Vacancy Announcement #122/2023

Communication Specialist

Energising Development (EnDev) / Climate Change Cluster

Contract duration: 31.12.2023

Application deadline: 14.07.2023

Duty station: Addis Ababa

As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development policy objectives.

In this regard, GIZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. In Ethiopia, GIZ has been working for more than 40 years in bilateral cooperation on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the commission of other international donors.

GIZ is implementing various energy projects in Ethiopia to support a sustainable supply of energy services. This is intended to contribute to Ethiopia’s national strategies (National Electrification Plan, Growth & Transformation Plan, Climate Resilient Green Economy).

Energising Development (EnDev) is an international flagship programme for providing energy access. 760 million people worldwide live without electricity and about 2.6 billion people lack access to clean cookstoves. EnDev focuses on providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy as a means to deliver social, economic, and environmental change in more than 20 countries worldwide. EnDev is currently financed by four donor countries – the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Switzerland with additional donors in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, Energising Development (EnDev) is implemented and coordinated by GIZ and supports sustainable energy access in two main components: Clean Cooking and Rural Electrification. Target groups are lower-income households, social institutions and small to medium sized enterprises, mostly in rural areas.

EnDev Ethiopia is currently looking for one qualified candidate to work as Communication Specialist for EnDev Programme. 

Job Purpose

To support the implementation of EnDev Ethiopia to effectively, monitor and evaluate the programme implementation and outputs, apply Results-Based Monitoring and other approaches to constantly improve programme results.

Responsibilities

•  Supporting the projects’ objectives by developing and implementing communication measures in close cooperation with partners and projects

• Developing a concept for the projects’ internal and external communications including the systematic planning of communication measures with partners (incl. defining target groups, drafting key messages, budgeting)

• Coordinating, implementing and monitoring communications work (e.g. effectiveness, content quality and quantity)

• Implementing EnDev’s Knowledge Management Strategy and lead knowledge management processes

• Coordinate with Project Components and M&E unit for all communication and knowledge management related topics

• Act as Gender Focal person for EnDev

• Carrying out routine field visits, capture EnDev’s work in the field and produce communication products

• Any other duties that may develop throughout the contract period and are assigned by the supervisor.

Tasks

As Communication Specialist of Energising Development, the Candidate will work in following areas:

Cooperation with communication unit (GIZ Office Ethiopia and GIZ HQ Germany)

• Following the guidelines and toolkits provided by the Communications Unit

• Adhering to contribute to the country-wide communication strategy

• Sending final version of communication products to the Communications Unit for quality check before mass production

• Addressing internal and external communication-related queries within the given deadlines

• Sending PR material samples (print/online) for GIZ Ethiopia archives and to GIZ Germany when necessary

• Participating and contributing to the Communications Network (Best practices, knowledge and information exchange, part of editorial team for country-providing information for internal media, etc)

• Preparing content for internal and external communication channels (websites, IDA, social media, etc)

• Providing material for the country photo archives

• Actively contributing to the project/communications folder on DMS

Coordination with external service providers at programme/ project level

• Liaising and coordinating with communication related service providers, including providing technical inputs and dealing with any required administrative procedures (e.g. consultants, agencies, photographers, trainers, writers)

• Undertaking quality assurance of their services

Media work at the programme/project level

• Coordinating projects’ press activities on site in cooperation with local partners and under guidance of the Communications & PR unit: 

• Addressing press queries in consultation with the project management and the Communication & PR Unit.

• Contribute to maintaining/updating a local press contact list, particularly for sector/regional contacts

• Drafting press releases (distribution via Communication & PR Unit)

• Collecting and preparing press kit for specific events

• Liaise with the national/regional partner’s press office for distribution of press releases via partners (incl. securing contact information of journalists GIZ press contact list)

• Coordinating/supporting press events/visits

• Press monitoring (collecting press clippings related to programme/project and compiling reports of event/news appearance) & submitting regularly to Comm Unit

• Providing support to the Communication Unit in drafting or preparing material for the Press Department in Headquarters/German Embassy

• Preparing content for external communication channels (websites, social media etc) and maintaining these channels

PR activities at program/project level

• Further developing appropriate communication instruments for PR work (e.g. brochure, flyers, factsheets, banners etc.) in line with the overall communication strategy and guidelines.

