ROLE PURPOSE: 

USAID/LEGO Foundation Childhood Development Activity (previously known as Early Childhood Care and Education in Emergencies (ECCE) Activity) seeks to improve early learning and holistic development outcomes for preschool-aged children in emergency contexts. The main objective is to increase opportunities for preschool aged young children (ages 4-6+), prioritizing those affected by crisis and conflict including refugees and IDPs, to participate in quality play-based, pre-primary programming that increases their overall well-being and improves their early learning outcomes and holistic development skills.

Save the Children is seeking a Senior Communications Manager who will communicate the results (achievements, challenges and lessons learnt) of implementing, monitoring and evaluating the project to USAID, LEGO Foundation, Save the Children, Government of Ethiopia (at both national and sub-national levels), local implementing partners, internal stakeholders, and to all other relevant stakeholders in a succinct and compelling manner.

The Senior Communications Manager will lead the production and dissemination of high quality project reports and facilitate the translation and communication of selected project documents to USAID, LEGO Foundation, Save the Children and the Ministry of Education. He or she will contribute to the development of a multi-channel social behaviour change communications (SBCC) campaign aimed at encouraging the enrolment and re-integration of Ethiopian children into the formal education system through play-based approaches; he or she will play an active role in mobilization and enrolment drives to change the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents, caregivers and other school and community members to better enable them to effectively support their children’s early childhood education.

The Senior Communications Manager is responsible for developing and executing the overall communications function of the Childhood Development Activity. The role holder will work closely with the Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media (ACCM) team to advance the Communications objectives of the Childhood Development Activity including the production of a communication strategy, high quality reports and relevant communications products.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Development and implementation of the project’s communications strategy

• Work with the key CO, project staff and others to develop a fit-for-purpose communications strategy and guidelines

• Develop a specific, time-bound plan for the implementation of the communications strategy

• Plan and manage the design, content, and production of all communications products

• Monitor the progress of the implementation of the communications strategies and adapt it to new opportunities

Coordination and development of reports and communications products

• Oversee the timely production of high quality project reports: monthly for the CO, quarterly and annual for USAID, LEGO Foundation and Save the Children

• Work with the CO ACCM team to produce project briefs, promotional materials, communications products, and local media engagement such as radio programs

• Engage with key Activity stakeholders to broadcast literacy-focused radio content and other forms of communication

• Strengthen the Activity’s SBCC strategy in collaboration with project staff and partners to ensure gender-transformative, inclusive, positive ECCE messaging working closely with the ACCM team to plan and coordinate a social mobilization campaign, activating partnerships at community, Kebele, Woreda and national levels to build support for early childhood education and development

• Manage the content and layout of the (CO/project) website to ensure of availability of resource materials, support the coordination of events and related advocacy activities; ensure news items and information about events are regularly disseminated to stakeholders

• Oversee and contribute to the drafting and publication of project communication materials, all project capacity building materials and training events

• Oversee the development of promotional materials, and strategic mass media approaches such as media releases, site visits, videos, websites, radio programs, social media and tweets, and other similar promotional opportunities

• Manage the publication and sharing of resource materials on relevant platforms

• Support the coordination of events (such as kick-off meetings/project launch) and workshops; ensure news items and information about events are regularly disseminated to stakeholders

• Support the CoP and other project staff in writing up minutes of the Project Steering Committee as well as important meetings with donors, Government of Ethiopia, Local Education Group, local implementing partners, and meetings with other high level stakeholders

• Facilitate the translation and communication of selected project documents to USAID, LEGO Foundation, Save the Children and the Ministry of Education into Amharic and selected local languages

• Ensure appropriate communications materials are communicated through appropriate channels including messages to staff, the web-site,project briefs, and other channels

• Ensure that cross cutting themes like child participation, gender, disability are mainstreamed in all media and communications work

Media Engagement:

• Ensure that all media messages and engagements for the Childhood Development Activity are developed to the highest level of quality and timeliness and then approved by both the Chief of Party and the ACCM Director

• Proactively identify media topics, prepare media messages, assess appropriate media channels including social media for communicating those messages and facilitate the process of disseminating/communicating those messages

• Establish proactive and strategic relationship with media houses that can help in advancing the objectives and agenda of the Childhood Development Activity in Ethiopia

• Ensure adequate budgeting and planning for external events

Capacity building

• Identify communications capacity gaps and work with the Chief of Party and the ACCM team to build the capacity of the program staff and partners, including local implementing partners, government counterparts to ensure improved partner capacity in communications over time

• Develop and implement communications capacity building plan in general with particular focus on identifying, planning and implementing communication initiatives, methods and skills of documenting and communicating lessons and good practices

• Build staff capacity in developing and implementing community level communication initiatives

• Provide orientation/training to program field staff from time to time. Identify learning and training opportunities for staff and work as a mentor and role model for staff.

