Terre des Hommes Netherlands is looking for a full time Senior Regional Communication Officer to join the team at the regional office East Africa & Madagascar. The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel within the region. This is a national position, open to applicants who can prove the right to live and work in Kenya. Initial contract period will be for one year.
Who we are
Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH-NL) prevents child exploitation in developing countries, rescues children from exploitative situations and ensures that these children can continue their development in a safe environment. Terre des Hommes is a rights based organisation. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the cornerstone of all our programmes. Our work aims equally to contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goals 5, 8, 16 and 17.
What we do
Terre des Hommes Netherlands focuses its long-term development work on tackling issues of Child Exploitation which includes, but is not limited to, addressing the (Worst Forms of) Child Labour, unsafe Child Migration and Child Trafficking, (Commercial) Sexual Exploitation of Children and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Children (including Child Abuse and Child Marriage) and on Child Protection in Humanitarian Crises. For each of these forms of child exploitation, Terre des Hommes Netherlands develops and implements programmes, through local partner organisations while at the same time, building and providing technical capacity to partners in child protection, with a special focus on the TdH-NL’s thematic areas. In Africa, Terre des Hommes Netherlands implements its structural aid programme in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar and Ethiopia.
Our Strategy and Approach
The new global strategy of Terre des Hommes Netherlands that is being rolled out from 2021 to 2025 aims at exposing hidden and unexposed forms of Child Exploitation, so that children can be children. TdH-NL will act as a catalyst for systemic change in child exploitation using technology and innovation as means to achieve our goals. Exposing injustices against children, designing ways to tackle them and making those who are positioned to do so take action accordingly, is our main focus over the coming years. Both our development (structural aid) and humanitarian assistance programmes will be adopting this new strategic approach.
Our new framework is based on exploring, uncovering, exposing Child Exploitation issues and coordinating action with others including donors, partners and children. We will identify these issues wherever they arise and are not limited by geography or location. Our focus and attention will be based on criteria including the severity of the problem, the number of children affected and where we can make the most difference.
To provide evidence for our systemic change, we will select intervention partners who may choose to work on the five (5P’s) approaches of prevention, prosecution, promotion, provision and partnership & participation. Ultimately, our aim is to ensure lasting positive impact on large numbers of children, and in a sustained manner.
Objective of the function
The Senior Regional Communication Officer is responsible for developing, realising, and implementing the marketing, positioning and communication policies of the organisation and for giving advice to management and other employees regarding marketing and internal and external communication.
The desired positioning of the organisation with its different target groups is central to this function. To this end, internal and external marketing and communication activities are developed and executed to give shape to marketing and communication policies and to support fundraising activities.
Position in the organisation
The Senior Regional Communication Officer reports to the Head of Region in Africa and provides functional guidance in applicable cases to the communication teams, where available, in the region. The internal and external marketing and communication activities are developed and executed to give shape to marketing and communication policies and to support fundraising activities. This is done in close cooperation with the regional and country teams and functional or thematic experts from the Head Office. The function of Senior Regional Communication Officer contributes to the positioning of the organisation, by developing, realising, and implementing the marketing and communication policies.
Main duties and responsibilities
1. Prepare policies
- Follows developments in the area of marketing and communication and advises management on the policy to be pursued.
- Develops marketing and communication policies in close coordination with management.
- Evaluates the implemented policies and makes proposals for improvement.
Result: Policy has been prepared in such a way as to contribute to the ability to formulate clear and concrete marketing and communication objectives.
2. Realise and coordinate policy implementation
- After establishing marketing and communication policies, translates policy intentions into a work plan including budget and concrete marketing and communication activities.
- Develops and implements activities in the field of marketing and communication.
- Signals bottlenecks regarding the realisation of marketing and communication policies in relation to organisational policy and takes initiatives that lead to improvements.
- Watches over compliance to budget, signals threatening shortages and acts if necessary.
- Coordinates all marketing related communication and publication activities between the region and the head office, internally within the region, to external parties in the region and to other regions.
Result: Policy execution has been realised and coordinated in such a way that a contribution has been made to the achievement of marketing and communication objectives.
