Director of Communications at Inkomoko

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Communications will develop and/or manage the development of the strategy for all internal and external communications and public relations efforts, raising visibility of the organization and our work with our key stakeholders, including government, donors, clients and prospective clients, and local and international media by effectively and consistently articulating Inkomoko’s mission and story.

We are seeking candidates with proven experience crafting and implementing comprehensive strategic communications, media and audience engagement plans; building and strengthening narrative and storytelling campaigns, and effectively managing and supervising a team.  

Responsibilities

You will lead the communications and marketing work for the organizational parent brand, and  across Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.   

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop and direct comprehensive communications strategies, working collaboratively with senior leadership and country leads to advance awareness around Inkomoko’s impact on business growth, job and livelihood improvement 
• Lead efforts to shape and amplify relevant narratives that support the Inkomoko story
• Develop annual marketing and communications budget to optimize resources for greatest impact, seeking value for money in all expenses
• Manage and supervise a team responsible for effectively deploying various communications and marketing strategies including brand and editorial management, collateral and multimedia production, storytelling, earned and paid media outreach, digital and social media engagement, and thought leadership planning
• Write and/or review and edit media pitches, press releases, statements, op-eds, talking points, fact sheets, and journalist briefs 
• Create thought leadership plans for members of leadership and other surrogates
• Develop and refine messaging documents
• Manage communications agencies and consultants
• Work with appropriate team member(s) to generate earned media coverage and identify paid media opportunities, and provide media training and prep to key spokespeople
• Foster and strengthen relationships with relevant journalists and other external storytellers
• Provide counsel and collaborate closely with senior leadership to ensure alignment on strategic goals and priorities
• Work collaboratively with country leads and teams to ensure adequate communications support for events and event production efforts
• Lead efforts to develop and refresh all branding efforts and collateral materials including the supervision of website maintenance and upgrading for all sites:  Inkomoko, Inkomoko Rwanda, Inkomoko Kenya, Inkomoko Ethiopia and Inkomoko South Sudan
• Review and approve all speeches for Inkomoko’s representatives for speaking engagements
• Conceptualize, and lead the work to produce write, and produce Inkomoko’s annual report
• Manage the writing and production of the monthly internal staff newsletter and other internal communications channels
• Participate as an active contributor to company-wide initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

This Director will be a seasoned team leader and strategist who is a creative thinker and excited to explore new ways to tell the Inkomoko story. 

Qualifications, Skills, and Requirements:

• 10+ years of work experience in communications and marketing
• A collaborator with a passion to learn and help when needed
• Self-starter, able to work independently, and entrepreneurial; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with an ability to take complex, nuanced topics and develop creative, compelling, clear, concise and crisp pitches, stories and headlines
• Proven track record of effective leadership, and remote team management
• Ability to work effectively with all stakeholders including staff, board members, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters
• Experience working across various East African geographies and knowledge local languages will be added advantage.

What You'll Get

This role is inside a high-growth, mission-driven social enterprise. By joining, you’ll access:

• Competitive salary, and potential Goal-based bonus
• Incredible company culture, including deep investment in your learning and growth
• Diverse colleagues and policies that show our commitment to equity and inclusion 
• Talented, passionate, and committed team colleagues across the region
• Ability to make a significant social impact to your community
• Generous health insurance, staff savings, parental leave, sabbatical, and more benefits.