Manager, Communications
Evidence Action, Kenya
Job Description
About Evidence Action
Evidence Action is a global nonprofit organization with an approach distinctive in international development - we exclusively scale interventions that are backed by strong evidence and can be delivered with exceptional cost-effectiveness. Our programs have grown since our founding in 2013 to reach over 280 million people annually. We deliver high impact for every dollar spent, as recognized by GiveWell, The Life You Can Save, and Charity Navigator.
We do development differently. We take a data-driven approach to identifying, scaling, and continuously improving programs which deliver immense impact, ensuring these solutions measurably improve the lives of millions. Our Deworm the World Initiative has helped governments in Africa and Asia deliver over 1.4 billion childhood deworming treatments, improving health, education, and incomes. Dispensers for Safe Water provides sustained safe water access to over 4 million people in rural Africa, preventing childhood illness and deaths.
We drive innovation: Our Accelerator builds the next generation of exceptional programs, taking an approach most similar to a venture capital model. We are ruthless in exiting programs which do not meet our criteria; those that advance deliver outsized impact for millions of people.
We are global. Across eight countries in Africa and Asia, our 400+ people are united by a tremendous passion for our mission and impact. We are strong because of our diversity of experience, geography, and background - with over 90% of our people in the countries where our impact is focused.
We have big ambitions. Our goal is to double our impact by 2024, to fulfill our vision of a world where hundreds of millions of people in the poorest places have better opportunities and their lives are measurably improved. We believe in bold and urgent action - because poverty doesn’t wait, and neither should we.
We need great people. Our success to date is due to the collective work of our amazing staff. To achieve our ambitious goals, we are looking for people who share our passion for evidence, cost-effectiveness, and scale. We seek individuals who take an entrepreneurial approach, enjoy tackling hard problems, and have a bias to action and results. If our vision and approach excite you as much as it does us, we invite you to join us.
About the External Relations/Communications Team
The External Relations team plays a leading role in positioning Evidence Action to donors, partners, governments, and media; developing and executing strategic approaches to strengthen our resource mobilization and brand; and coordinating internally to create and take advantage of opportunities for funding and dissemination of our impact. Our team works across multiple time zones, so a candidate with a willingness to find ways to take advantage of different time zones and iterate faster on content is highly desirable.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead development of Africa region communications strategy, translating organizational communications priorities to approaches adapted for local contexts.
- Coordinate with staff across country and sub-regional offices to source and produce stories of impact and content from our programs.
- With support from country teams, identify Africa region relationship-building and placement opportunities among local press.
- Provide internal and external communications support to Africa-based programmatic staff and leadership, in collaboration with global and regional communications team members.
- Create content and visualizations to convey key data and technical information via web infographics, social media, blogs, and newsletters.
- Source and manage consultants and vendors to execute graphic design, photography, crisis communications, video production, and other areas as needed.
- Develop and train staff on organizational communications policies and guidance in the region.
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
- 5 - 7 years of work experience in communications or public relations at a media organization and/or evidence-driven organization.
- Bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism, communications, or marketing; or in public health, international relations, or economics with experience and interest in communications or journalism.
- Proven experience building relationships with media, writing press releases, securing media stories, and placing opinion pieces.
- Strong networks within African media outlets and networks with international media.
- Curiosity, attentiveness to detail, and strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
- Experience with setting goals for communications efforts and measuring/communicating the performance of communications efforts against KPIs.
- Stro