Communications Strategist - Africa Progress Panel

Background

The Africa Progress Panel (APP) consists of a group of distinguished individuals, chaired by Kofi Annan, whose objective is to track and encourage progress in Africa and assess opportunities and threats to Africa’s development. The Panel underscores the shared responsibility between African leaders and their international partners for sustaining progress.

The Panel members, who generously lend their time, use their judgment and experience to highlight pressing concerns, inspire honest debate amongst leaders and civil society, and prompt effective action. Key aims of the APP include:

• Increasing Africa’s voice by promoting the centrality of African issues at G20, G8, EU and other critical global institutions and meetings;
• Influencing policy through various activities including following recommendations in our Annual Report, Progress Briefs and direct interventions;
• Promoting mutual accountability between African leaders and their international partners.

The APP Foundation, a not-for-profit Foundation under Swiss law, consists of a Board and a Geneva-based Secretariat. The Secretariat supports the activities of the Chair and Panel members in their interactions with Heads of State, policy makers, leasing African regional organizations (including African Union entities and the African Development Bank), key global bodies including the G8/20, and global leaders to influence high-level policy decisions. Based on first class research, the Secretariat’s activities include:

• Tracking progress and positive change in Africa and highlighting good practices that have led to sustained development.
• Monitoring the role of Africa’s trading, donor and investment partners in supporting the continent’s progress.
• Supporting African initiatives driving social, economic and/or political progress on the continent by African leaders, institutions or international partners.

Overview

This is a new position, affording the Communication Strategist a unique opportunity to initiate innovative outreach strategies, using cutting-edge design and communications based approaches. The ideal candidate is a multi-disciplinarian with the ability to weave the Africa Progress Panel’s various communication channels into a cohesive whole, thereby contributing to ‘real time’ efforts to influence decisions that are pivotal to Africa’s future.

Core Tasks and Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and implement a social media and design strategy for the Africa Progress Panel by pinpointing trends and keeping abreast of evolutions in social media and communications.
• Craft compelling narratives for online campaigns that portray complex policy concepts in a manner accessible to various audiences, through the use of design-based tools and methodologies such as workshops, user-testing, surveys, prototyping, etc.
• Initiate high-level engagement in social media conversations on Africa and related issues on behalf of the Africa Progress Panel’s social media platforms.
• Connect, seek and foster relationships with individuals, companies and organizations and manage their engagement in various communication platforms to increase outreach of the Africa Progress Panel’s messages and goals.
• Conduct a variety of research, writing, and editing assignments in support of the organisation’s communication products.
• Manage, enhance, and maintain the synergy across the various channels of the Africa Progress Panel’s online profile including the website, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, google+ and other appropriate forums. This includes consistent and timely postings and ensuring postings are accurate and on message.
• Regularly monitor the analytics, trends and engagement on the Africa Progress Panel’s online platforms, to identify potential opportunities and risks for communications outreach.
• Publish web content online using the content management systems deployed by the Africa Progress Panel.
• All other related duties as assigned.

Essential knowledge and skills:

• A multi-disciplinary post graduate degree with a focus on social innovation, systems thinking, design strategy, and/or communications.
• Ability to work in cross-disciplinary teams, consider issues from multiple perspectives and the skill to interpret group outcomes by using strategic and design-based methodologies as a means of transforming ideas into action.
• User experience expert. Adept at story-boarding and production, analysing online platforms from the user’s perspective, and a facility with various data visualization technics.
• At least 10 years professional experience in positions of responsibility and good track record of managing processes.
• Excellent knowledge of international development.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Excellent networking ability and willingness to travel
• Experience using Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop; knowledge of Google AdWords and other online advertising tools; comprehensive knowledge of WordPress.
• Bi-lingual in French and English.

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with skills and experience. Remuneration is subject to Swiss social charges and taxable under Swiss/Geneva law.

HOW TO APPLY:

All applicants must submit:

• a one page cover letter
• a CV
• the names and contact details of three referees

to HR@africaprogresspanel.org

The closing date for all applications is 31 July 2015, 0900 am Central European Time