JD Unique ID: 72776
Job Title: Communication and Knowledge Management Officer – Youth in Work Project
Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Kano
Contract type: Fixed term contract, full-time (local recruitment)
Period: 1 year (subject to donor contract)
Reports to: Senior Communication and Knowledge Management Officer
Organisation overview:
About Self Help Africa
Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international development organisation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and dedicated to the vision of ‘Sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate’.
Founded in 1969 and working across 17 countries, 15 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa while subsidiary organisations, ‘Self Help Brazil’ and ‘Self Help Bangladesh’, have been created for our programmes in the two countries where we are working outside of Africa. SHA has been operating in Nigeria for over 25 years (formerly as United Purpose and Concern Universal).
Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries: Partner Africa – which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade – an innovative trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO – Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.
In early 2023, we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which outlines our mission of alleviating hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.
Our three core values are:
▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world.
▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.
To achieve our organisational mission, we work across numerous sectors, such as Agriculture, Climate & Environment, Energy, Enterprise, Nutrition, and Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH).
Project description
SHA is partnering with the World Food Programme to implement the Strengthening Food Systems project to Promote Increased Value Chain Employment Opportunities for the Youth in Nigeria-Northwest (Sokoto and Zamfara). Strengthening Food Systems project aims to strengthen food systems that promote increased value chain employment opportunities for the youth; sustaining and improving on-farm and off-farm job opportunities for 25,000 young women and young men engaged in the different nodes of sorghum, millet, soya bean, groundnut, and horticulture value chains.
The project will focus on capacity building interventions for existing enterprises, using this as an avenue to create employment opportunities for youth and women in Sokoto and Zamfara States.
Job Purpose:
SHA is looking for a strong strategic thinker who possesses a keen understanding of communication dynamics and a knack for creative storytelling. Responsibilities encompass more than just disseminating information; but entail curating experiences that captivate, educate, mobilise and keep stakeholders informed. Through strategic planning, the Officer ensures that messaging is coherent, consistent, and aligned with the project’s and SHA’s overarching objectives. In broad terms, the job holder will ensure the project is given enough visibility, provide technical support in developing and implementing communication strategies and knowledge management in Sokoto and Zamfara states.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Communication and Knowledge Management
- Develop and implement comprehensive communications strategies and plans to effectively communicate the objectives, activities, and impact of the Youth in Work Project.
- Coordinate with project teams to identify key messages, target audiences, and communication channels for project dissemination.
- Produce behaviour Change Communications strategy in line with project objectives in collaboration with project implementation team.
- In collaboration with Senior Communication and knowledge management officer, Synthesizing initiatives’ achievements and develop strategic documents such as issue briefs and wide range of communications materials, including press releases, articles, blog posts, social media content, newsletters, reports, presentations, and audio-visual materials in line with SHA and donor requirements.
- Support in developing communications materials such as compelling stories, success stories, case studies, and testimonials to showcase the project’s achievements, lessons learned, and best practices for donor from information and data provided by project staff such as reports, summaries, presentations, and verbal inputs.
- Facilitate knowledge management in line with donor and SHA requirements.
Media Relations and External, Digital and Social Media Communications Management:
- Coordinate media relations activities, including developing media outreach strategies, pitching stories to journalists, organizing press briefings, and responding to media inquiries.
- Cultivate relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers to generate positive media coverage and enhance the project’s visibility.
- Manage the project’s online presence and social media platforms, including website content management, social media posting, engagement, and analytics tracking.
- Create engaging social media content, including graphics, videos, and infographics, to amplify project messaging and reach a broader audience
Collaboration, Stakeholder Engagement and Event Management:
- Organize and facilitate stakeholder engagement events, workshops, conferences, and webinars to promote dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among key stakeholders.
- Support the planning, coordination, and logistics of communication-related events and activities, including venue booking, participant coordination, and materials preparation.
- Collaborate closely with project staff, partners, and stakeholders to ensure alignment of communications activities with project goals, objectives, and messaging.
- Provide communications support and guidance to project teams, partners, and beneficiaries to ensure consistent and effective messaging.
Transparency, Compliance and safeguarding
- Employ the highest standards of openness, transparency and accountability to ensure good financial management in line with SHA’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud, bribery and corruption.
- Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding, protection, gender mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable population including people with disabilities.
- Provide support to establish feedback, complaints and response mechanism across communities of implementation to ensure programmatic and operational decisions are informed by local perspectives and priorities and contribute to the protection of program participants at all levels.
- Any other responsibility that may be assigned by the project team.
Key Relationships:
Internal: Global Enterprise Advisor, Programme, Monitoring Evaluation Accountability & Learning, Finance & Admin, Operations & Procurement and Communications Teams.
External: WFP and MCF, media and communications Teams, Public and Private TV, Radio Stations and Newspapers, National and subnational Media Networks.
Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements
Qualifications and Experience:
- University Degree in Mass Communication, Public Relation, Journalism or relevant Social Science, or related fields.
- Minimum of 4 years’ experience in designing and executing communication strategies and knowledge management.
- High level of computer literacy with a solid command of Microsoft Office suite
- Strong experience in the use of technology and social media to advance communication.
- Elaborate experience working with international organisation on similar roles.
- Significant experience working on a programme/project support role.
- Experience in preparing reports and case studies.
Experience and Skills:
- Excellent communication and negotiation abilities for engaging with diverse stakeholders.
- Excellent planning, coordination, and prioritisation skills.
- Strong facilitation, diplomatic and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent computer knowledge with command on MS Office and graphic design suites.
- A proactive approach to problem-solving.
- Knowledge and experience of using Adobe In-design and Photo-shop, or other design software used to produce and lay out publications and other communication materials would be useful.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team setting.
- Excellent command of the English and Hausa languages, verbal, written communication, and editorial skills; with the ability to write tailored, effective content for specific audiences.
- Understanding of how media & social media can be used as an influencing tool – whether to encourage participants and engagement or influence decision makers.
- Experience of liaising with journalists.
- Excellent organisation and time management skills. Able to prioritize workload and work well under pressure.
Desirable
- Gender and intercultural sensitivity
- Positive outlook and team spirit
- Adaptable and responsive disposition relative to the demands of the Project.
Language Requirements:
Excellent written and oral proficiency in English and Hausa language is required.
Application Procedure:
The full job description can be downloaded here.
Fill and send the attached Self Help Africa application form and also send your cover letter and CV in a single document (of not more than 6 pages) to the following link.
Email title must be the same as the position you are applying for and the location of the position.
In the cover letter, please ensure to explain the following:
- Why you are applying for the position.
- How do your skills and experiences meet the job’s specification
- When will you be able to take up the position if successful.
The deadline for this application is 22nd January, 2025 at 5pm. You are advised to apply early, as applications will be treated on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign our Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS vetting.
Self Help Africa strives to be an equal opportunity employer.
