Information Manager at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Institution: GIABA (ECOWAS)
Status: Permanent
Grade: P3/P4
Department: Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources
Directorate: Director-General
Division: Communication & Advocacy
Line Supervisor: Communication & Advocacy Officer

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Principal Officer, Communication & Advocacy, the incumbent shall manage and maintain the Information Centre. He/She shall also be responsible for managing sensitisation and public outreach activities in French and Portuguese speaking GIABA member States.

Role and Responsibilities

• Effectively manage the Information Centre;
• Effectively supervise the staff under him/her;
• Develop and implement sensitisation and public outreach  programs and activities in the countries under his/her responsibilities;
• Monitor and report on media activies as it relates to the work of GIABA on contiuous basis;
• Maintain an eLearning training centre and deliver online training to relevant stakeholders;
• Undertake advocacy activities and facilitate the advocacy activities of the Director-General;
• Establish and maintain partnership with government agencies, professional bodies, academia, students, private sector, the media and other civil society bodies in support of GIABA’s AML/CFT activities;
• Ensure wide media coverage for GIABA activities;
• Maintain a physical library to serve AML/CFT reference centre;
• Support the academia, students and other researchers conducting studies on ML/TF and AML/CFT;
• Contribute to reports and other publications of GIABA;
• Ensure the planning, coordination and control of activities of the Communication and Advocacy Unit;
• Ensure internal and external visibility of the actions and results of the Centre and, for this purpose, produce periodicals, bulletins, newsletters, etc. as required;
• Organise press engagements, from time to time, to disseminate strategic information and GIABA products;
• Support the organisation of media events of the Director-General and delegated staff;
• Assist with the communication, sensitisation and outreach needs of program activities;
• Support the maintenance of the GIABA website;
• Develop IEC materials for different target groups for production and distribution at different fora;
• Maintain a database of various stakeholders;
• Establish and maintain social media and other network platforms;
• Contribute to the maintenance of a befitting image for the institution;
• Support events planning as may be required from time to time;
• Contribute to the speeches of the Director-General;
• Support GIABA national correspondents to enhance their communication strategy and outreach;
• Periodical reporting to the line supervisor on activities implemented and the results obtained;
• Perform any other duty that may be assigned from time to time.

Academic Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Public Relations, Mass Communication or related any field from a recognized University;
• 5 years responsible experience in journalism, strategic communications, public information or international relations;
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of strategy and guidelines for internal communications and the production of innovative platforms for the promotion of internal communication in ECOWAS;
• Proven knowledge of communication, information and public relations and the ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and cultivate productive relationships.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices;
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instil a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval;
• Ability to utilize the  Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information and resources;
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors and colleagues to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to timeline, quality and quantity;
• Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions;
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their need, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs;
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established  customer service standards;
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion;
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy;
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply  judgement, tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals;
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities;
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make  recommendations;
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance and performance targets;
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals;
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency  using appropriate tools;
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means, ;
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner;
• Proficiency in  information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop,  implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work  goals;
• Identify, organize and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution;
• Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others  to set and meet deadlines;
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators and risks;
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Annual Salary
UA45,511.85 USD71,808.60  /  UA53,235.34  USD83,994.71