East and Southern Africa Communications Officer 

Location: Nairobi, Kenya, Lusaka, Zambia or Johannesburg, South Africa*

*Candidates based in Johanessburg need demonstrable experience in Zambia, Malawi and other Southern African countries

The East and Southern Africa Communications officer will be part of the IDinsight Strategic Communications team. 

The strategic communications team has four main goals: 

1. Attract clients and funders: Broaden our pool of clients who have high-impact potential. Also, broaden and deepen relationships with funders to support our work. 
2. Influence and equip others: Influence social sector leaders to – be accountable and responsive to the people they serve; to continually learn and improve; to use data and evidence as a means to those ends.
3. Support projects: Contribute to IDinsight’s impact through direct project work and capacity building of team members.
4. Recruit and retain talent to deliver high-impact work and make IDinsight as effective as we can be. 

We achieve these goals by undertaking communications activities such as media outreach, external events, managing the IDinsight website and IDeas blog, generating social media content, graphic design, IDinsight newsletters, and leading IDinsight’s digital strategy.

We have a global team that supports IDinsight’s campaigns and brand-building efforts. Our regional communications officers work closely with our client-facing teammates and regional leaders to build IDinsight’s influence and presence where our offices are located. 

About IDinsight

We amplify social impact by partnering with leaders to develop tailored solutions. Our mission is to use data and evidence to help leaders combat poverty worldwide.

IDinsight is a mission-driven global advisory, data analytics, and research organization that helps global development leaders maximize their social impact. We tailor a wide range of data and evidence tools, including randomized evaluations and machine learning, to help decision-makers design effective programs and rigorously test what works to support communities. We work with governments, multilateral agencies, foundations, and innovative non-profit organizations in Asia and Africa. Our work spans a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, financial inclusion, and other areas.

We have expertise in a variety of rigorous approaches and methodologies, which we tailor to each client depending on their needs and constraints. To achieve a positive social impact we:

• Support clients’ use of data and evidence for routine and major decision-making.
• Inform funding decisions – toward high-impact initiatives and away from less effective programs or approaches.
• Create and share tools, knowledge, and ideas that expand the use of data and evidence for social good.

Our diverse, growing team of roughly 250 outstanding colleagues operates in nearly two dozen countries around the world.  Learn more about our mission and values at www.IDinsight.org. 

About the East and Southern Africa Communications Officer

IDinsight is seeking a mid-level communications professional with 4-7 years’ experience in strategic communications and/or policy advocacy to join our team, help amplify the impact of our work, and build our influence and visibility with key audiences in East and Southern Africa. The Officer will be based in Nairobi or Zambia and will support our teams in the region.

The Officer will work with regional project teams as well as regional leadership on strategic communications activities to amplify project impact and influence policymakers, research peers, philanthropies, NGOs, and others operating in the region. The Officer will be supported by a centralized Communications team including the Designer, Digital Officer, Strategic Communications Director, Sr. Manager, Sr. Associate, as well as consultants. The Officer will report to the Strategic Communications Director with a dotted line to the Regional Lead, with additional guidance from the Zambia Country Director. The Communications Officer will be part of the Communications team and will be the point person for communications in the region.

Responsibilities

1. Strategy and Execution:

• Drive the development and implementation of IDinsight’s communications and influence strategy in the East and Southern Africa region, identifying target audiences, key messages, tactics, approaches, and feedback mechanisms to measure progress towards goals, in close collaboration with the regional executive team.
• Handle external communications implementation including content development, building and maintaining partnerships or alliances, and supporting leaders on conferences and events.

2. Internal team support:

• Support regional project teams to strengthen deliverables for clients (NGO, government, and philanthropic leaders) to ensure high-quality products that clearly convey recommendations.
• Work with Regional Lead to leverage communications to develop and strengthen existing and new partner relationships; laying the groundwork for high-impact projects.

3. Communications and External Relations

• Identify and coordinate high-impact activities to raise the organization’s visibility and influence including media outreach, supporting conferences, events, roundtables, or other initiatives as aligned with the regional strategy and goals.
• With support from the Designer, Digital Associate, and consultants, produce high-quality, well-written, and visually appealing content to influence audiences: existing/potential clients; existing/potential employees; existing/potential funders; and peers. Content may include blogs, articles, infographics, policy briefs, videos, social media content, methodological tools, or interactive reports.
• Support Regional Lead and other senior leaders to raise their individual profiles and influence.

4. Professional Development

• Identify areas for professional development that enable individual growth and skills expansion. Officer will work with an Advisor to develop a personalized professional development plan.
• Actively contribute to refining the role of the communications team to optimize activities and achieve strategic objectives.

