed team Graduate degree in strategic communications, marketing, media, or a relevant discipline preferred Work authorization in either UK or Kenya required
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%, including internationally

Benefits

Our benefits packages are also informed by local contexts to ensure appropriateness and competitiveness within specific markets. Regardless of location, all END Fund team members receive cell phone and WiFi connectivity support, flexible work arrangements, a retirement plan, and paid time off. The END Fund also offers employer-paid health benefits for team members and a cost-share option for dependents of team members, as well as life insurance benefits and twelve weeks fully paid family care leave; specific benefit providers will vary modestly by country of residency.

• Paid

health, vision, & dental benefits for employees and a cost-share option for dependents

• Flexible

work arrangements, including Meeting Free and Early Fridays

• Paid time off

as well as mid- and end-of-year breaks

• 12 weeks fully paid

family care leave

• Retirement

plan with employer contributions

• Cell phone & wifi

connectivity support

• Life insurance

benefits

• Wellbeing

and Professional Development stipends

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on tendersglobal.net