Communication Manager at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps Nigeria was established in 2012 to respond primarily to growing humanitarian needs in the Northeast. With a strong and growing team of over 200 staff, Mercy Corps is currently serving over 600,000 beneficiaries across the country with programming in Lagos in the South; Kaduna, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau in the Middle Belt; Kano, Yobe and Borno in the North. Programs include girls’ education and financial inclusion, community peacebuilding, market-based livelihoods and a multi-sector humanitarian response that has a strong emphasis on WASH, Shelter, Cash and Protection. With the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient and secure, Mercy Corps Nigeria focuses on the root causes of conflict, governance, humanitarian response, and market systems development.
• Working with a diverse funding base that includes the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UK Department for International Development (DFID), United Nations (UN), European Commission (EC), and several foundations, Mercy Corps empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. In 2019, Mercy Corps was awarded a five-year, $30 million USAID-funded Rural Resilience Activity in Nigeria’s northeastern states. The purpose of the Rural Resilience Activity is to sustainably move people out of chronic vulnerability and poverty. The Rural Resilience activity will enable individuals and communities to engage in strong and sustainable market systems rather than continuing to rely on humanitarian assistance and faltering with each new shock.
• The Rural Resilience Activity is a five-year, $30 million USAID-funded Program in Nigeria’s northeast. The purpose of the Rural Resilience Activity is to sustainably move people out of chronic vulnerability and poverty. The Rural Resilience activity will enable individuals and communities to engage in strong and sustainable market systems rather than continuing to rely on humanitarian assistance and faltering with each new shock. To achieve this purpose, the Activity will have four components and four cross-cutting elements:
  • Component 1: Provide up-to-date evidence for selection of market systems, livelihoods and employment opportunities that contribute to inclusive and resilient growth and improved nutrition.
  • Component 2: Stimulate market systems growth and diverse economic opportunities (Pull activities).
  • Component 3: Build capacity to take advantage of market systems opportunities (Push activities).
  • Component 4: Sequencing, layering, integrating (SLI), and collaborative learning to improve activity effectiveness, sustainability, and scale.

General Position Summary

• The Communication Manager will manage the overall communications needs of the Rural Resilience Activity, program including developing the Comms Strategy, SBC/IEC materials, fact-sheets, articles, videos and other messaging required for various interventions implemented on the program. Throughout the lifecycle of the program, s/he will responsible for a) cross-cutting programmatic information management within the framework of the program; b) ensuring that information is shared and used for continuous improvement of ongoing interventions.
• 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:

• Work closely with the Country Office Communication Team in the development of a communications and visibility plan for the program, and efficient documentation and implementation of relevant activities in adherence to Mercy Corps global standards and USAID requirements.
• Contribute to program and country team-building efforts and communications support for field teams.
• Work with the CLA/KM Advisor to develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
• Work with the Technology for Development Advisor to develop IEC materials that are appropriate for the various types of program participants.

Communication and Capacity Building:

• Supports program visibility and communication initiatives, ensuring that program communications activities meet donor communications and visibility guidelines.
• Travels to field locations to collect images, success stories based on program results, and other communications content to highlight programs successes, staff well-being, or any other topic as the need arises.
• Helps teams to plan and conduct effective dissemination of program materials to different stakeholders.
• Establishes a close working relationship with relevant media practitioners in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe states and at the national level and maintain a database of key media and public relations contacts.
• Helps identity team members capacity building needs and the implementation of communications capacity-building and learning activities.
• Facilitates communications capacity-building trainings/sessions for program team members and partner staff.
• Supports the planning and coordinating of communications training, workshops and other events, as the need arises.
• Maintains standards and best practices for all communications and related processes, updating the program shared drive, including contributions to the online Communications and Learning library in collaboration with the CLA Advisor.
• Develops and share content on Mercy Corps Global internal platforms (Workplace pages, The Hub and The Globe) and frequent updates to the country office communications for dissemination to Mercy Corps Nigeria external communications platforms.
• Works with all stakeholders to identify new communications vehicles and platforms to expand the Activity dissemination base.
• Builds strategic partnerships and maintains positive and effective communication with partners; plays a leading role in sustaining external relationships with partners.
• Maintains and enhances the visibility of the programme, identify and manage risks, strengthening the reputation of the Programme.
• Actively participate in meetings and processes to promote effective communication practices for the program and in support of the country portfolio.
• Ensures compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations, including security procedures and policies.
• Develops and oversees staff and partner capacity building strategy that promotes a culture of communications and learning.
• Builds the capacity of all relevant team members to develop and maintain an excellent learning system, including regular reflection and analysis of program monitoring data.
• Contributes to the knowledge management repository with best practices in communication and knowledge management and ensure that it is accessible to all staff and partners.
• Creates and sustains a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Information Management:

• Works with the program teams to adopt a holistic program-level Communications system.
• Provides guidance, recommendations, and leadership to ensure that the communications systems meet the needs of the Programs Manager and Country Leadership and help address shortfalls in Communications System that affect program implementation.
• Contributes to program design to ensure adherence to Mercy Corps’ resilience measurement and CLA best practices.
• Develops program and operational reporting templates that facilitate knowledge and information sharing.

Organizational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations 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.

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To: Chief of Party
• Works Directly With: Programs Staff, Country, Regional & HQ Communications Staff, HR, Operations, Finance (all offices)

Qualification, Knowledge and Experience

• Postgraduate degree in communication, international development, gender or any related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of Communication work experience in international development required; ideal candidate will have both theoretical and practical background in communications.
• Knowledge of program development, implementation and reporting.
• Experience in facilitation and building team capacity to deliver high-quality results.
• Vast experience in producing films, documentaries, digital content and other appropriate communications materials.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills, including experience with Adobe, WordPress, CorelDraw, Fireworks, Joomla, Flash CC and photo editing software.
• Experience interfacing with media, corporations and key stakeholders required.
• Fluency in written and verbal English required. Fluency in Hausa is desired.

Success Factors:

• 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. They demonstrate creativity and innovation, flexibility and adaptability to change maintaining work effectiveness in new 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.