Manager, Communications at Bridge International Academies

Responsibilities
What you will do:

• As Manager, Communications, you will be the communications lead for a large scale school network for underserved communities. 
• You will lead the creation and delivery of communications strategies and ensure that the network is being communicated effectively to a wide range of stakeholders both at a statewide, national and international level. 
• You will be able to leverage relationships to influence communications approaches and build strong advocacy platforms to further the aims and ambitions of the work. 
• You will create, write and design content that is both compelling and impactful; that places Bridge at the core of the wider group communications strategy in Nigeria.
• You will play a key role within the Corporate Affairs  function; executing effective communication of our media relations programs while developing brand awareness.  
• In a nutshell your job is to make Bridge Nigeria positively famous and engaged with our target audience groups: parents, pupils, teachers, regulators, donors and sponsors, regulators, education stakeholders and the general public.
• Develop and implement strategic PR programs to achieve significant increases in brand awareness 
• Evaluate opportunities for partnerships, sponsorships and advertising on an on-going basis.
• Create content for press releases, by-line articles and keynote presentations
• Cultivate relationships with key business journalists in national and trade publications 
• Pitch stories to both national and local media. Achieve highest visibility for in print, broadcast, TV and online media outlets 
• Write clear and compelling pitch letters, press releases and by-lined articles 
• Identify media trends, news cycles and spin opportunities 
• Proactively manage editorial calendars. 
• Analyse and measure results of PR programs 
• Manage budgets and campaign ROI.

Requirements
What you should have:

• BS / BA Degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications or related discipline, post graduate education will be a bonus
• 5+ years relevant experience in public relations and communications preferable  
• Experience working within a matrixed global organization.
• Strong experience of creating and executing communications plans and strategies.
• A strong sense of the news agenda and ability to make issues and campaigns relevant.
• An established network of local and national media contacts (i.e. general business, consumer and entertainment trade press/analyst/blogger communities)
• Experience of being the lead external relations contact for media and stakeholders.
• Proven successes in both traditional, social media and other interactive PR channels 
• Experience of supporting in the creation and delivery of social media and digital campaigns 
• A strong-sense of teamwork and ability to both manage and execute programs 
• Knowledge of international publications and opportunities is a plus 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills 
• Solid writing and editing skills
• Experience in acting as a company spokesperson; comfortable and skilled in both broadcast and    print media interviews
• Prior experience within a fast-paced, disruptor, metric driven consulting or educational organization is a bonus.

Skills and other pluses:

• Proficiency with basic computer and PR applications including: Google Docs and News Alerts, MS Office Apps (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Additional communication technology prowess given priority (WordPress, video editing, Canva, social listening) 
• Voracious reader of books, news and magazines 
• Avid consumer of news, politics, entertainment and pop culture
• Strong personal interest in political science, business issues or public policy 

You’re also:

• A detailed doer – You have a track record of getting things done, with at least 5 years of post-graduate school experience.  You’re organized and responsive.  You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.  You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details.  Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company. 
• A networking mastermind – You excel at meeting new people and turning them into advocates.  You communicate in a clear, conscientious, and effective way in both written and oral speech.  You can influence strangers in the course of a single conversation.  Allies and colleagues will go to bat for your ideas.  You have an existing network in Nigeria from prior experience in the country, preferably in the regulatory, education, or business sectors.
• A creative problem-solver – Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges.  On top of that, Bridge works in volatile, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging just $6 a month per pupil.  You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand.  Every dollar you spend is a dollar our customers, who live on less than $2 a day, will have to pay for. 
• A customer advocate – Our customers – these families living on less than $2 a day per person – never leave your mind.  You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future).  You would never shrink back from shaking a parent’s hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like.  Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A life-long learner – You believe you can always do better.  You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others.  You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you’ve missed things or failed today.