Media & Communications Advisor at Oxfam

JOB PROFILE

Annual Salary and Benefits

According to Oxfam in Kenya Salary Scale

Internal Job Grade

C2

Contract type

Fixed Term (2 years)

Reporting to

Director - Campaigns

Staff reporting to this post

Communications Assistant

Location(s)

Nairobi, with extensive national travel to remote locations and occasional International travel

Annual Budget

None

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty

Job Purpose

Contribute to Oxfam in Kenya’s role as an influencing organisation, by maximising the quality and impact of Oxfam’s work and its partner’s programmes through the incorporation of enhanced communications messaging and tools. Lead the development and implementation of the country media strategy & communications activities, linking country/regional/global priorities. Develops and builds media partnerships and supports programme and humanitarian teams to communicate effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic and programme communications 40%
•     Leads on the development,review and implementation of the country communications strategy.
•     Develops, in consultation with staff, annual communications plans including story gathering and dissemination plans to profile the work of Oxfam in Kenya (OiK) programme. Act as a specialist advisor to the team on all communication matters.
•     Identifies and communicates with key internal audiences and manage information flows that meet the organisation’s strategic needs.
•     Commissions and manages communication consultancies (print, audio and video), ensuring that consultants are properly briefed and work to meet Oxfam minimum standards for publication.
•     Develops and supports staff to use communication tools at all stages of the programme cycle.
•     Supports programme staff in the design, delivery and documentation of public events in support of programmatic, advocacy and campaigns goals.
•     Encourages innovation in the communication space, working towards a cost effective and efficient approach to media and publicity for the work of the Oxfam programme in Kenya. This will include a strong focus on the strategic use of community radio, social media, etc.

External media 40%

•     Network with national, regional and international media organisations and influential individuals to develop positive working relationships towards achieving the country strategy and goals.
•     In collaboration with the team, identifies, trains and supports effective external representation of OiK programme.
•     Work with staff to identify opportunities for profiling stories, including the identification of and providing support to the people profiled in these media actions.
•     Act as the focal point for communications work for the OiK programme, working in tandem with regional and global colleagues to manage proactive and reactive work with the Kenyan media.
•     In collaboration with regional and global colleagues, support emergency responses as these arise through fast, accurate media work that has a strategic impact.

Learning, reporting and fundraising support 20%

•     Manage the development and production of OiK publications including situation reports, information summaries, annual reports, policy briefs, etc.
•     Lead on the development and submission of OiK information for regional, global and donor publications e.g. reports, pamphlets, brochures, case studies, updates, etc.
•     Manage the production of clear, analytical, comprehensive case studies and human interest stories emerging from OiK and partners work.

Technical Skills, and Knowledge

Skills

• Professional/Technical qualifications – Undergraduate/Post Graduate in Communication related field (Communication, Journalism or Public Relations).
• Demonstrated ability to analyse and communicate complex information to a wide audience including non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team, providing strategic advice and support at a range of organisational levels.
• Excellent English language writing skills and a working knowledge of Swahili.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large amounts of complex information, to produce clear, well written summaries and story lines and to package these in attractive accessible formats.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and produce compelling human interest stories.
• Able to advise/train/support staff at various levels of an organisation.
• Good computer literacy skills including knowledge of digital media.
• Photography, video production and editing skills.
• Proven influencing, negotiating and interpersonal skills in a range of contexts and for multiple audiences.

Knowledge

• Is an authority in their field, a role model for peers and fellow team members.
• Expert knowledge of the programme context and communications environment in Kenya.
• Demonstrable knowledge of communications/media in humanitarian settings.
• Expertise in the use of a range of social media tools.

Experience

• At least five years’ experience of working in a communications, public relations or media role.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, simultaneous projects, to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
• A confident communicator with significant experience in representing organisational issues in a strategic manner with a wide range of external actors.
• Experience of working as a journalist or media liaison and supporting spokespersons in a similar context to OiK.
• Demonstrated experience of campaign design and management and the use of social and mass media for advocacy.
• Key Behavioural Competencies (based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

Competencies

• Description
• Decisiveness
• We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.
• Influencing

We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organisation We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

Humility

We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

Relationship Building

We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation.

Listening

We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear, and consider different preferences.

Mutual Accountability

We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values. We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.

Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity

We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.

Systems Thinking

We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organisational decisions and actions.

Strategic Thinking and Judgment

We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.

Vision Setting

We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.

Self-Awareness

We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

Enabling

We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job. We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support. We give more freedom and demonstrate belief and trust, underpinned with appropriate support.