Job Opportunities at HIVOS - Making All Voices Count (MAVC)

Job Context

The Communications Manager is responsible for the coherence and roll-out of Making All Voices Count’s communications work across the programme. This is with special emphasis on implementing the communications aspects of the Global and Country Engagement and Learning strategies which have been developed in order to complete MAVC with a strong legacy, and influence on knowledge and practice in the field of Transparency and Accountability and use of technology to enhance outcomes and impacts.

S/He manages a team of two Regional Communications Officers (Africa and Asia) and then also functionally oversees the work of the Communications Officer who is recruited directly by IDS. 

Contracted by Hivos, and based within the Hivos Nairobi office, s/he works closely with other consortium partners and Making All Voices Count’s strategic partners to incorporate inputs on technology and innovation, and monitoring, learning and evaluation into all communications work.

The position requires frequent travel, especially to Global Events to both work the content into MAVC communication products or present Communications products at these events together with MAVC staff that work at the Global level. There will also be occasional travel to specific countries to support the work of Regional Communications Officers. .

Role Requirements

Making All Voices Count is committed to creating a diverse environment and Hivos is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Qualified applicants from Making All Voices Count Programme countries (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Liberia, Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines) are encouraged to apply but we remain open to looking at applications from other countries.

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree (or equivalent) in communications related to international development.
• Five to eight years of relevant international communications work experience managing project teams.
• Demonstrated understanding of country political and social dynamics in (at least two of the) Tier 1 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia).
• Up to date on latest developments with regards to policy debates and other initiatives on citizen engagement, transparency & accountability, open data and open government.
• Experience in remote team management desired.

Skills and Abilities

• Analytical and conceptual skills linked to ability to reduce complex project and programme documents into short and clear messages for a wide range of audiences. 
• Exceptional team management skills, able to build and empower a geographically dispersed team.
• Ability to liaise with different stakeholders in a multicultural setting.
• Willingness to travel extensively.
• Full professional proficiency in English with demonstrably excellent written and verbal skills.
• Compelling experience in working with all types of media.
• Confident working in a research and tech-orientated environment.

What we offer

We offer a competitive package based on the candidate’s qualifications.

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Roles:

• The Country Engagement Developer (CED) is responsible for the delivery of a coherent programme of activities in the country in which s/he is based,in line with the Making All Voices Count countryplan and overall objectives.
• Grant Portfolio: The CED monitors and manages the quality of the Making All Voices Count current grant portfolio in-country and initiates adequate measures to maintain this quality
• Learning Agenda: The CED will be responsible to finalise and implement the learnig agenda in collaboration with IDS and Ushahidi.  The learn agenda will focus on context, MAVC research pieces and grantees experience.
• Networking and Relationship Building:The CED is responsible for identifying and building collaborative relationships with strategic organizations, individuals and initiatives in support of Making All Voices Count’s objectives, and is expected to have strong networking and facilitation skills.
• The CED requires a good understanding of the governance, social, political, and economic dynamics of the country in which s/he is based in order to initiate brokering events and develop opportunities for collaboration across government, the donor community (especially Making All Voices Count donors), private sector, civil society and the tech community.
• The CED is the country anchor point for all consortium activities under Making All Voices Count’s collaborative approach in that country. S/he engages closely with and supports other consortium activities in country, especially those driven by in-country strategic partners of the Programme, such as technology hubs and governance institutes and networks, requiring close collaboration with the concerned Usahidi staff.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent  in development studies, governance or another relevant field;
• Experience with technology-driven Transparency and Accountability initiatives is an advantage.
• Minimum of five years working experience;
• Solid knowledge of transparency and accountability, citizen engagement and the use of technology;
• A keen understanding of country political and social dynamics; analytical and conceptual skills, and ability to translate these into relevant and timely Making All Voices Count actions;

• Excellent networking, relationship building and negotiation skills;
• Excellent verbal, writing and communication skills in English and have native speaker ability of the main language of the country where they are based.
• Experience overseeing projects to ensure the effective design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation
• Experience of designing monitoring and evaluation plans and indicators
• Ability to analyse information

What we offer

Hivos offers a competitive package based on the candidate’s qualifications.