Senior Communications Officer at Graca Machel Trust

Background

Women Creating Wealth (WCW) is an entrepreneurship initiative focused on established African entrepreneurs. It helps them develop the skills, tools, and networks they need to transform their businesses from income generators to wealth-generating enterprises. This comprehensive program addresses growth mindset, agency, personal mastery, and leadership, and provides participants with coaching, mentorship, and technical support. Additionally, it facilitates access to markets and finance for women entrepreneurs while working to highlight and dismantle discriminatory economic systems and processes.

The programme is currently being rolled out Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Focus 70% of the time on Women Creating Wealth content and publicity and 30% on GMT organisational communication.
• The role will report to the Communications Manager and work closely with the Senior Entrepreneurship Manager country managers to access stories.

Programme communications strategy and planning

• Co-develop / add input into integrated communications strategy that will cover programme specific PR and media relations, social, thought leadership, strategic events, etc.
• Broaden awareness and understanding of the WCW programme and priorities across different media platforms.
• Develop intra-programme communication content as and when necessary.

Content development for the WCW programme and the Trust

• Develop a deep understanding of GMT’s mission, priorities and how the WCW fits into the broader brand.
• Develop communication content for the Trust as and when needed – for social/digital/mainstream media.
• Develop content that is always strategically aligned with the programme and the Trust’s objectives.
• Work closely with the MERL team to collect data and content that demonstrates the impact of the programme on participants.
• Use innovative approaches to package the variety of content that will come out of the programme.
• Work with MERL to ensure that surveys are packaged in a way that is user friendly and encourages feedback from participants.
• Work with the advocacy manager to ensure that content being developed is appropriate and relevant for stakeholders and packaged in way that achieves strategic objectives.
• Develop and manage content plans for channels being used.
• Develop PR content; press releases / thought leadership pieces/ blog posts,etc.

Brand management

• Work closely with programme teams in the countries to ensure that the GMT and WCW brands are represented consistently across all teams and that it resonates positively in the countries.
• Be the brand custodian of the programme, ensure that all creative and communication assets are catalogued and well managed.

Programme digital channels

• Develop social media content plans.
• Develop social media content.
• Do community management.
• Set up social listening and provide monthly platform reports with lessons and recommendations for going forward.
• Ensure that the WCW website is up to date.
• Provide monthly Google analytics report for the website and social media.

Programme media relations

• Pitch stories, responding to media inquiries, and providing journalists with relevant information and resources, and monitoring media coverage.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in journalism, communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field.

Experience

• 6+ years of experience in communications or marketing as an account manager / project manager / content manager / communications manager.
• Experience in the development sector / social impact space very important.
• Experience in working with entrepreneurs / entrepreneurship programmes advantageous.
• Experience in conceptualising and implementing multi-channel communication campaigns / programmes (traditional, non-traditional and face to face interactions)
• Reporting experience; high level reports, monthly reports, close out reports.
• Experience in analysing various media platform data, providing insights and recommendations.
• Experience in briefing and managing team members or other service providers.
• Understanding of the media landscape. Understanding of the media in the specified countries advantageous.
• Relationships with the media houses / journalists a big plus
• Experience in managing programme or campaign related events.

Technical competencies (Knowledge, skills and abilities)

• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Ability to work on multiple priorities concurrently and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent presentation / pitching skills.
• Detail oriented.
• Agile and innovative.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Resourceful, proactive, and problem-solving mindset.
• Excellent people skills, including high EQ.
• Strong planning, project management and diplomacy skills.
• Accurate and efficient task completion skills.