Communications Advisor at TechnoServe Kenya

• Ultimately, the role holder’s measure of success will depend on the ability to spearhead strategic communications efforts to reach and engage youth audiences effectively. Thus, this role requires expertise in developing impactful communications collateral, leveraging digital platforms, and creating innovative outreach tools tailored to youth preferences.

Key Roles And Responsibilities

• Strategic Communications Planning and Engagement:
• Develop and manage an integrated, multi-channel communications strategy aligned with program goals. Conduct situational analysis on the coastal communications landscape and audience segmentation, which may include research on media habits and preferences of coastal youth and stakeholders.
• Coordinate and streamline communications efforts across program components and partners, including developing an integrated communication strategy (ies) aligned with Blue Economy and project objectives.
• Identify optimal channels for outreach, including digital, social media, and community engagement.
• Monitoring press stories relating to the program and brand, maximising opportunities for managing public relations and perception.

Content Creation, Outreach Campaigns and Quality Control:

• External: Conceptualize and produce high-impact, culturally resonant multimedia content (videos, social media, interactive web content etc.)
• Internal: Produce high-quality communications materials (reports, fact sheets, presentations) e.g. highlighting coastal/marine issues.
• Design public outreach materials highlighting youth in Blue Economy opportunities.
• Optimise pictorial/photo opportunities, etc. to produce program publications, including print and web materials in the form of articles, reports, briefs (policy), multimedia products, posters, and information packets
• Design public-facing collateral and professional presentations for diverse stakeholder groups.
• Ensure communication quality control by edit, proofreading and summarising project documents, and writing articles about TechnoServe’s work on the project as required;
• Support content customization of BlueBiz’s training materials to fit the audience e.g. on TalentLMS or other youth engagement platform.

Digital and Social Media:

• Launch innovative digital campaigns and activations to drive awareness and engagement e.g. by craft compelling narratives and multimedia content showcasing youth in Blue Economy opportunities
• Leverage platforms favoured by young people to drive engagement on Blue Economy topics.
• Explore emerging technologies for interactive ocean/marine environment education that benefit young people.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building:

• Build and sustain relationships with press members and other professional communication networks.
• Facilitate dialogue and coordinate communications across coastal communities, private sector, and government and especially with organisations working in partnership with TechnoServe on the project.
• Conduct skills training to empower youth as Blue Economy communication ambassadors i.e. build youth capacity in digital storytelling, social media campaigning, and multimedia
• Document and share best practices in coastal youth development communications.

Knowledge management, performance measurement and compliance

• Develop and manage the BlueBiz Knowledge hub including maintaining a project publications inventory and keep the publications archives and website pages up to date.
• Establish frameworks to measure communications effectiveness and stakeholder reach.
• Analyse data to optimise engagement strategies across coastal areas and audiences.
• Capture lessons learned to improve future coastal/Blue Economy youth communications.
• Ensure compliance with TechnoServe and donor communications policies, rules, guidelines and procedures not limited to branding, messaging and management.
• Develop, coach and mentor staff and project partners on strategic communications as required.

Required Skills And Experience

• Bachelor's in Communications, Marketing, Environmental/Marine Studies or related field field
• 5+ years’ experience in integrated communications, campaigns and capacity building
• Proven skills in strategic communications planning, digital/social marketing and content creation
• Expertise in stakeholder engagement, training facilitation and public presentations
• Strong multimedia production capabilities and design skills (Adobe Creative Suite etc.)
• Understanding of coastal/marine environments, Blue Economy sectors and youth development
• Passionate about empowering coastal communities and catalysing positive social impact
• Experience in development communications and/or media relations in the area of entrepreneurship, retail and corporate communications is an added advantage.
• Ability to read, understand and assimilate complex technical information to produce clear, well-written summaries.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office packages.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and well within teams.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills a must;
• Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations;
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili required;

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidence; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works cooperatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgment in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Financial & Resource Management: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Managing Resources is about understanding human, financial, and operational resource issues to make decisions aimed at building and planning efficient project workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
• Computer Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.
• Compliance & Governance: Compliance with and knowledge of company policies, applicable legislation, grant requirements, donor contracts, the local labor code and tax laws.
• Internal Client Focus: Client Focus is based on the ability to understand the client’s needs and concerns in the short to long-term and to provide sound recommendations and/or solutions.