Communications and Sponsor a School Manager (Turkana County) at Mary’s Meals International

We are delighted to be recruiting for a talented Communications and Sponsor a School Manager to join our team in Lodwar, Turkana County. Reporting to the Country Director, the Communications & Sponsor a School Manager (CSaSM) is a central and pivotal role within the Communications function of Kenya. They are responsible for sourcing, creating, and delivering a continuous flow of compelling content to Mary’s Meals International (MMI) to enable the organization to tell its stories. They will, in close collaboration with the Head of International Communications also be responsible for telling those stories ‘at home’ to local, regional and national media. Additionally, they will be responsible for the day-to-day curation of all social media channels, posting timely and relevant content about MM’s work in Kenya and worldwide. They will also lead on the sourcing and supply of Communications materials to support any local campaigns. Finally, they will lead on the collection of content from schools involved in our flagship campaign ‘Sponsor a School’, ensuring timely delivery of the quality content required for our supporters.

Key duties & responsibilities for the role include:

Content and Communications

• Lead on the implementation of the content strategy in country, gathering stories and visuals for use in country and internationally
• Set the direction, creative, review, and supervision of team re: content collection for for Sponsor a School and general comms Work with MMI Communications and the Strategic Partnerships Directorate on the ‘local’ narrative for campaigns and liaise with all relevant team members to ensure that all material gathered is fit for purpose and in line with the Content Strategy
• Lead on the content collection required to fulfil the requirements of Sponsor a School
• Work with the Senior Content Manager and Head of International Communications at MMI to scope, develop and deliver materials for all major projects including Sponsor A School, Regular Giving, film projects, country-focus projects, Mary’s Meals anniversaries and milestones and emergency appeals.
• To supply content for country-specific National Affiliate campaigns e.g. Fill Mugs, Move for Meals, and other localized NA activity
• Act as the on-the ground ‘eyes and ears’ of Mary’s Meals in Kenya, to provide an additional stream of ‘incidental’ stories, identified and developed in the course of their work.

Digital Media

• In close consultation with MMI Comms and MMI Strategic Partnership, plan and lead on all social media posts and campaigns
• Ensure all SM platforms are monitored, moderated and comments replied to as appropriate.
• Vet all content prior to release ensuring relevance, correctness, and adherence to MM messaging

General

• Contribute effectively to the organization’s overall Communications strategy by implementing a robust MM {country} Communications strategy, particularly the ambitions and objectives of the content function. Ensure that the communications strategy is understood by all Team members and is evident in all activity throughout the year
• Continually test and question content coming through and look for new formats and ways of working to make our story-telling more impactful
• Review and grade content as it comes in and identify the lead stories for the weeks and months ahead, requesting further updates as required
• Keep other Programme Affiliate countries regularly updated on the communications work that is being carried out in Kenya. This will include sharing examples of best practice and innovative campaigns.
• Work with the MMI Communications team and Strategic Partnerships on the coordination of media and high-profile visits to Kenya.
• To work with MMI Communications team on the content-gathering trips to Kenya by MMI Comms staff or by freelancers appointed by MMI Comms.
• Support the SP&Comms with sourcing quotations for organizational budget planning.

Team Management

• Lead, manage and motivate other staff in Kenya who are working within the Communications function.
• Identify where extra resource may be needed in the team and, if required, present a detailed rationale for recruitment.
• With CD, Strategic Partnerships, the MMI Comms’ Content team, regularly review methodologies, systems & ways of working to ensure that they best serve the needs of the wider family.

Qualifications, skills, and experience - Essential

• Degree (bachelors or masters) in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience. 
• Good understanding of content creation, digital communications and public relations. 
• Well-developed team leadership and management skills. 
• Warm, engaging and inspiring personality, with good networking and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to work independently, be a self-motivator, demonstrate resilience and possess excellent judgement. 
• Excellent communications skills, both written and oral. 
• Ability to comfortably and effectively interact with senior stakeholders. 
• Ability to think creatively and capable of generating and developing new ideas and opportunities. 
• Strong relationship building skills, with a demonstrable ability to persuade and convince others. 
• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and time management skills.