Director, Communications

What You Will Do

• Utilize cross functional approach to align corporate and marketing messaging and engagement.
• Influence organization’s brand positioning and engagement through cross functional coordination and cooperation.
• Allocate importance to organization’s business wide content from time to time and derive maximum exposure from finite internal and external media space/platforms.
• Be the go–to person for the media and develop strong relationships with key Technology, Education, Development and Business media.
• Lead conceptualization and production of digital, media and other relevant content.
• Assist with strategic direction, and oversight for internal and external communications planning, digital and media management, media advocacy, specific issue and crisis management
• Develop strong cross functional relationships and influence in all external facing Departments/Groups to ensure consistency of communication and information.
• Co-own internal /external communication and engagement with critical stakeholders across the organization.
• Proactively identify critical opportunities to direct/own organization’s narrative thereby averting public relations crises and building goodwill for the organization.
• Suggest alteration of strategy and tactical actions when relevant.
• Maximize efficiency of Corporate Communications budgets and media influence.
• Adapt Organization’s shared services Corporate Communications Strategy to work effectively within local context.
• Develop and implement territory specific Corporate Communications Strategy in conjunction with Organization’s Shared Services Corporate Communications Strategy.
• Provide local context and input to the Shared Services team’s development of the overall organization’s Corporate Communication Strategy.
• Analyze and measure results of communications initiatives.

What You Should Have

• Masters' degree with superior academic performance.
• Experience in East Africa of working at a senior level for political, campaigning, non-profit, or social enterprise. Experience with a multinational organization is a plus.
• Experience working within a matrixed global organization.
• Experience developing communication for a campaign or movement, rather than a product.
• Experience developing and delivering comprehensive media strategies and complex media campaigns across a range of platforms for a range of audiences.
• High profile crisis communications experience.
• Experience successfully developing and managing effective working relationships with internal and external senior stakeholders including senior journalists, broadcasters and editors.
• Highly developed and proven creative skills to lead a significant communications team with flair, innovation and new ideas.
• Able to present in person, as an organization spokesperson, to large audiences in a highly engaging way.
• Highly developed verbal, written, and oral skills to promote and represent the organization.
• Experience of offering media advice and guidance to colleagues at a senior level.
• Experience building relationships and managing external partnerships from a communications perspective.
• Knowledge of national government issues related to the provision of primary education.
• Broad grasp of Kenya and Uganda media and political context and full understanding of all media disciplines and external media environment and experience in crisis communications.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills in a communications context.
• Experience of successfully managing budgets.
• Prior experience within a fast-paced, metric driven consulting or educational organization is a bonus.