Senior Communications Officer at Northern Rangelands Trust

Key roles/Responsibilities:

• Identify, create and establish effective communication channels between communities and project leadership for the purposes of idea exchange, transparency, and feedback.
• support community conservancies in the development of social media strategies and communication plans to engage the public and clearly communicate tourism and private sector opportunities.
• Oversee the development and management of social media channels (including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and production of regular and incisive blogs.
• Develop, lead and manage the delivery and review of internal and external communications and public relations strategy that support the project; well-illustrates the conservation and development wins being made by communities; strengthens the project’s profile, and supports the organization’s fundraising efforts.
• Build and maintain a positive profile for the project through impactful media and outreach across key external online and offline communications channels; driving compelling stories and events that reinforce the project’s brand, while ensuring regular and efficient sharing and exchange of information through effective internal communications.
• Conceive, develop, and lead groundbreaking communications and advocacy campaigns for projects and events to help achieve community conservation goals.
• Work with colleagues to produce editorials, features, advertisements, brochures, fact sheets, briefings, position papers, news stories, impact assessments, etc.
•  Develop and maintain positive working relationships with targeted online, print and broadcast journalists, editorial writers and columnists, as well as other media staff. This includes supporting well-executed media strategies and activities, including press conferences, one-to-one briefings, press release, and other written materials.
• Support in the development of internal business/information sharing platforms for effective internal communication to build and maintain the project’s internal communication network and secure internal buy-in for the project, generating maximum participation and support within the organization.
• Collaborate with the Grants and Communications departments to ensure an integrated communications strategy is developed and implemented with regards to community conservancies and the Project.
•  Prepare progress and impact assessment reports, track the project’s media presence, and analyze and report on the frequency and quality of coverage on a timely basis.

Academic & Professional Qualifications and Prior Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, Corporate Communication or other relevant filed from a university recognized in Kenya.
• Master’s degree in the relevant field or relevant professional course or membership to a professional body will be an added advantage
• At least ten (10) years’ working experience in communication, five (5) of which must be in a senior management level with strong written and oral abilities.
• Must demonstrate ability for interaction with social media tools and platforms and proficient with MS Office packages.
• Must possess good interpersonal and communication skills including: Ability to communicate between headquarters, regional hubs and local communities in local languages and culturally effective and impactful methods, identify, create and establish effective communication channels between communities and project leadership for the purposes of idea exchange, transparency, and feedback, support community conservancies in the development of social media strategies and communication plans to engage the public and clearly communicate tourism and private sector opportunities.
•  Must have experience in managing reputation risk and working with indigenous communities and international audiences and ability to convey and translate conservation messages effectively.