3. Provide advice
- Leads and provides advice on all communication and publication processes including establishing and maintaining contacts with the media, various organisations and institutions, and coordinating with colleagues and project partners.
- Establishes the strategy for particular campaigns both at the regional and country levels in coordination with the country and regional team.
- Assists in guiding project partners and gives capacity building training in the field of communication.
- Designs, develops and implements promotional tools, publication materials (on and offline) and strategic events to communicate Terre des Hommes Netherlands’ work in the region.
- Organise programme/project events in order to market the work of Terre des Hommes Netherlands and position the organisation for networking and fundraising.
Result: Advice has been given in such a way that all relevant involved parties have timely been provided with the correct information about marketing and internal and external communication.
4. Perform practical work activities
- (Co-)Establishes the to be reached target group and develops communication means for reaching this group.
- Prepares (project) communication and marketing plans, executes them and evaluates them.
- Prepares and edits annual reports and policy plans.
- Takes care of preparing procedures and protocols around (crisis) communication and social media.
- Safeguards and designs the corporate design (house style) of the organisation.
- Thoroughly identifies and develops articles/stories from the field for various target audiences.
- Produces and maintains the creative contents of the Terre des Hommes Netherlands’ website with the main focus on impacts and analysis in coordination with the head office.
- Ensures regional social media presence which includes producing creative and adequate contents, maintaining the two-way dialogue, boosting and monitoring the performance; in close cooperation with the communication focal points for each country.
- Takes responsibility for compliance with communication requirements by (major) external donors, from appropriate branding to developing and co-implementing programme specific communication plans.
- Provides timely and complete input to the marketing and communication department of the head office; content for project newsletters (donor reporting), news gathering at the regional level, content for the global annual report and quarterly reports and other marketing and communication input as required and requested.
- Maintains contacts with external suppliers (designers, printers, etc.) and provides assignments within guidelines and agreements.
Result: Practical work activities have been done timely, correctly and in accordance with agreements made.
5. Support development and implementation of programmes and projects
- In line with the new global strategy and country plans contribute to the realisation of programmes and projects in East Africa
- Contribute to definition of signature models, projects and approaches
- Support fundraising and project development efforts on programmes and projects
Perform any other duties as relevant for the Africa region programme as assigned and as can reasonably be expected from the position.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communication. Masters degree level will be an added advantage.
- Minimum of 5 years in Marketing and Communication, with at least 2 years in a similar position in an INGO
- Knowledge of development cooperation
- Proven skills in development of a marketing and communication strategy
- Social skills for managing relationships with project partners, media and other partners
- Social skills for active participation in a team and for further improvement of team performance
- Verbal and written fluency in English and verbal capability in Kiswahili; a good command of French is an asset, but not a key requirement
- Strong interpersonal communication skills- written and orally
- Planning, organising, cooperation, performance oriented
- High degree of taking initiative and working independently
Competence Profile
A. Analytical capacity
Understanding the essence of complex issues by logical reasoning, investigation of potential causes, separation of key messages from the mass of detail and acknowledgment of their interdependence.
Level 2: Independently collects and examines information from diverse sources, consequently gaining insight and being able to establish causal links
B. Communication skills
The concise formulation of ideas and information, clearly and grammatically correct, in such a way that the message comes across and is understood by the target group.
Level 3: Communicates complexity clearly, aligned with contacts at various levels within and outside the organisation.
C. Creativity
Presenting original solutions and ideas for solving problems and/or improving existing approaches and ways of working.
Level 3: Encourages colleagues to think out of the box and to present new solutions
D. Customer focus
Anticipates and researches the expectations and requirements of the customer, connects with these and delivers added value.
Level 2: Delves into the customer’s issue, thinks along proactively with the customer and arrives at suitable solutions on his or her own initiative
How to apply
Please send your motivation letter and curriculum vitae by e-mail to: [email protected] clearly demonstrating how you meet the qualifications for this position, and expected remuneration no later than by Friday, 14th May 2021. For more information about this position, you can contact us through the same email address.
The selection procedure will also include an assessment test, and checking of recent professional references.
Please note that this is a national position. Applicants must be able to provide proof of the right to live and work in Kenya.
Kindly also note that due to the expected large responses only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
More Information
- Job City Nairobi
