Strategic Communication & Partnerships Development Lead at Alan & Grant

Job Description

• The role will work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, & Learning Advisor and the Programme Manager.
• He/she will be in charge of overseeing all internal and external communications for the delivery unit, ensuring its message is accurate, consistent and engaging.
• He/she will also be responsible for planning, development and management of resource mobilisation activities to ensure that any funding gaps are filled.
• The role will require travel across Nigeria and potentially to a few international locations such as Brazil.

Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Communications:

• Develop and implement a communication strategy for the delivery unit and the achievement of the government agricultural priority programmes including a branding manual for programme materials
• Effectively manage media relationships acting as the first point of contact for interviews and media requests including drafting news releases and press lines and internal or external communication notes and managing clearance processes
• Coordinate as needed with other key communication functions of the Presidency and the Ministries of Agriculture and Communications
• Create graphics to communicate messages that inspire, inform and engage audiences across products including PPTs, fact sheets, case studies, success stories, brochures, profiles, and the preparation of talking points on the government agricultural priority programmes
• Develop social media content for platforms such as Programme website, Twitter and Facebook to provide project updates and engage a network of stakeholders
• Manage the process of developing and delivering contractual deliverables including quarterly and annual reports
• Collaborate with secretariat staff and provide communications support as needed

Partnerships Development / Resource mobilisation:

• Develop and implement a partnerships / resource mobilisation strategy for the secretariat and the government agricultural priority programmes
• Manage the resource mobilisation functions by monitoring and reporting on the Resource Mobilisation Strategy implementation which should include quarterly updates of funds mobilsed, pipeline funding, etc
• Conduct an environmental scan and provide donor intelligence (thematic orientations, modalities of engagement, entry points, forecasts etc.) to the Head of the unit and convert leads to funding
• Ensure good development partner stakeholder management
• Spearhead proposal development ensuring efficient coordination with teams and submission of high-quality grant proposals to support implementation of the two programmes
• Create and maintain a system for identification and response to calls for proposals
• Create and maintain a donor database that is aligned with the programmes of the secretariat

Requirements
Experience, Qualification and Skills:

• At least 8 years’ experience in roles that require strong management skills, political smartness strong relationship management, business acumen, pro-activeness, going the extra mile and strong team work
• Demonstrated engagement with diverse donors and development partners and experience developing competitive proposals and reports that unlock project funding
• Demonstrated creativity and productivity in resource mobilisation
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, networking and communication skills
• Excellent leadership, coordination and relationship building skills
• A University degree at a minimum of a Masters’ level
• In-depth knowledge and experience of Nigeria’s political and government system, ideally both at Federal and State levels
• Exceptional oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Evidence of maintaining effective professional networks of contacts
• Evidence of designing and delivering communications plans
• Effective inter-personal and leadership skills with an ability to develop and foster relationships across a wide range of diverse and senior stakeholders
• Ability to operate and succeed in a highly political environment;
• Strong analytical and management skills, including sound knowledge of strategic planning and project management tools;
• Self-starter, motivated and proactive with solutions
• A decent understanding of how governments, businesses and international development organisations operate and how to succeed in them
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office products Word, Excel and PPT and other relevant  software and tools.