Senior Manager, Advocacy & Communication, Sub-Saharan Africa

[Admin]

Organization: VillageReach

Closing date: 14 Dec 2020

Summary

The Advocacy and Communications Team at VillageReach influences the ability of others to act in support of VillageReach’s mission while strengthening the organization’s brand. VillageReach seeks an experienced professional to develop an ecosystem of partners that increases the likelihood that innovative health solutions are sustained at scale. You will inspire and directly engage government actors, funders and other stakeholders on mutual learning and help VillageReach accelerate the adoption of solutions within the public sector. This position reports to the Director of Advocacy and Communications and works in close collaboration with staff throughout the organization. This position will be located in Sub-Saharan Africa anywhere we currently have staff (our Country offices as well as Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, South Africa) or potentially Ethiopia.

Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.

· Cultivate and strengthen critical relationships with governments, funders, NGOs, multilateral organizations, and the private sector to accelerate uptake of solutions

· Help identify and manage sub-Saharan African partner(s) to support a learning network of thought leaders to build and share knowledge on how to transition well.

· Contribute to body of evidence improving public sector adoption of innovations through articles, publications and 1:1 communications.

· Act as a strategic advisor and thought partner to leaders within VillageReach, sharing perspective, insights and recommendations on collaboration and power-sharing among stakeholders.

· Advocate for the uptake of VillageReach solutions by government stakeholders and support the adoption of other policy objectives.

· Gather and provide colleagues with information at the country and regional level about issues and strategies of importance including partner strategies, policies, financing and other key health and development priorities.

· Attend conferences and external meetings to represent VillageReach and advocate / help shape organization priorities.

· Lead African regional communications activities and processes, liaising with staff in Seattle to manage VillageReach social media channels, support employees with advocacy and communications and more.

· Develop materials and content including presentations, blogs, journal articles, whitepapers, grants proposals, strategy documents, and other written deliverables.

Competencies:

The following competencies reflect what is expected of all VillageReach employees; including examples of how one might demonstrate each of these competencies in one’s role.

· Personal Motivation and Drive: Is self-directed in one’s approach to work, but asks for help when needed; holds oneself accountable; undertakes self-development activities; seeks to build and master new skills; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities within the organization

· Collaboration & Effective Communication: Establishes and maintains effective relations with coworkers, partners & stakeholders and external parties; works collaboratively with others to accomplish organizational and team goals and objectives; works actively to resolve conflicts; expresses ideas and thoughts effectively; selects and uses appropriate communication methods and maintains meaningful communication with virtual coworkers and other parties to keep them informed**

· Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: Takes personal responsibility for and supports others across the organization in creating and sustaining a diverse work environment where individuals are welcomed, valued, respected and supported; personally committed to attaining cultural competency including self-awareness of one’s own attitudes about culture and cross-cultural interactions; exhibits the willingness and ability to engage openly and respectfully around issues of race, colonialism, identity and culture; upholds equity in access to sharing of information, ideas, and opportunities throughout VillageReach**

· Commitment to Excellence: Produces a high output of work, both in terms of quality and quantity; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; monitors work to ensure quality; has a personal commitment to the mission of VillageReach

· Solution Orientation & Innovation: Focuses on results and desired outcomes and how to best achieve them; gets the job done; sees opportunities for creative problem-solving while staying within the parameters of good practice; sees old problems in new ways and has novel approaches to solving those problems; contributes original and/or resourceful ideas to their area of responsibility; is able to consider and articulate risks and consequences of proposed innovations and factor these into decision-making

REQUIREMENTS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities at this time.

Education & Experience:

• A minimum of 7-10 years’ experience in policy, advocacy, consulting or related field of which at least three years working in health or international development.
• Proven experience developing collaborative relationships and effectively engaging with a wide array of stakeholders at the country and regional levels including but not limited to government, regional entities, influencers, funders, and social impact organizations/entrepreneurs.
• Experience working in government OR playing a role that engages with government from private sector or international development organization.
• Experience working collaboratively with international stakeholders and multilateral organizations such as Gavi, The Global Fund, UNICEF WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and/or bilateral aid organizations.
• Proven ability to shape, develop, manage and scale strong partnerships and coalitions.
• Experience in the design and management of initiatives to change policy and increase visibility and political will and/or funding for health and development issues.
• Knowledge and awareness of development issues and institutions across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Familiarity with power-sharing, collective impact and systems change approaches.
• Experience developing tools, methods, and best practices.

· Proven ability to implement communications strategies and develop content to meet policy and organization goals.

• Persuasive written and verbal communication.

Other Qualifications:

· Fluency in English and either Portuguese or French is a preference.

· Excellent oral, written and facilitation communications, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus.

· Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups.

· Demonstrated understanding of challenges with working in rural, underserved and low-income populations.

· Ability to be self-directed, prioritize and perform multiple tasks, problem-solve, and work under pressure.

· Comfortable in a fast-paced technical environment.

· Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel) and comfortable in a fast-paced technical environment.

· Ability to travel up to 25 %

Environment and Physical Demands

Due to the time zone differences between our Seattle office and our Country Offices and location of other global staff, staff are expected to be available for late afternoon/evening meetings up to 6pm.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION:

VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most underserved and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce.

Compensation:

VillageReach has an established compensation structure that is based on the relevant market and internally transparent. We hire people into the established range based on one’s experience and education and considering internal equity. We do not inquire about salary history.

How to apply:

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

This is an immediate hire and therefore resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until December 14, 2020. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter [plus any other desired materials] to our online portal: http://www.villagereach.org/join-us/

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