• Preparing/maintaining a standard presentation set for projects

• Developing (if applicable) corporate design and corporate wording standards for programme/project

• Contributing to GIZ Ethiopia/Djibouti core communication products (e.g. factsheets, website, project location map, success stories, etc)

• Quality check of communication materials

• Coordinating/drafting the update of the project section on the GIZ website regularly or upon request

• Providing support in organizing of different events

• Contribute to supporting for delegations and VIP visits

• Providing information/Supporting the update of partner-owned projects’ website

• Maintaining programme’s/project’s photo archives

Internal communication

• Actively contributing to generate content for internal communication channels or activities aiming to improve information exchange.

• Actively supporting information exchange and dialogue between different staff groups, including those outside the project team such as office staff, other projects, clusters etc

• Developing and implementing appropriate instruments for the programme’s/project’s internal communications (e.g. emails, internal events, meetings etc)

• Distributing key information and materials to programme/project staff

Gender

• Working as the Gender Focal Point for EnDev

• Contributing to Gender Working Group Ethiopia activities and events

• Supporting regular update of energy component of country level gender analysis

• Supporting gender mainstreaming of project activities in planning as per EnDev Gender Document

• Support conceptualization and implementation of gender related activities of energy cluster

• Monitoring gender elements from the projects and suggest gender points on reports and communication materials

Templates, guidelines, factsheets

• Developing, updating, and maintaining factsheets, templates, guidelines, & standard PowerPoint presentations

• Provides editorial support and supports data quality and consistency management Collates energy and policy news from various media sources and shares to staff in a summarised form monthly

• Developing a compiled list of various publications and sharing with EPE staff

• Develops and designs, writes articles, liaises with staffs to collect input, and edits staff team update newsletters

• Updating project information on digital media including EnDev and GIZ website

• Makes sure internal reports, minutes, presentations and similar knowledge management documents are timely collected and accessibly filed/uploaded

• Designs shared folder framework in line with GIZ folder guidelines and maintains user access right document

• Regularly documenting and managing EPE Digital Media including project files on the DMS, shared point, IDA & MS team

Support Monitoring and evaluation unit

• Work collaboratively with M&E team so that intervention outputs are properly captured and documented

• Regular review and revision of knowledge management related mechanisms (e.g., data and knowledge collection, processing, distribution)

• Shall monitor and evaluate the regular usage and ratings of the knowledge management tools & measures adopted and develops recommendations for change & improvement

Job Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communication, marketing, public relations, journalism or any related field

• Solid experience in communication in lieu of Bachelor degree in the relevant discipline may also be considered

Professional experience 

• Minimum five years of professional experience in similar or related position  

• Proven experience in content development, writing and editorial work

• Experience in working with international organisations will be advantageous 

• Good knowledge on gender concepts and gender-sensitive project implementation

• Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications strong analytical, research and documentation skills

• Conversant with virtual communication software as MS Teams and skype

• The ability to assimilate large amounts of information and present in an accessible manner

• Ability to apply good judgement in the context of assignments given, ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities

• Ability to work within a team; can work under pressure to meet deadlines

• Ability to see the broader picture and sector linkages, and Up-to-date with recent policy developments in both the energy sector and other sectors;

• Excellent conceptual, organizational, moderation, presentation and communication skills, and confidence to present the project, are vital for the position

• Fluent in English and Amharic and show competence in working in different and international teams

• Fluent in other languages (eg. German) is an added advantage

• Independent initiative and creative thinking to develop, optimize and present procedures;

• Willingness to frequently travel to other regions in Ethiopia.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates shall submit their motivation letter along with
their non-returnable recent CV via Email: hreth@giz.de

Note: 

Please make sure you mention the vacancy number and position ‘Communication Specialist #122/2023 in the subject line of your email application.

Due to the large number of applications, we categorize applications with vacancy numbers.

Applications without vacancy numbers in subject lines might not be categorized in the appropriate folder and could be disqualified.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We encourage persons with disabilities to apply for the position. In case of equal qualification, persons with disabilities will be given preference.

Applications from qualified women are encouraged.

“Please refer to our brochure to learn more about GIZ’s attractive benefit package.”