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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,Senior Communications Officer, Africa Job
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Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Division Communications
Department N/A
Location Johannesburg
Foundation Overview Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Group Summary Communications staff contribute to advocacy efforts, raise awareness of the issues the foundation addresses, work to protect and advance the foundation’s reputation, and oversee all internal and external communications functions.

Responsibilities The Senior Communications Officer (SCO) for Africa will design and execute communications strategies that support the foundation’s program and advocacy goals in Africa and will contribute to positive perceptions of the foundation’s work globally. The SCO will represent the foundation, manage media relationships and engagement, and protect the foundation’s brand within Africa. S/he will work with and help connect the Africa-based foundation staff to other offices in Seattle, DC, London, China and India. The SCO will also lead the communications strategy development, as well as execution and media planning for existing programs in Africa. This position will report to the Africa Director (Global Policy and Advocacy) and to the Director of External Communications. Primary responsibilities are listed below.
– Communications officer in Africa: Develop communications plans, manage agency support, handle media inquiries, oversee digital strategy for the continent (including community management), perform final review of foundation material for African audiences, and function as part of the foundation’s global news room.
– External communications lead in Africa: Draft written communications, create content, manage media relationships, direct media monitoring, organize and staff media events, crisis management, build and protect foundation brand, and collaborate with communications, advocacy, and program leads in various program areas across the foundation to ensure close coordination.
– Internal communications lead in Africa: Act as a liaison with the Seattle office and other regional offices, support employee events and activities, manage Africa portal site on the Commons, provide communications and media training to staff and grantees.
– Lead for program communications in Africa: Partner closely with program strategy leads, develop strategy and execute communications plans for foundation programs in Africa (HIV, TB, GCE, R&D etc.), provide communications consulting and technical assistance to grantees, supervise grantees strategies and work plans in advocacy and communications, identify/develop/oversee communications related program grants and contracts.
– Partner for policy and advocacy work in Africa: Help develop and support advocacy strategies, manage media advocacy related components of the Africa grants (HIV, TB, GCE, R&D, tobacco control and etc.), help analyze and evaluate partnership and alliance opportunities, build and track efforts that offer compelling evidence, promote policies, boost political will and bring new resources in support of achieving programmatic goals.
– This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field.

Qualifications – Master’s degree and 11+ years of relevant communications, media, and/or public relations experience.
– Strong experience in and understanding of news media, including traditional and digital media in Africa.
– Solid contacts and working relationships with domestic and international media.
– Exceptional public presentation skills and ability to develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with media and policy partners.
– Excellent oral and written communications skills in English (French or widely spoken African languages would be an advantage), and a demonstrated ability to create persuasive and clear oral and written communications.
– A professional demeanor and sensitivity to social practices in other cultures. Life and/or work experience in both developing country and developed country a plus.
– Excellent analytical skills and ability to turn research findings into action.
– Strong leadership and management skills in working with a team of diverse background.
– Ability to stay calm and poised under pressure or crisis and remain focused in a rapidly changing environment.
– Superior judgment and ability to maintain professional, upbeat attitude and sense of humor under tight deadlines.
– Experience and ability to work multiple projects simultaneously in a demanding, fast-paced and complex environment.
– Experience working with and staffing high-level executives.
– Demonstrated initiative to solve problems with high energy and a positive attitude.
– Strong leadership and management skills.
– Systematic training in problem analysis and problem solving.
– Strong interpersonal skills are necessary for this role including, but not limited to: Strong negotiation skills; Ability to represent the foundation at external events; Strong public presentation skills; Ability to use judgment based on practice and precedence.
– Problem solves by selecting appropriate alternative sources of information to utilize and evaluate situations.
– Analytical thought needed in order to resolve issues in a variety of complex situations.
– Requires use of conceptual and innovative thinking.

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Requisition Number 4848BR

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