Communications Officer 65 views0 applications

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide. International IDEA’s mission is to support sustainable democratic change by providing comparative knowledge, and assisting in democratic reform, and influencing policies and politics

Sierra Leone will hold its fifth consecutive democratic elections since the end of the civil war, in June 2023. International IDEA is designing a 3-year donor funded programme to support the electoral process in Sierra Leone. The project aims to support democracy institutions and civil society (including the media) in Sierra Leone towards the credible and peaceful conduct of the 2023 elections and provide support to reform processes in the years after the elections to contribute to further consolidation of democratic gains in Sierra Leone’s transition trajectory. This vacancy is advertised contingent on availability of funds for the project.

The programme will support the active and inclusive participation of traditionally marginalised persons in electoral and political processes; strengthen the capacity of the election management bodies (EMBs) in Sierra Leone to conduct credible and inclusive elections in 2023 and beyond; improve the capacity of the EMBs and relevant civil society organisations capacities to contribute to resolving election disputes; and enhance stakeholder capacity for electoral and legal reforms beyond 2023.

Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone*, International IDEA seeks to appoint:*

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Working closely with the AWA Regional Communications Officer, the incumbent will contribute to all public information activities of the programme, including through print, digital and broadcast media; and will act as liaison for the programme’s implementing partners in all matters related to public communication and visibility. These tasks require interfacing with multiple partners to gather information, prioritizing content, and staying ahead of news and events. The Communications Officer handles writing, editing and targeting dissemination for the promotion of the programme’s events and results. The Communications Officer will ensure results are in line with International IDEA’s and the donor’s communications strategies. The Communications Officer provides support in accordance with the Programme’s needs and requirements.

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Leading the development of the Sierra Leone country programme’s communication and visibility strategy and plan in line with International IDEA and the donor’s communication policies and procedures, with guidance from the Communication team at the International IDEA headquarters
• Familiarizing country programme staff with International IDEA’s institutional communication policies and procedures communication and visibility policies and procedures and the donor’s communication and visibility strategy and plan and ensures that the programme communicates accordingly
• Providing communication and media support to the International IDEA office in Sierra Leone, and to all partners within the Programme
• Regularly coordinating and hosting communications meetings with the focal points of all project partners to stay well-informed about planned activities, upcoming events and campaigns, and provide guidance and support
• Coordinating inputs from programme partners, and uploading content generated by the programme to the relevant communication forums
• Serving as a content editor; writing and editing web articles, tweets, social media posts, press releases and other outreach content as necessary
• Maintaining the programme’s social media platforms
• Responding to media/press inquiries and pitches Op-Eds and stories to media for placement
• Undertaking regular media monitoring (on social and traditional media) for coverage of and reference to programme activities
• Contributing to and regularly updating the programme’s press list
• Coordinating the timely content development of a monthly newsletter with programme colleagues and managing an editorial calendar for the proposed content and themes
• Creating clear infographics and digital assets for use online and in presentations; handing digital art manipulation
• Providing content for the donor’s public communication channels in close coordination with the communication desk officer at the donor’s office and ensures adequate visibility of the of the programme donor(s) throughout all programme communication activities.
• Reviewing and updating the programme’s social media guidelines as needed
• Monitoring and reporting on results, impact and analytics
• Generating monthly and quarterly analytics reports, as appropriate, for all social media platforms and for the newsletter

The Communications Officer must possess and be able to demonstrate:

• University degree in communications, journalism, international relations or other relevant disciplines
• Minimum of three (3) years professional experience in a similar role, or as a writer in communications for development, preferably within donor-funded programmes; experience working on EU-funded projects would be considered an asset
• Experience in communications strategy development and implementation
• Demonstrated experience in creating and maintaining social media campaigns
• Strong graphic design skills and ability to use all related Adobe tools
• Knowledge of social media tools, Google Analytics, and content management systems including Drupal
• Experience of working in an international context, e.g., in an intergovernmental organization, considered an advantage
• Proven experience in producing and writing material for online dissemination, including for social media channels and a range of traditional media
• Proficiency in using Drupal, style sheets, Microsoft Office, media monitoring tools, Google Analytics, and Adobe tools (especially InDesign and Photoshop), as well as multimedia software would be considered an asset
• Excellent knowledge of national, media, the social media landscape and familiarity with international, mainstream, and specialized media channels
• Fluency in written and oral English and Creole/Krio is required

Duration: Fixed term appointment with a maximum duration of 21 months or until the project end date of 30 November 2024 (whichever comes first)

Please note as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station. This position is open to those legally authorized to live and work in Sierra Leone for the duration of the contract. International IDEA is not able to support work permit applications.

View the full job description and application instructions on the Vacancies page and email your application by Thursday 05th January 2023 to [email protected]