• Ensure key staff have media training

Manage the USAID and LEGO Foundation Brands

• Manage the development and deployment of the USAID and LEGO Foundation brand, ensuring consistency and compliance with USAID and LEGO Foundation branding and marking guidelines

• Ensure that all project reports, event banners, project teaching and learning materials, project equipment and infrastructure are properly branded and marked as per the approved Branding and Marking plan

• Ensure that all documents and deliverables for an external audience are of good quality, and that all products are consistent with the Editorial Style Guide and other branding guidance

• Promote a common language across the organization to describe literacy needs and trends, and the Activity’s programmatic approach

 Facilitate cross-organization learning and sharing

• Coordinate with other SCI colleagues in Ethiopia in organizing content and speakers for webinars, ensuring cross representation and contributions

• Collaborate with partners and SCI colleagues in Ethiopia to ensure consistency of messaging and value addition across education and literacy campaigns

• Representation & Coordination

• Ensure that the project’s work is well-coordinated with other efforts of USAID and LEGO Foundation projects in Ethiopia, other agencies and Government, advocating for the specific needs of children enrolled in early childhood and development programs

• Work collaboratively with the ACCM team in promoting advocacy activities that support the project’s objectives.

• In collaboration with project and other SC colleagues, feed in learning, experiences and evidence to relevant advocacy objectives, and identify opportunities and material to contribute to communications and media work.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Support as necessary in the cleaning up of reports from project studies and evaluations; this includes undertaking final edits to reports of special studies and evaluations

• Document progress on achievement of targets, action plans and accountability mechanisms and provide feedback for improvements

• Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure that the use of MEAL findings inform program decision making and quality improvements

• Develop success or case stories and other related materials.

Child Safeguarding

• Understand the provisions of the Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct and Local/Country Procedures and conduct oneself in accordance with the rules of the Child Safeguarding Policy, in personal and professional lives – which includes reporting suspicions of child abuse.

• Ensure that all project activities carried out are considered in relation to prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and handling of serious complaints in line with the child safeguarding policy.

• Promote the message of child safeguarding to colleagues in other organizations and government ministries, children in their own and beneficiary families, and community members in general and be vigilant about observing possible child abuse/harm in their personal and professional lives.

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, communications guidelines, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

• Perform other duties, as assigned by Chief of Party

• Support and contribute to information and communication flows between emergency responses and humanitarian programming, and a variety of internal departments, teams, functions and external stakeholders (including situation reports, dashboards, and trackers).

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS 

• University degree in a relevant field such as Communications, Education, Development, International Relations, Journalism/mass communication, Literature, Social Sciences or equivalent experience;

• Master or postgraduate degree in communications and media preferred

• A minimum 10 years of proven experience of working in the role of Communications Manager or equivalent role.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Experience in reporting on program implementation and results, and writing project reports. Experience working in the field of education desirable.

• At least ten years of experience in leading communications and media work for a large organisation preferably NGO, and team mamagment experience 

• Experience of leading communication activities (including information provision), advocacy, journalism or protection in a challenging environment

• Experience in translating documents from English to Amharic and vice versa

• Demonstrable understanding of conflict-sensitivity and experience in conducting appropriate success stories/case study interviews with children and adults

• An initiative-taking, proactive, creative and inspiring attitude with the ability to manage and prioritise an unpredictable workload and solve problems quickly with limited support

• Excellent writer and editor, skilled at distilling large amounts of information for diverse audiences

• Excellent computer skills especially in web design, MS Excel spread sheets, SPSS, STATA and MS Word

• Able to work and adapt in a fast-paced environment

• Knowledge of and/or direct work experience in the non-profit sector

• Experience in developing and implementing communications and media  strategies

• Excellent representational skills with a proven track record of influencing key audiences

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, to analyze complex information and offer creative, practical and effective solutions

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English and Amharic; knowledge of additional local lanaguages desired

• Ability to produce high-quality communications products (including factsheets and briefing packages) and services under tight deadlines and communicate good practices for a wide range of different audiences including donors, journalists, and the general public

• Strong inter-organizational skills such as networking, negotiation and communication

• Commitment to humanitarian aims and principles, and to the mission of supporting vulnerable children

• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy

• Willing and able to travel time to support field teams as security permits

• Experience in ECCE programming is an added advantage

• Commitment to Save the Children International values.

How to Apply

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. 

Use the below link to apply:  HERE

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.