5. IDinsight perspective

• Work with the Communications Director and RED Director to identify communications goals and feedback loops to measure progress.
• Contribute to regional activities including strategy, team building, and other initiatives that create an enjoyable office and organizational culture.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a relevant field - including economics, econometrics, public policy, communications, or journalism. Master’s degree is a plus.
• Exceptional writing and editing abilities in English, with a passion for clarifying complex technical concepts.
• 4-7 years experience working with policymakers, NGOs, think tanks, research institutions, or strategic consulting.
• A strong design aesthetic and ability to identify ways to clearly convey information visually.
• Ability to both think strategically and to execute quickly with a bias towards “getting it done”. 
• Keen attention to detail.
• Strong storytelling skills with an ability to quickly identify a “hook” for different audiences.
• Experience developing or executing communications strategies to achieve influence or advocacy objectives.
• Experience working with technical experts (e.g. economists, academics, data scientists) is a plus.
• Experience with behavior-change communications is a plus.
• Comfortable working with a fast-paced, rapidly growing and evolving team.
• Experience working and/or living in East and/or Southern Africa, local language skills are a plus.
• Individuals with a policy background and work experience with actors in evidence generation are particularly encouraged to apply.

Professional Development

Skill and career development are core to IDinsight's values and long-term impact strategy, and have been noted highlights of teammates’ experiences. IDinsighters receive significant mentorship from IDinsight leadership, support from talented peers, and are given considerable autonomy when ready. They maintain professional development plans and are given "stretch" opportunities designed to strengthen a variety of skills. Real-time feedback is embedded in our culture and formal structure enables maximum professional growth. Additionally, teammates have access to an annual professional development stipend that they are encouraged to utilize to explore their career interests and develop their skills.

Location

This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, Lusaka, Zambia or Johannesburg, South Africa. This position is not eligible for remote work, or otherwise, from the United States. Preference will be given to those with pre-existing work authorization in these countries; however, IDInsight will seek work permits where possible for exceptional candidates. 

Start date

The start date of this position is flexible, with preference for candidates that can start immediately. We expect a 2-year minimum commitment, with regular professional development conversations and potential for a long-term career at IDinsight.

Work authorization

IDinsight is able to sponsor employment visas for all nationalities in these locations; however, we will prioritize candidates who do not require IDinsight to sponsor work authorization in the aforementioned countries. All candidates who are not currently located in our country offices listed above will be expected to relocate to their office locations at the onset of their employment. 

Compensation

Compensation and benefits are commensurate with the qualifications and experiences IDinsight is hiring for, and competitive within the global development sector. We are especially proud of the people-focused benefits we offer including comprehensive international health insurance, including mental health coverage; paid vacation, sick, and parental leave; relocation benefits; a travel stipend; technology and work from home stipends; a professional development budget; and more.

Please note, as a non-profit, we are unable to provide compensation similar to leading private sector organizations. 

How to apply

Please click the "Apply for this job online" button at the top right. Applications are due by July 28th, 2023. The application asks various questions in order for us to get to know you, and requires a CV and cover letter. 

Please ensure that your CV includes relevant professional and personal experience as well as details on academic qualifications. CVs can range from one to two pages. Please note, headshot photographs, parental details, birth dates, marital status and other personal information not relevant to the application do not need to be included in your CV. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to use your cover letter to highlight why you want to work for IDinsight specifically, and what has prepared you to succeed in the role you’re applying for. A customized cover letter is an important part of IDinsight’s recruiting process as it allows us to understand your motivations for the position, relevant skills, and clarity of writing.

More information, including details on IDinsight’s hiring process and frequently asked questions, can be found online at IDinsight Careers. Any questions should be directed to careers@IDinsight.org. 

IDinsight’s commitment to reducing power asymmetries

IDinsight is committed to reducing power asymmetries in the social sector. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion reflects our understanding of the need for the sector to abandon unhealthy practices of the past. We wish to be part of a new generation of international NGOs who are honest about this history and transparent about our role in the present. Our commitment is also aligned with the impact of our work. 

We seek a workforce that is inclusive of a variety of perspectives that will help us refine and improve our methods and relationships, and strengthen the services we provide our clients and their communities or constituencies. The following commitments represent our vision for the IDinsight team:

1. IDinsight will have greater representation from the populations with whom we work and clients we serve.
2. IDinsight will have greater representation from the countries in which we work.
3. Across all countries in which we recruit, we will seek greater representation from historically excluded communities.
4. IDinsight will foster an inclusive work culture that empowers a diverse team to do their best work.

IDinsight is committed to non-discrimination in our recruitment, employment practices, and organizational culture, regardless of people’s age, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable law.