Latest Job at Mott MacDonald for a Communications Officer

Mott MacDonald's International Development Services Unit, IDS, operates within the international development sectors of Environment and Water, Education, Health and Social and Economic Development. Together we implement and manage projects and programmes in developing countries and emerging economies around the world. We are committed to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to provide our expertise to help improving lives of people in need. We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Communications Officer Job ID: 30192BR Location: Lagos Job Profile Cambridge Education is an education services company of Mott MacDonald Ltd that provides expert education consultancy in partnerships with governments, donors, international development agencies and partners around the world, as they seek to enhance people's skills and economic prospects. Cambridge Education Nigeria Limited (CENL) is managing the Teacher Development Programme (TDP) and Developing Effective Private Education, Nigeria (DEEPEN)  on behalf of the UK Department for International Department (DFID). TDP aims to provide strategic technical assistant in 6 lead states on teachers’ improvement, ultimately improving student learning. DEEPEN is using the ‘making markets work for the poor’ approach to improve the policy environment and quality of private schooling in Lagos and beyond. Job Description

• The Communications Officer will support all communication aspects of programme interventions and implement a strategy to effectively disseminate important information and key findings from the programme to both Nigerian and international audiences.

Accountabilities Strategic and Intervention Support:

• Work with the DEEPEN senior management team (to include the Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and Results and Learning Leader) to develop and implement an effective communications strategy for the programme, both to influence stakeholders in Lagos and to advocate for or inform change outside of Lagos;
• Identify and highlight any political and/or commercial sensitivities arising from programme interventions and/or communications and liaise with DEEPEN’s senior management and/or technical teams to ensure that such sensitivities are managed appropriately. This will include differentiating between communications with official bodies (such as the Ministry of Education) and those with market players, and understanding the subtleties of those differences;
• Consider and promote the sustainability of communications activities as regards private education (in Lagos initially) in accordance with the programme’s M4P approach;

Communications, Publications and Branding:

• Take responsibility for the development and delivery of all communications activities regarding the programme including advocacy, campaigns, newsletters, leaflets, policy briefs, fact sheets, case studies, booklets etc., and the development and maintenance of the DEEPEN’s website;
• Ensure that all written materials are drafted in a concise manner, plain English and appropriately worded for the relevant audience, and the material presented in attractive, creative and compelling formats;
• Manage the programme brand by developing and driving strategies to ensure the effective delivery of the set objectives of the programme by ensuring that the brand is properly represented to all stakeholders;
• Maintain, update and oversee the programme resource centre (website) and social media channels and accounts;
• Ensure that the programme has all the necessary tools for the timely and appropriate dissemination of information, in particular, ensuring that the website is managed appropriately to ensure the accurate and useful dissemination of information to both internal and external stakeholders;

Managing Relationships:

• Work closely with each of the four Intervention Leaders and the Results and Learning Leader to develop valuable and accurate content for dissemination and to ensure that communications adequately address the key results (it is important that DEEPEN’s results are irrefutable and clear communications will be an important component of this);
• Liaise with DFID, and its Results Adviser and Communications Advisor in particular, to ensure consistent and agreed communications;
• Liaise with printers, prepare print specifications and ensure that only quality products are accepted and issued;

Knowledge Management:

• Proactively capture information and evidence about DEEPEN and its activities;
• Maintain and ensure the use of a document repository for staff (including national and international consultants, as appropriate) to store and share key programme materials, photographs and documents (to include monitoring information)

General:

• Produce regular (at least quarterly) reports, containing rolling work plans and costed budgets that describe achieved and intended communication activities in the programme, and contributing to formal and informal reporting to DFID;
• Assist the Education Data, Research and Evaluation in Nigeria (EDOREN) programme and/or DFID (as appropriate) on DEEPEN’s statutory and/or annual reviews;
• Ensure that communications address the disaggregated areas of gender and poverty (household income level) wherever possible to communicate the programme’s impact on girls and low-income families specifically

Competencies, Skills, Qualifications, and Experience Required:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent;
• Previous experience in supporting the effective implementation of a communications strategy in Nigeria is essential. Specific focus on the education sector would be highly advantageous
• Proactive approach to the programming of communications activities with proven project management (including budgeting) skills;
• Good understanding of the most popular local languages in Lagos;
• Ability to understand programme issues in line with other relevant issues within the Ministry, economy and other stakeholder bodies and ability to work proactively based on the information available;
• Ability to apply analytical capability to review project information and extract the key lessons, distinguishing ‘what we did’ from ‘how we did it’;
• Excellent interpersonal, intercultural and negotiation skills;
• Fluent in English (spoken, reading and writing). Excellent oral and written communications skills, creativity and strong attention to detail and accuracy are required for this post
• Proven track record in public relations, communications and marketing - including the delivery of communications, use of media and print in information dissemination as well as experience in advocacy campaigning;
• Previous experience in working within a result-oriented communications team;
• Previous experience in formulating effective strategies based on thoroughly conducted market research and recommendations;
• Excellent IT skills and expert knowledge of all Microsoft packages as well as presentation skills (proficiency in Adobe, Coral Draw and Desktop Publishing would also be valuable);
• Ability to work with a wide range of people, including public officials, the media, and consultants to deliver programme objectives;
• Proven ability to multi-task and prioritise effectively;
• Willingness to be flexible and prepared to contribute to the programme on other duties as required;

Desirable:

• Degree in strategic mass communications (particularly in the context of behavioural change and/or social development) or the media;
• Experience of working within an M4P framework;
• Experience of working in project capacity with the Ministry of Education;
• Proven track record of using innovative communications where conventional approaches have not offered adequate solutions;
• Relevant professional qualification in journalism, public relations or communications (i.e. CIPR, ACCA, CIM, etc.);
• Experience working on education and/or international development projects or programmes, specifically those concerned with private education and/or low-cost private schools;
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams in projects or programmes with components of social development and/or poverty reduction; and
• Experience working with donor agencies (specifically DFID).

How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply