Communications Specialist

ABOUT THE COMPANY

GIZ, the German Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, provides services in the field of international technical cooperation worldwide. In Kenya, it has been active since 1964, and up to now implements programs in a wide variety of areas, including economic development, green energy and water, governance, food security, and peace and security. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is GIZ’s main commissioning party. However, GIZ as well works closely with the private sector, fostering successful interaction between development policy and foreign trade.

JOB SUMMARY

A.   BackgroundThe ecosystems of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) are critical for the food security, employment and economic development of ten states in eastern and southern Africa – Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, Comoros, Réunion (France), Mauritius and Seychelles.  Some 60 million people rely directly or indirectly on this biodiversity hotspot for fishing, tourism, oil and gas, and other resources. However, population growth, increasing consumption, pollution and a diversity of human activities are threatening the region’s fragile coastal and marine ecosystems. Climate change impacts, including warming of the ocean and related acidification, and increased variability and intensity of weather events, are significantly exacerbating the decline in coastal and marine biodiversity. In 2019 the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned GIZ to implement the Western Indian Ocean Governance Initiative (WIOGI) in partnership with the Nairobi Convention – the Regional Seas Convention hosted by UNEP. The project supports the regional, national and local actors to collaborate more effectively for theprotection and sustainable use of marine and coastal diversity in the WIO. It focuses on three main components:Strengthening the capacities of local coastal communities to participate in ocean governance.Strengthening the capacities of the regional multi-stakeholder initiative (Our Blue Future)to strengthen local solutions for inclusive and sustainable blue economy. Improving local economic and social framework conditions for an inclusive and sustainableblue economy in Mozambique and Tanzania. WIOGI’s scope and scale is anticipated to be bolstered by a top-up of BMZ funding in 2024 and it is currently negotiating three separate EU co-financings. If successful, these will increase the project budget by 15 times, add new implementation countries and extend the projectduration to 2028-29.The multi-stakeholder nature, scope and scale of WIOGI’s interventions present a diversity of stakeholders to engage and partner with across the WIO region. This includes regional policy makers/influencers such as the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), private companies and associations, and coastal communities’ representatives, civil society organizations, international NGOs and development partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES

A.   Responsibilities The Communications and Events Specialist’s overarching responsibilities are:Manage the development and delivery of an effective programme-wide communication strategy for WIOGI, including country-components.Work with a diversity of communications professionals within partner organisations to oversee the development and implementation of the Our Blue Future Communications Strategy, including social media.Manage a communications budget, technically supervise staff and manage large communications consultancies to effectively deliver on the strategy.Provide regular strategic internal and external communications advice and technical backstopping to the WIOGI team in Kenya and in the implementation countries. Monitor and report on the impact of communications activities for WIOGI interventions.Develop and deliver relevant communications products in a timely fashion for target audiences using various channels including WIOGI related platforms and comms products.Collaborate and work closely with the GIZ Country Office and HQ to ensure communications efforts align with GIZ’s overall communication strategy and guidelines.Design, coordinate and follow up small to large internal and external events, including a regional political conference in 2025. B.   ProfileCharacterWe are seeking a highly motivated, dynamic, committed and proactive team player who has a proven track record of designing and executing creative and impactful communication strategies and events in the field of development cooperation and/or the non-profit sector. He/she should have excellent skills in self organisation, pay high attention to detail and excellent at managing complex processes. He/she should be very creative and passionate about using communications and events asa vehicle for societal change, especially in the field of the natural environment. He/she should possess exceptional storytelling skills that bridge complex issues to inspire and inform non-technical audiences from politicians and corporate executives to foreign donors to grass roots communities across a diversity of cultural settings. EducationDegree in Communications, Journalism, Media or a related field. Higher degree is preferred. Professional experienceAt least 8 years’ professional experience in communications (priority) and event management (secondary) in large, complex programmes/organisations, primarily for the non-profit sector. This should include a proven track record in:developing and delivering communication strategies and campaigns.brand development and management.content creation, storytelling.multi-media and social media management.managing large consultancy contracts.monitoring the uptake and impact of communications.professional writing, editing and proofreading.website design and management.event design, organisation, coordination and follow up.Other attributesHighly proficient in journalistic-style written English. Proficiency in Kiswahili, French or Portuguese would be an advantage.Highly organized, with excellent planning and time management abilities.Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in teams – both physically and remotely.High proficiency at multi-tasking and supporting others to multi-task.High digital literacy, especially in web editing software and MS programmes.Demonstrated effectiveness in decision-making and problem-solving. What do we offer?  An interesting and challenging post in a GermanGovernment owned company, which operates internationally A working environment in the spirit ofintellectual openness A contract in line with local Kenyan legal conditions with a long-term option, competitive compensation, and generoussocial benefits   C.   Duration of Assignment24 months from 01.10.2024, with high possibility of extension. Located in Nairobi, with travel to the region and internationally.  D.   Duty locationThe duty location is Nairobi.  E.    Submission of ApplicationVacancy Reference Number:     GIZ/ARD/01/07/2024 GIZ is an equal opportunity employer.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. GIZ promotes Gender Diversity – Applications from women professionals are encouraged. Disclaimer: As per GIZ’s data confidentiality policy, candidate’s application is stored in our database for 6 (six) months and is deleted thereafter.  

REQUIRED SKILLS

Storytelling, Multimedia, Stakeholder communication, Written communication, Corporate communications, Digital content development and editing (social media, blogs, etc.)

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree