Communications Manager - Solidaridad West Africa

Solidaridad West Africa (SWA) is a civil society organization that supports the sustainable development of production systems in West Africa. The West Africa Regional Office, headquartered in Accra, is one of eight (8) Regional Expertise Centers (RECs) within Solidaridad’s Network organization (www.solidaridadnetwork.org).

We play a catalytic role in enhancing the well-being of farmers, miners, workers and their communities in West Africa through the promotion of socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and profitable supply chains. We work in partnership with private sector companies, governments and key stakeholders to achieve lasting impact.

Our supply chain work in West Africa is focused on cocoa, gold, oil palm, cotton, coffee, cashew, horticulture, and other crops. We focus, among other things, on stimulating sustainable supply chains through the introduction of innovations in good practices, market uptake for sustainable goods, farmers’/producers’ access to finance, sustainable natural resources management and institutional capacity development and enabling policy.

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The West Africa Regional Office of Solidaridad currently has programmes and operations in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Job Description

Solidaridad West Africa seeks to recruit a highly qualified and self-motivated Communications Manager to lead our communications efforts in Ghana.

Job Purpose

To develop and implement a communications strategy that aligns with and supports the realization of the regional communications strategy, priorities and objectives to improve operational impact and programme sustainability. The position protects, aligns, and promotes a clear and attractive Solidaridad brand, enhances visibility, improves credibility through engagements on programme outcomes, and strengthens external and internal communications.

The Communications Manager will be a member of the Regional Communications Team and work functionally under the guidance of the Regional Communications Coordinator, in the delivery of the communications functions. The Communications Manager shall have a matrix reporting to the Regional Communications Coordinator and the Country Representative, Ghana.

Major Responsibilities

Communications Strategy/Plan

• Develops and implements a Communications Strategy for Ghana aligned to the regional communications strategy and policy.
• Prepares and implements annual communications work plans guided by country programme priorities.
• Contributes to the regional communications strategies, plans, and priorities.
• Leads the coordination of communication activities in Ghana and promotes country compliance with the corporate brand and regional communications policy within the region.

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Visibility

• Supports visibility for country programmes and the exhibition of Solidaridad’s work at relevant public spaces and platforms.

Publications

• Prepares publications for effective results communication for programmes and projects, including success stories, policy briefs, infographics, and newsletters, etc guided by the regional communications policy.
• Provides editorial support to country programmes where required.

Social media management

• Supports the functional management of the Solidaridad regional social media platforms - Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Post articles, updates, photographs, videos, and other relevant content periodically on the REC’s social media pages.

Multimedia

• Supports the production of multimedia products, such as videos and photographs, for documentation and dissemination on relevant platforms, including social media.
• Supports a system for organizing, achieving, and retrieving multimedia and communication materials on Google Drive in compliance with Solidaridad Google Workspace guidelines.

Regional Communications Support

• Participates in the monthly regional communications team meetings.
• Contributes to the strengthening of the regional communications team through cooperation with the Regional communications lead.
• Submit monthly reports at the communications team meeting for accountability of functions.

Media and PR

• Compiles and manages a list of media contacts for the promotion of Solidaridad’s work in Ghana.
• Holds strategic media sessions with the Solidaridad press corps for corporate and programme visibility and engagement. Monitor’s media reporting about Solidaridad in Ghana and, where necessary, takes appropriate remedial actions in consultation with the Communications Coordinator.

Knowledge Management

• Support the capturing, documentation, best practices, lessons learned and technical insights among project teams, partners and beneficiaries.
• Disseminate knowledge products to enhance knowledge sharing, project visibility and the scaling of initiatives.

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Required Skills or Experience

The following may be acquired through a combination of formal or self-education, prior experience or on-the-job training

Minimum Qualification

• A bachelor’s degree in mass communications, marketing, journalism, public relations or a related field. Master’s preferred.

Experience

• 7-10 years’ minimum experience in a similar role

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge and experience in managing digital content management systems
• Experience with social media platforms
• Experience in writing, editing and producing written communication materials
• Experience in setting and working with branding guidelines
• Understanding the need for and value of a visual identity and branding

Specific Requirements

• Awareness of and proficiency with communications technologies.
• Experience in stakeholder/community engagement.
• A proactive, strong and confident leadership.
• Superior presentation and facilitation skills 3
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills
• Able to travel extensively within the country