Communications Manager - Nigeria Integrated Health Program at Palladium Group

Requisition ID: req12667
Location: Abuja Country Office

Project Overview and Role

• USAID Nigeria IHP Project, a $225 Million USAID-funded contract implemented by Palladium, IHP is an integrated health program with an expanded effort with the Government of Nigeria (GON) to identify and support rapid scale-up of proven interventions through improvement of service delivery and strengthening of health systems.
• It will focus its support for service delivery in six intervention areas, family planning, malaria, routine immunization, nutrition, maternal/newborn health, and treatment of childhood pneumonia/diarrhea.  
• This program will work closely with state-level government officials to support established state-level Health and Development Plans, build capacity, and promote ownership of interventions, systems, and results.
• Specific interventions will need to be tailored to local contexts and will be fully developed at the state and Local Government Area (LGA) levels. Through agreements with individual states, the program’s potential breadth is the entire country with an emphasis on the north.
• The position is based in Abuja Country Office and reports directly to the IHP Chief of Party.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide dynamic leadership of IHP’s social media presence (Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Yammer) to ensure high and frequent visibility of USAID's brand and IHP’s work and achievements
• Lead the implementation of IHP’s communication’s plan, including the development and timely production and submission to USAID of high quality communications material, including success stories, nuggets, quarterly newsletter, powerpoint presentations, blogs, advocacy material, fact sheets, and technical briefs. On visits to health facilities and project events, identify and work with technical and MEL staff to develop success stories.
• Create and maintain a photo library of high-quality photos of IHP events and activities appropriately labeled with captions and organized by TO and thematic area. Take high quality photographs during IHP events and activities, and service delivery sites.
• Organize project events and initiatives, conference sessions and panels, and set up display exhibits at events.
• Ensure compliance across the entire IHP project with and implementation of the USAID approved IHP Marking and Branding Plan.
• Provide IHP media relations support.
• Support IHP events and initiatives.

Works closely with project leadership and relevant focal points to assist gathering information and creating engaging content for social media channels internally and externally and the website:

• Identify, develop, write/edit success stories and nuggets and submit to USAID on a weekly basis with high quality photos.
• Update social media and other communication channels internally and externally in a timely manner and keep them USAID brand-focused.
• Make IHP social media more interactive and responsive to queries about the project as appropriate. Manage 2-way interaction and feedback to social media audience;
• Analyze and report on IHP’s social media content and trends and ways of improving how the project can connect with various audiences;
• Assist with generation of inbound traffic on social media and measure results on a regular, and where needed, on a daily basis to drive audience engagement and content reach, measure leads, response rate and quality and feedback;
• Research, compile and produce reports on social media statistics on a regular basis and electronic surveys;
• Maintain files, databases, and systems relevant to the media presence;
• Track and monitor social media and report relevant information to management team;
• In collaboration with the ICT Specialist, design and create social media and other internal and external communications content (infographics, videos, GIFs, social media cards etc.).

Provide support to the development of communications and advocacy materials:

• Work with IHP teams and HQ to determine topics for video film production, and work with videographers/film makers to develop story boards and scripts that tell the IHP story of transformation, strengthened health systems and improved health outcomes.
• Coordinate/draft briefing materials, press releases, key messages, media advisories, human interest stories, articles, brochures, leaflets etc.;
• Adaptation/rewriting of information received
• Provide strategic guidance to enhance internal (Palladium) and external visibility of the IHP project.
• In collaboration with the ICT Specialist, provide graphic design support to create visual concepts and to enhance
• USAID branding at events, activities and health facility sites. Includes designs for print and electronic media including for social media, brochures, user interfaces, product labels, reports etc.;
• Provide expert advice to ensure quality durable printing of IHP technical documents, training material, job aids and dissemination of publications and audio-visual materials etc.;
• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a virtual warehouse and database of project deliverables, training material, tools, reference materials and photos;
• Prepare project updates for all company bulletins and newsletters.
• Update contact lists for donor and partner relations;
• Provide photography services during IHP events (workshops, training, service delivery sites) producing high quality photos that USAID can use in its publications, documents and websites.

Support to Events and Initiatives:

• Provide support for special events and initiatives per IHP project needs, including setting up and sitting at display exhibits.
• Support, organize and facilitate communications capacity building opportunities, trainings and workshops for IHP staff across and in each task order, for government counterparts and the media.
• Lead regular meetings and training of communications focal persons in each task order;
• Provide/ exchange information with the Mission, Palladium HQ, as well as local and global communication networks.
• Serves as a vibrant and proactive member of the IHP who can bring the IHP experiences and results to the limelight. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with equivalent of a Master’s or PhD in Communications, Journalism, Public Policy Communications or related field.
• 5+ years of proven successful experience working as a communications officer, technical editor and/or writer, preferably in the field of international development
• Knowledge and understanding of USAID programs, branding, communications style, and learning frameworks.
• Demonstrated leadership in communications, marketing, and/or public relations.
• Experience translating technical documentation into easy to digest content
• Demonstrated strength and experience writing project reports (progress updates, monthly, quarterly, annual), technical reports, and policy briefs
• Proven ability to lead the planning, coordination and execution of communications products
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and build consensus across diverse sets of stakeholders
• Experience in client relationship management, reporting, program work planning is preferred.
• Knowledgeable of international or national development, health systems and public health technical concepts
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced skills using the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) 
• Proven ability to effectively use and manage multiple social media platforms to enhance visibility of organizations and projects
• Ability to manage work and make decisions on their own, as well as with a team
• Effective organizational skills, including the ability to multi-task and work in a high-pressure environment
• Willingness to take on additional tasks, as requested.