Communication and Reporting Officer at COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale

Main Duties / Responsibilities
Under the general supervision and guidance of the Programme Coordinator or another designated staff, the Communications and Reporting Officer will be responsible for the following key duties:

Communication & visibility (60%):

• Develop, and maintain up-to-date communication and visibility plan in line with the corporate communications strategy and project requirements.
• Maintain and enhance the visibility and reputation of COOPI, and support fundraising activities, ensuring alignment with COOPI strategy.
• Plan, manage, and evaluate communications campaigns that favorably impact the views of the public, opinion leaders, and donors to raise COOPI’s profile and support fundraising activities
• Prepare contents that effectively convey the desired message to the targeted audience(s).
• Maintain a contact list of journalists/media outlets, and manage the regular flow of news/information about COOPI’s work to the media, ensuring reputational risks are identified & managed.
• Define a social media plan for the assigned area which leverages social media content, platforms, networks, and partners to enhance coverage and support of COOPI’s activities.
• Generate and/or facilitate the production of donor-specific visibility content including, text, photos, videos, and audio for use across a range of integrated online platforms, to support global and country fundraising activities, ensuring consistency with corporate messages.
• Track and analyze traditional & online media, to identify trends and/or issues, and propose solutions and ideas to improve the effectiveness of communication strategy and activities.
• Prepare accurate and timely reporting on communications activities that enable informed decision-making, evaluation of objectives, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Train COOPI staff on all aspects of external relations communication, providing advice, guidance, and training to ensure consistent, quality communications activities that deliver the desired impact.
• Work in close collaboration with counterparts to align activities and ensure a coherent approach to communications within COOPI.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of communications-specific risks.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of COOPI and donor policies, strategies, processes, and best practices on Communications and Public information-related issues to support program visibility, reporting and success stories.
• Conduct regular program field visits and/or exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support, take appropriate action to resolve issues, and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of COOPI and donor policies, strategies, processes, and best practices on Communications and Public information related issues to support program visibility, reporting and success stories.
• Treat beneficiaries with dignity and apply COOPI’s Code of Ethics and Conduct, the UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in the field, including sensitizing Field Monitors and vendors/agents on such principles.

Programmatic support (10%):

• Support program coordinator in organizing project review meetings and spreading information efficiently among the project team and administrative, HR, and logistic teams;
• Supports program coordinator in the follow-up of program review action points;
• Support project teams to regularly identify newsworthy stories for traditional and online media;

Reporting (20%):

• Together with MEAL manager and program coordinator, maintain an updated track and communicates upcoming reporting deadlines to the team, including organizing internal deadlines to ensure compliance with external requirements;
• Support in reviews, edits, and consolidation of project reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly and final)
• Works with the program coordinator, MEAL manager, and PMs to ensure reports comply with donor and internal policies;

Institutional representation (10%):

• Up on request from the program coordinator, represents COOPI at relevant meetings;
• Together with the head of mission and program coordinator, develop and maintain a strong working relationship with donors, and local stakeholder networks (INGO Forum, OCHA, sector working groups, local authorities, etc.).

Profile of the Candidate (Education, Training, Experience, Competences, Skills)
Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• University Degree in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications, or another relevant field with additional years of related work experience and/or specialized training/courses.

Experience:

• 3 years working in INGO, at least 1 year of which should be in communications and reporting.
• At least one year of professional experience as a journalist or communications/public information officer.
• Development of information strategies and programs;

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

• Sound theoretical understanding of Communications concepts and principles with a broad knowledge of best practices, techniques, and processes and specialized knowledge in a specific area;
• Knowledge of common business principles and processes and the ability to quickly assimilate COOPI and donors’ processes and systems;
• Ability to rapidly analyse and integrate diverse information.

Competencies:

• Good communication and negotiation skills with the ability to persuade, influence and adapt communication style to different situations and individuals;
• Excellent oral, editing, and writing skills.
• Well organized and detail-oriented;
• Ability to work independently and on a team with other Communications Officers and other units

Essential:

• Be professional, motivated, flexible, and culturally sensitive
• Be excellent in communication skills and proficient in report writing especially success stories.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office programming (Access, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Excellent communication, writing, and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to work in a team, and establish effective working relationships with people from different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and simultaneously manage multiple tasks in an autonomous manner.
• Previous work experience with INGOs and UN Organization is desirable.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of the local language (Hausa).
• Willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Previous experience in a similar position.