The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts. After passing a century, which it celebrated in 2019, it is now a global movement made up of 29 national member organizations which work in 120 countries.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The Senior Communications Specialist, in collaboration with the ECSC-SUN National Lead and SUN Government Focal, will be responsible for implementing the ECSC-SUN and Multisectoral program (MSP) advocacy and communications work including coordinating major events, leading their design and execution, holding media events, managing digital and Social media presence, producing press releases, maintaining close relations with key media contacts, overseeing standard and quality representation of ECSC-SUN Secretariat during external events, and organizing major events and visits. S/he will also be responsible for content generating including multimedia content.

S/he represents ECSC-SUN and Save the Children values and principles in interactions with staff and external audiences, including frequent interaction with coalition member technical staff.  These values and principles include commitment to the mission of ECSC-SUN and Save the Children, team orientation, accountability, integrity, and ambition. It is expected that the Sr. Communications Specialist will demonstrate initiative and leadership including introducing systems and procedures to strengthen the public image of SUN MSP & ECSC- SUN.  It is also expected that the person in this position will also have a deep understanding of political situation of the country to be able to successfully raise the external profile of the SUN MSP & ECSC-SUN while reducing the overall risk to the organization. The position holder will also frequently travel to field locations to support external events throughout the country and understand ECSC-SUN program.  S/he will work very closely with the ECSC-SUN Secretariat and ECSC-SUN Advocacy and Communication TWG members, ECSC-SUN coalition member agencies communication team and the rest of the ECSC-SUN coalition member program implementation team.

The position holder is expected to coordinate the advocacy efforts to influence effective implementation of food and nutrition policy and its strategy and the Seqota Declaration and related initiatives by food and nutrition implementing sectors and stakeholders at national, regional and sub-regional levels for improved nutritional outcomes.

S/he will engage with ECSC-SUN member agencies, GoE Ministries, other SUN networks in the country to ensure smooth coordination and implementation of the SUN MSP and ECSC-SUN coalition’s advocacy and communication activities and supports GoE national food and nutrition strategy, Seqota Declaration and related initiatives. In addition, the Senior communication specialist will also provide support to the National SUN Government Focal for the Multi-stakeholders SUN Country program coordination and implementation tasks.

S/he represents SC values and principles in interactions with staff and external audiences, including ECSC-SUN member technical and management staff members.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: ECSC-SUN National Lead with matrix management to SUN Government Focal

Staff directly reporting to this post:  None

Length of Contract- Up to August 2022 with possibility of extension

Monthly Salary in ETB– As per the organization scale

Place of Work – Addis Ababa with frequent travel to regions.

No of Positions – One

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Ownership of communication processes and delivery

• Develop / Revise ECSC-SUN communications and advocacy strategies and implementation guideline including parameters for the delivery of effective events and media engagement
• Generate content (print and multimedia) intended for external use
• Ensure the quality of all external communications including events and media engagements that meet global and national standards
• Develop and implement a proactive strategy for media engagement for the ECSC-SUN programme
• Train ECSC-SUN coalition member on appropriate communications and advocacy skills

Media stakeholder engagement

• Develop a media engagement strategy for the ECSC-SUN including identifying key dates and global moments
• Identify and maintain diverse contacts in the national and international media
• Produce high-quality, accurate, concise press releases on different topics that support ECSC-SUN priorities
• Maintain contacts with other communications persons in ECSC-SUN coalition member organizations including SUN MSP Networks, SUN Government, donors, UN, Private, Academia and other CSOs.
• Ensure that relevant ECSC-SUN members have Advocacy, communication and media training

Support for events and visitors

• Develop guidelines and parameters for running ECSC-SUN events
• Lead ECSC-SUN visibility events
• Lead and support the execution of major events
• Maintain photos, presentations, banners, and other materials to support ECSC-SUN events
• Document events and communicate them as appropriate through internal and external channels
• Support major ECSC-SUN Programme implementation area visits including producing background information, supporting planning processes, and facilitating logistics

Strategic Development and Implementation

• Develop an understanding and awareness of the overall advocacy and communications needs within ECSC-SUN programs including Advocacy and communications strategies and implementation guides  for ECSC-SUN coalition members
• Assist the ECSC-SUN National Lead and ECSC-SUN Secretariat in the implementation of the ECSC-SUN advocacy and communications strategy
• Work closely with the ECSC-SUN Advocacy and Communication Technical working group and coalition members Advocacy and Communications experts
• Document ECSC-SUN Programme implementation at regional and lower level and produce short videos and success stories through print and electronic media.
• Regularly assess the effectiveness of ECSC-SUN advocacy and communications activities
• Ensure regular monitoring and evaluation of ECSC-SUN communication, advocacy and policy work and that regular review is undertaken to continuously improve effectiveness and impact
• Ensure that RCSC-SUN programme learnings are included in advocacy and policy products
• Serve as focal editor for internal and donor reports, and note taker for ECSC-SUN General assembly, Steering committee and TWG meetings.

Maintain a database of resources related to events, visits, and media engagements

• Develop and maintain a database for all ECSC-SUN communications materials and strategies
• Keep ECSC-SUN communications support materials for use in future activities
• Share summaries of relevant ECSC-SUN external media engagements internally within coalition members

Capacity building of communications and other staff

• Communicate the engagement strategy within the ECSC-SUN coalition members
• As appropriate, include ECSC-SUN communications activities into new projects
• Build the capacity of regional-level ECSC-SUN leadership in assisting in implementing the ECSC-SUN communications and advocacy strategy at regional levels
• Build the capacity of coalitions communications and advocacy staff to support ECSC-SUN external communications work

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in media, communication, advocacy and policy analysis in an international NGO
• Masters/Post-graduate degree from a recognized university in relevant field
• Experience of leading communications, Advocacy and media activities in a challenging environment and a good knowledge of the Ethiopia media scene, networks, and media contacts
• Experience of delivering advocacy, communication and policy training, presentations and other capacity building activities to varied audiences, ideally within ECSC-SUN programme.
• Experience in leading and/or supporting others to design and deliver advocacy, communication programme, research and policy work
• Proven analytical and problem solving skills and ability to work with others to develop the advocacy and communication strategy into action and communicate this to a wider audience
• Strong advocacy, lobbying and influencing skills and ability to influence and liaise effectively with key ECSC-SUN coalition members, nutrition stakeholders and representation of the coalition in high profile environments as appropriate and as agreed with the ECSC-SUN National lead
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and producing high quality English-language materials for a wide range of different audiences including donors, journalists and the ‘general public’
• Excellent IT skills with understanding of effective visual communications for diverse audiences
• Experience in multimedia content development, excellent writing skills, and the ability to produce compelling media products in English, such as press releases, key messages, speaking points and Q&As
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills, particularly in cross-cultural contexts.
• An initiative-taking, proactive, inspiring attitude with the ability to manage and prioritise an unpredictable workload and solve problems quickly with limited support
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy, and the ability to advise on sensitive issues
• Commitment to the aims and principles of ECSC-SUN and Save the Children