Job Advertisement

We Effect is recruiting a Regional Communication and Advocacy Officer

We Effect, Regional Office of Southern Africa (ROSA), is looking for an experienced Regional Communication and Advocacy Officer. The preferred candidate has an extensive network, in-depth understanding and skills in strategic communications and advocacy contributing to increased brand awareness and improved advocacy work of We Effect in the Southern African region.

We Effect is a development organisation founded in 1958 by the cooperative movement in Sweden. We work in more than 20 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and collaborate mainly with member-based organisations consisting of women and men who live in poverty. We work in the thematic fields of sustainable rural development and adequate housing. Our values are respect, transparency, and together.

We Effect in Southern Africa is present in and implements country development programmes in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Regional Office is based in Lusaka, Zambia. For more information, see www.weeffect.org.

Main responsibilities
As Regional Communication and Advocacy Officer you are responsible for raising awareness about We Effect’s work and strengthen our advocacy work in the region to key stakeholders. Primary stakeholders are twofold; communication towards institutional donors and partner organisations, and advocacy towards decision-makers and stakeholders in decision-making processes at country and regional levels.

As Regional Communication and Advocacy Officer your duty station can be the Regional Office in Lusaka or any of the Country Offices in the region while you, at the same time, are part of the Media and Advocacy Department in the head office in Sweden. You are also responsible for developing information material and other deliverables requested by other departments when needed. In the region, you have the responsibility to support staff and partner organisations with communication and advocacy activities. The role requires the ability to work autonomously and flexible to ensure that all communication and advocacy work is in line with the budget, strategies, regulations and project-specific requirements. The role also requires close collaboration with the regional team.

About you
As Regional Communication and Advocacy Officer, you are independent and mature in your profession. As your tasks are divided between the regional, international and Swedish contexts it is of great importance that you can work well online as well as in person and you can adapt your approach and priorities. You need to have the ability to communicate with different target groups and understand their needs of the same. You need to have excellent organisational, scheduling and planning skills and the ability to meet deadlines. As a person you are positive and curious, you enjoy new challenges and working in a dynamic and always changing environment. You are interested in current affairs and share We Effect’s vision of a sustainable and just world free from poverty.

Required qualifications

• Degree in communication, journalism, media studies, Political science, public relations, marketing, political science, or related field. A Master’s degree will be added advantage
• Minimum of five (5) years of managerial experience working with communications, public relations, advocacy, marketing, journalism trades, media or similar.
• Membership or affiliation to a relevant professional network.
• Experience working with communication and advocacy for an NGO/INGO or similar.
• Experience in adapting your communication for international target groups.
• Advanced written and spoken knowledge in professional English.
• Experience in media platforms, digital, social media, print media etc.
• Experience in training and capacity building of adults
• Experience in photography, text production, and storytelling
• Strong skills in layout, formatting and development of figures, and graphs etc.
• Awareness of current political and social affairs in the region

Merits

• Experience in participatory methodologies for storytelling
• Experience in working with resource mobilisation/fundraising.
• Established network and capacity to maintain strategic relationships with media and development cooperation actors.
• Experience in building and carrying out policy campaigns in a digital world.
• Good knowledge and experience in handling web-based management systems
• Experience producing content for a Swedish audience.
• Knowledge of the Swedish context and development cooperation.
• Knowledge of one or more local languages spoken in the Southern African region
• Knowledge of Portuguese