Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Stakeholder Management -
- Represent Vital Strategies and provide on-the-ground coordination of food policy communication projects in Africa specifically Kenya and Uganda.
- Assess country political feasibility and identify in-country stakeholders, partners, and local grantees to lead communication efforts.
- Ensure alignment of communication plans with the overall advocacy agenda and public health priorities in countries and the region.
- Keep abreast of countries’ political context regarding food policy and public health.
Campaign Development & Execution -
- Provide guidance on strategic planning, development, and evaluation of mass media, digital media, and public relations campaigns.
- Manage the development and execution of industry-accountability integrated communication strategies across up to three African countries.
- Work with staff, partners, and agencies to develop messages, guide production, plan media, and evaluate campaigns.
Grant & Budget Management -
- Manage and monitor all food policy program sub-grants in Africa.
- Collaborate with the leadership team, senior grants manager, and country-level communication managers on grants.
- Ensure deliverables, budgets, and reporting align with agreements and deadlines.
Team Coordination & Collaboration -
- Coordinate communication managers in Africa to facilitate timely information sharing between leadership, country teams, and external partners.
- Collaborate with the internal PR team to draft materials like press releases, newsletter copy, and fact sheets.
Public Relations & Event Management -
- Monitor news and trends to pitch story ideas, interviews, and statements from key spokespeople.
- Manage and participate in events including workshops, training sessions, conferences, campaign launches, and press briefings.
Qualifications:
Education and Degree -
Skills and Abilities
- Strong project management skills
- Expertise in strategic communication, public relations, policy advocacy and media campaigns, including digital media
- Ability to bring new, creative ideas to communicating the organization's work
- Excellent judgment and strategic thinking
- Self-starter with ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams
- Ability to foster a collaborative team environment that encourages different perspectives and new ideas
- Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across time zones and platforms
- Ability to effectively address multiple complex activities and tasks concurrently and to work under the pressure of deadlines
- Strong skills in organizing resources and establishing work priorities and timely meeting of deadlines and milestones
Experience:
Required -
- Minimum of 10 years work experience with at least five years of job-related experience in advertising, digital marketing, strategic communications, public relations, and/or public health
- Demonstrated capacity to think strategically, to lead and work within diverse teams, to work in multi-cultural settings and with a high degree of independence
- Experience with grants management and negotiation, financial management, and compliance
- Advanced-level proficiency with Microsoft Office packages
- Demonstrated experience in developing and managing productive relationships, partnerships and collaborations
Preferred -
- Experience in communicating complex concepts for non-technical audiences
- Experience in communication and government relations
- Familiarity with public health and advocacy work
- Experience working with NGOs and public interest groups on public policy initiatives
- Experience working at the international level and in cross-cultural settings
- Experience in working with donors, multilateral organizations, foundations, and technical assistance agencies
Language Requirements:
- Expert command of both written and spoken English
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
- Travel internationally as needed up to 20% of the time.
