Communications Officer at African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

AFIDEP is looking to recruit a Communications Officer who will contribute to the design and implementation of AFIDEP’s policy engagement, branding and communications strategy to raise AFIDEP’s profile and impact as a regional research and policy institute and enhance the role of research evidence in development processes in Africa.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage development of and write content for institutional publications such as the annual report, newsletters, African Development Perspectives as well as the website and social media accounts.
• Facilitate engagement with policymakers and support research staff in translating evidence and packaging it into policy oriented and general reading outputs including policy briefs, infographics, animations, blogs, media releases, media kits, Op-Eds, videos, podcasts, and photo-stories.
• Contribute to capacity building of AFIDEP staff, other researchers, policy makers, and journalists in communications and evidence informed decision making.
• Establish and sustain links and contact with journalists and media houses to ensure visibility of AFIDEP’s work in the media.
• Contribute to managing AFIDEP’s social media accounts (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and You Tube), ensuring regular and quality content emanating from our work, and keep abreast of other emerging social media and web 2.0 tools, taking advantage of these to extend the reach and impact of AFIDEP’s work.
• Contribute to managing the AFIDEP website, ensuring that web content related to our programmes are well presented and up to date on the website (includes developing content for website).
• Support the development and management of AFIDEP’s library/information resources – both physical and digital information resources.

REQUIREMENTS

• Masters’ Degree in Communications, Media or International Relations.
• At least five (5) years’ experience in science and development communications.
• Excellent and demonstrable writing and technical editing skills, especially policy-oriented publications and media products.
• Excellent presentation and public-speaking/verbal communication skills.
• Technical skills in publications design, web design and management, and social media platforms.
• Ability to negotiate, network and form credible relationships within organisation as well as with senior decision-makers in external institutions.
• Skilled communicator, able to dialogue effectively with a wide range of audiences and to represent the organisation with authority and credibility to the outside world, including the media.
• Experience in science and development communications, including translating and communicating research to non-scientific audiences such as the media and the public.
• Knowledge of the African context and how this influences decision-making in the areas of health, population and development, education, environment and climate change, and governance.
• Knowledge of current global issues and debates in development policy and international development politics.