Title:                            Communications Manager

Location:                    Nairobi, Kenya

Grade:                         8

Monthly Gross:         KES 200,000

Supervisor:               Country Director, Kenya and Communications Manager, Headquarters Office

Supervision Given:  Officer, Communications

RefugePoint was founded in 2005 to provide lasting solutions for the world’s most vulnerable refugees. We work to fill the critical and unmet needs of people affected by war and conflict that have fallen through the net of humanitarian assistance, in particular women, children and urban refugees.

The Communications Manager will drive the overall Communication Strategy of RefugePoint while ensuring the use of consistent, accurate and professional communication to all stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Management

• The Nairobi Communications Manager will be responsible for carefully creating work plans and processes that help program staff to prioritize communications opportunities.
• Supervise the Communications Officer: The Nairobi Communications Manager will be responsible for managing the Communications Officer in the Nairobi office, as well as any additional Communication or Development related junior positions that may join the team as the organization grows.
• Review and approval of work plans for the communications team in Nairobi
• Create communications materials for public consumption that put Nairobi programs, staff, and clients at the forefront of messaging.

Partnerships

• Develop and strengthen links with local, regional and international media to promote the work of RefugePoint in Nairobi.
• Participate in inter-agency media and communication working groups to encourage information flow across agencies and to develop complementary media strategies;
• Work with Nairobi operational and programmatic staff on public information, media and communication issues.
• Inform the Country Directory and Senior Managers on media and communication issues/campaigns.
• Contribute to the design and prepare appropriate information campaigns for a variety of target groups.
• Oversee donor/stakeholder visits (create agendas, identify and oversee client visits, lead a debriefing following the visit, and update Boston staff on the visit).

Social Media Support

• Support the development and dissemination of communications and various media resources for crises in Nairobi, as needed.
• Draft social media communications (including but not limited to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the RP website) to increase awareness of RefugePoint’s work in Nairobi and to share this work and the experience of being in Nairobi with donors around the world.
• Coordination of story ideas as well as collection of communications materials.
• Liaise closely and consistently with RP staff to keep a constant update on activities, highlight progress, and contextualize challenges.

Events

• Participate in mission key events and workshops and undertake field duty travels as needed in order to acquire material, including photographs of work being undertaken by the field, that would promote RP with donors and governments.
• Recommend and organize outreach activities and assist the Country Director and Program Teams in carrying out initiatives to promote RP image and to increase the awareness of RP activities in the country.

Record keeping

• Help to build and maintain a library of program content.
• Assist the Programs team with regular reporting, infographics and situation reports.

Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Time commitments Requirements

• Participate in (at least) weekly team meetings with the Communications and Development team at HQ, as well as separate one-on-one meetings with HQ Communications and Development staff as needed. This role requires constant contact and interaction with the HQ office, and so arrangements must be accounted for in terms of scheduling (typically late afternoon calls) to coordinate with HQ office hours. The HQ culture is heavily email-dependent, and so this role will require careful attention to checking and responding to emails.

Person Specification:

Education

• Degree in Journalism, Mass Media Communications, Public Information or a related field from an accredited academic institution with four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience in international journalism, including coverage of international organizations;
• Excellent skills in writing, editing, and graphic design;
• Online communication and social media skills;
• High level of professionalism and ability to work under pressure and adhere to strict deadlines in a complex and fast-changing environment;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and gender sensitivity;
• Knowledge of international agencies like the UN an advantage;
• Experience working with refugee populations.
• Fluent in Swahili & English. Fluency in languages spoken by Nairobi’s refugee population would be an added advantage.

Special Requirements:

• Current Police Clearance Certificate.