Manager, Communications ( Africa Region)

Responsibilities

Strategy and leadership

• Develop and implement the Africa region communications strategy, ensuring alignment with regional objectives while tailoring to local contexts.
• Provide strategic communications advice to senior leadership, including messaging, positioning, and talking points for high-visibility engagements.
• Cultivate media relationships and thought leadership by building partnerships with African/international media; position Evidence Action as an authority through targeted engagement with policymakers, civil society, and strategic networks.
• Mitigate reputational risks by monitoring media coverage and lead crisis communications in collaboration with leadership.
• Manage, mentor, and develop regional communications capacity, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Oversee the regional communications budget, ensuring cost-effective resource allocation aligned with work plans.

Country government communication support

• Support Policy and Program teams in developing government-aligned communications (e.g., briefings, presentations) for public health initiatives, ensuring consistency with organizational objectives.
• Facilitate coordination with government agencies on communications protocols and approvals, acting as a liaison under leadership guidance.
• Prepare messaging guidance and background materials for government forums, in collaboration with technical leads.

Knowledge management support

• Curate and maintain a regional repository (e.g., SharePoint) for communications assets, evidence, and templates, enabling easy access for country teams.
• Develop and disseminate standardized toolkits, best practices, and success stories to support country programs in content creation and reporting.
• Capture and share communications insights and data to inform regional strategy and stakeholder engagement.

Content development and storytelling

• Source, produce, and curate compelling impact stories and content from country and sub-regional teams.
• Create high-quality content for web, social media, blogs, newsletters, and other platforms, including data visualizations and infographics.
• Ensure adherence to brand guidelines and editorial standards across all communications outputs.
• Commission and manage external consultants and vendors for graphic design, photography, video production, and crisis communications.

Requirements

• 5–7 years’ communications experience in INGO or public health sectors. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, or a relevant field (Public Health, International Relations, Economics) with proven communications experience.
• Demonstrated success in media relations, including building relationships with journalists, placing stories, and managing press engagements.
• Strong networks within African and international media outlets.
• Proven ability to design and deliver communications strategies and measure impact against key result areas. 
• Exceptional storytelling skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas simply and persuasively.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to work independently across time zones in a matrixed organization.
• Excellent written and spoken English. French proficiency is an added advantage.
• Legal authorization to work in Kenya without sponsorship.
• Advanced skills in digital content creation, graphic design, or multimedia production.