Communications Specialist-East Africa Land Border Programme at Mercy Corps

 General Position Summary

The Communications Specialist will be responsible for leading the development of a Stakeholder and Communications strategy (SCS) and overseeing its execution for the East Africa Land Border Programme. They will provide two primary functions: 1) leadership in the development of communications-related programme activities and processes, including media and community-based campaigns, development of surivor stories and testimonies, policy briefs etc and 2) developing external communications on programme learning, progress and impacts for the donor and other stakeholders. Within these will be responsible for the development of messaging, talking points, editorial pieces and internal/external storytelling, management of video production and online presence maintenance, and managing thevisibility of East Africa Land Border Programme’s work among different stakeholders. The Specialist will also support the conceptualization and preparation of the programme’s thought leadership events, in collaboration with programme leadership.

The Communications Specialist must be astute and experienced in managing the communications of sensitive and political projects, developing differentiated communications to multiple stakeholders and managing public relations including responses to any press.

Essential Job Responsibilities

1) Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead the development and implementation of the East Africa Land Border Programme (EALBP) Stakeholder and Strategic Communications Strategy, ensuring alignment with programme objectives and donor expectations.

• Develop clear, consistent messaging and communications products tailored to different stakeholder groups, including government counterparts, consortium partners and the donor.

• Respond to external inquiries and support unified consortium messaging on sensitive programme issues.

• Provide strategic communications advice to programme leadership on risk-aware visibility and stakeholder engagement.

Evidence, Learning and Content Development

• Support the preparation of high-quality evidence, learning and communications products for the donor and other stakeholders, ensuring appropriate tailoring, policy alignment and presentation.
• Work closely with the MRELA and programme teams to document programme progress, learning and impact in a clear and accessible format.
• Working with the MRELA team, develop and maintain a structured approach to capturing and disseminating programme learning in line with programme priorities and confidentiality requirements.
• Contribute communications content to regular programme and donor reporting processes.

Sensitive Content, Campaigns and Events Management

• Support the design and delivery of communications activities and campaigns, including community-based awareness and prevention initiatives, in coordination with consortium partners.
• Oversee the safe and ethical documentation of programme stories and case studies, including survivor-informed communications developed in collaboration with specialist partners (e.g., HAART), ensuring informed consent and safeguarding standards.
• Plan and coordinate programme learning and thought leadership events, including workshops, briefings and closed-door policy discussions.
• Manage communications-related logistics for events, including content development, coordination with vendors and stakeholder engagement.

Programme Coordination and Compliance Support

• Work closely with programme teams and partners to ensure communications activities are aligned with programme implementation plans, safeguarding standards and risk management protocols.
• Support internal coordination of communications inputs across programme components and consortium partners.
• Ensure all communications activities comply with Mercy Corps policies, donor requirements and security and safeguarding protocols.
• Perform other related duties as required to support programme delivery.
• Safeguarding responsibilities 
• Actively learns safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Senior Quality and Compliance Manager
• Works Directly With: Implementation and Partnership Manager, Programme team, Programme partners and sub-awardees; Regional and Global Communications Teams
• Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills   

• Recognized qualification in Communications or a relevant field. Masters will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of 6 years of progressive experience working in communications or public relations, in not-for -profit organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in communication and storytelling for sensitive or political programmes.
• Excellent track record in copy writing and editing skills, and a portfolio of quality written products for a variety of formats (e.g. blogs, articles, op-eds, press releases).
• Proven experience in developing and executing communications plans.
• Experience in web design & content production (e.g. video and still photography) is a plus.