Communications Advisor at Mercy Corps

Reference Number: ABV/DEVPRGGM/2018/00005
Salary Level: Level 6

Program / Department Summary

• The Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) is an initiative to improve learning outcomes and the economic status of marginalized adolescent girls aged 16-19 in the Northern Nigerian states of Kano and Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the metropolis of Lagos, Nigeria.
• ENGINE through funding from the UK Department for International Development’s Girls Education Challenge, the Coca-Cola Company and other stakeholders supported over 18,000 marginalized girls to reduce education and financial barriers in its first implementation phase.
• In its second phase, ENGINE II will facilitate transition of these girls into functional literacy, numeracy and scale up their business opportunities and linkages.
• ENGINE II will further increase girls’ and young women’s access to (1) financial education and life skills; (2) peer to peer networks and mentoring; and (3) direct assets (materials and savings). Beneficiaries will be integrated into value chains as well as conduct other market-driven employment opportunities.
• ENGINE II will also work with girls in formal and informal education to increase their learning opportunities and outcomes to prepare them for future economic activities and work in the policy environment to provide an enabling environment for girls to flourish in their chosen pathways.
• Mercy Corps Nigeria is leading the implementation of ENGINE II programme with new and innovative solutions to scale up existing interventions to deliver quality education and skills to the hardest to reach girls.
• Mercy Corps will collaborate with other stakeholders at the state and federal level for the implementation of the ENGINE II programme, including the Nigerian Ministry of Education, Central Bank, National Youth Service Corps and as well as private sector actors.
  
• General Position Summary
• The Communications Advisor will work with the Senior Manager for Knowledge Management to provide leadership in all aspects of information management.
• S/he will implement the communication strategy for the ENGINE II programme including developing BCC/IEC materials, newsletters, documentary scripts and footages, advocacy guides, and other messaging required for various phases of the programme.
• The Communications Advisor will coordinate closely with the Senior Manager, Knowledge Management, Deputy Project Director, Policy and Governance Manager, MEL Advisor and other MEL team members to plan and implement activities that ensure adherence to Mercy Corps’ and DFID standards, including the use dissemination of programme materials to different stakeholders.
• Throughout the life of the programme, s/he will be the leader responsible for a) cross-cutting programmatic information management within the framework of the programme; b) ensuring that information is shared and used for continuous improvement of ongoing programmes.
• S/he will have responsibility for leading the development of high quality reports and success stories for dissemination and documentation.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organising actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programmes and convince stakeholders to provide support.

Communication and Capacity Building:

• Lead in the preparation of high-quality one-pagers, brochures, donor updates such as monthly, quarterly and annual reports.
• Coordinate internal and external reviews of information collected.
• Support the situation analysis of social, cultural, economic and political issues that influence the decision making of programme beneficiaries.
• Implement the SHEro approach on the ENGINEII programme – an in-depth community advocacy amongst various stakeholders within programme communities with the formation of male and female community groups and presentation of targeted messages aimed at behavioural change.
• Participate in field office and country programme planning and reviews to contribute to discussions on the underlying and contextual issues to be addressed by the ENGINE programme (e.g. policies, gender/children inequality and cultural/social behavior) to ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of programme results and provide technical recommendations on approaches, strategies and plans of action for community advocacy to promote behavioral and social change
• Participate in communications-related working groups and maintain close working relationships with other communications counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, local NGOs, and associations in Nigeria.
• Actively participate in meetings and processes to promote effective programme management (through strong communication practices) across the entire country portfolio.
• Strengthen the capacity of staff of Mercy Corps Nigeria as well as staff of partners on the ENGINE programme and media personnel in theory and practical communication through comprehensive training and coaching.
• Prepare or provide quality assurance on materials and related documentations for community communication strategies, ensure optimum impact, scale, and sustainability of achievements/results.
• Utilise Mercy Corps’ global online information-sharing resources to enhance organisational learning.
• Proven experience in supporting teams link a project’s theory of change to develop communication objectives, plan, and coordinate its implementation.
• Collaborate with, advise and/or consult internal partners and external partners to design and implement communication strategies, including formulation, production and testing materials and/or organising community advocacy events and activities to ensure engagement and participation of key audiences, and maximum outreach and impact on behavioural and social change.
• Confirm/verify the technical quality, consistency and relevancy of communications strategies, including materials that are developed, produced and disseminated to target audience (e.g. individuals, communities, government officials, partners, media etc.). Recommend appropriate multiple media formats (e.g. print, digital/social media, TV/Radio, Web, community networks, etc.) and oversee the production and implementation of multi-media initiatives for compliance with targets and plans that integrate the latest evidence.
• Identify, establish and maintain active interaction/relations with media, academia and other strategic partners to communicate/advocate the competencies and achievements of ENGINE II and ensure their engagement, interests and support in promoting social/political engagement for political action on children's rights, and measurable changes in educational, social and behavioural outcomes for beneficiaries.

Team Management:

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Influence & Representation:

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organisational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organisational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organisations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Supervisory Responsibility
• Communications Officer
• Accountability
• Reports Directly To: Senior Manager, Knowledge Management
• Works Directly With: Senior Manager Knowledge Management, MEL team, Programme implementation team, Finance and compliance department and other relevant MC staff, members of MC’s global TSU and communication staff.

Knowledge and Experience

• Postgraduate degree in communication, international development, gender or any related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of Communication work experience in international development required; ideal candidate will have both theoretical and practical background in communications.
• Knowledge of programme development, implementation and reporting
• Experience supervising Communication teams and building team capacity to deliver high-quality results.
• Experience in training and mentoring media practitioners and journalists.
• Vast experience in producing films, documentaries, drama skits and other appropriate communication materials.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills, including experience with: communication software required for video and audio editing as well as desktop publishing.
• Familiarity and experience large-scale secondary education or school to work and especially targeting marginalised girls or young women programmes preferred.
• Experience interfacing with media, corporations and key stakeholders highly desired
• Fluency in written and verbal English required.

Success Factors

• The successful candidate will combine exceptional leadership, management and technical skills with a focus on innovative interventions to engage adolescent girls in informal education and skills building linked with private sector entrepreneurship and employment opportunities in a culturally and religiously conservative environment.
• S/he will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative and complex programmes within the current and future programme structure of Mercy Corps in the region.
• Multi-tasking, prioritising, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.
• The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.