Senior Communications Officer - Digital Communications and Engagement, Africa Regional Office at Gates Foundation

What You’ll Do

Digital Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and lead a comprehensive digital channel and engagement strategy for the Africa Regional Office, aligned with the foundation’s global digital and communications principles.
• Build a digital-first culture across Africa regional and country offices by embedding digital thinking, tools, and storytelling into all communications planning.
• Coordinate and harmonize digital strategies across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, and Ethiopia, ensuring unified quality, consistency, and local resonance.
• Partner with the Global Communications Division and GPA to ensure Africa’s digital storytelling and campaigns align with global priorities and advocacy goals.
• Amplify local and regional stories through global channels, connecting Africa’s progress and partnerships to global audiences.

Digital Engagement and Campaign Execution

• Manage the foundation’s digital presence across Africa, including owned social media channels, content calendars, and engagement strategies.
• Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM), analytics, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and paid media to grow reach, engagement, and positive sentiment among target audiences.
• Partner with country office communications teams to adapt and execute global and regional campaigns for local audiences.
• Support the digital amplification of leadership trips, reports, and events across Africa.

​​​​​​​Digital Insights, Analytics, and Measurement

• Lead implementation of social listening and digital analytics tools to monitor sentiment, engagement, and emerging narratives.
• Use data-driven insights to refine strategy, inform content decisions, and improve the reach and impact of digital campaigns.
• Establish clear KPIs and performance frameworks for digital activity and track progress across regional offices.
• Collaborate with communications and advocacy teams to align digital measurement with broader campaign objectives.

​​​​​​​Partnerships and Capacity Building

• Identify and manage digital partnerships, including agencies, influencers, and creative producers, to expand the foundation’s reach across Africa.
• Strengthen digital storytelling capacity across country offices through training, shared frameworks, and knowledge exchange.
• Partner with GPA and program advocacy colleagues to co-develop campaigns that amplify advocacy outcomes through digital channels.
• Foster collaboration between regional offices to promote learning, efficiency, and creative innovation.

​​​​​​​Your Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, digital marketing, journalism, or related field.
• 8-10 years of senior-level experience leading digital communications or marketing in a global, regional, or multi-country context, in dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Proven expertise in designing and implementing digital marketing strategies (end-to-end), social media management and growth across platforms, and brand storytelling.
• Strong understanding of Africa’s digital and media landscapes, including audience trends, influencer ecosystems, and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-market digital strategies and campaigns that deliver measurable engagement and impact.
• Skilled in SEO/SEM, paid media, social listening, analytics, and CRM tools to inform audience strategy and optimize performance.
• Experience designing and executing data-driven digital engagement strategies across diverse markets.