Job Details

This is a consultancy position with The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) who leads the AICCRA cluster in Zambia.

Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) helps deliver a climate-smart African future driven by science and innovation in agriculture. AICCRA works to make climate information services and climate-smart agriculture more accessible to millions of smallholder farmers across Africa. With better access to technology and advisory services—linked to information about effective response measures—farmers can better anticipate climate-related events to take preventative action that helps their communities safeguard livelihoods and the environment. AICCRA has teams in six countries: Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia. These teams’ work focuses on four AICCRA research priorities: Knowledge, Partnerships, Innovation, and Gender and Social Inclusion.

While these teams focus on accelerating impact in AICCRA focus countries, AICCRA also has several regional initiatives that complement national activities to deliver benefits for a broader range of stakeholders across East, West, and Southern Africa. AICCRA is supported by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, which is used to enhance research and capacity-building activities of CGIAR centers and initiatives, as well as their African partners.
Discover more at aiccra.cgiar.org. In this role, you will be responsible for the communications for AICCRA cluster in Zambia.

The Communications Consultant will lead the strategic communication delivery for achieving global impact primarily for the IWMI Southern Africa office, especially the AICCRA Zambia project. The consultant will provide communications support to the AICCRA Zambia cluster lead and the Global communications and knowledge manager and a team of researchers undertaking various research projects in the region.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Help the Zambia cluster team develop a communications strategy for 2024.
• Develop and deliver a work plan that supports this strategy, ensuring that outputs are delivered in a timely manner to a high standard.
• Develop and deliver specific communications plans for key AICCRA projects in Zambia (including for knowledge outputs) ensuring that partners, CGIAR colleagues and key stakeholders are informed and involved to maximize impact.
• Draft content for the AICCRA website, including blogs, news stories, events, in-depth ‘innovation stories’, interviews, and team biographies.

Events

• Co-organize virtual or in-person events:
• Work with colleagues to secure and correspond with potential speakers.
• Manage supporting consultants (e.g., virtual event platform managers).
• Conduct email marketing and promotion on social media.
• Organize dry-runs and speakers’ briefings.
• Be available to travel to events hosted by AICCRA teams, providing ‘on-the-ground’ support, including but not limited to live-tweeting and multimedia interviews with participants.
• Evaluate impact (i.e., views/attendance and feedback).
• Lead post-event follow-up communications.
• Follow up on potential opportunities for speaking engagements, external communications, or events in collaboration with current or potential partner organizations.

Social media

• Work with AICCRA’s Social and Digital Manager to create regular content (text and media) for AICCRA’s social media channels (inc. Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram) using tools like Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, Headliner. These posts would promote project outcomes, new research, events, and partnerships etc.

Document formatting

• Edit and proofread short-to-medium length documents intended for publication, ensuring the highest standards of error-free, jargon-free plain English where the key messages are clear and compelling.
• Support the team in formatting documents as per the AICCRA templates.
• Assist the team in uploading publications and other knowledge products to CGSpace, the CGIAR knowledge repository.
• Coordinate with editors and graphic designers to work on large publications and documents for publication.

Team coordination

• Attend monthly team meetings, updating colleagues on developments and upcoming communications priorities for the thematic teams.
• Undertake other tasks and projects as directed by cluster leaders or the Global Communications and Knowledge Manager.

MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• A master’s degree in journalism/mass communication or any discipline relevant to IWMI’s mandate (e.g., natural/physical sciences or social sciences).
• A minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in communications, external affairs, marketing, or knowledge management.
• Experience in designing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating communications and knowledge management plans in multi-disciplinary research for development programs.
• Experience in content writing and editing for all relevant media platforms.
• Experience in coordinating and overseeing service providers to ensure the delivery of work.
• Experience in writing on scientific and development issues.
• Experience in developing and delivering communication plans using different media to target a wide range of audiences.
• Experience working in Southern Africa.
• Experience in project work and collaborating as part of an international team.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Ability to work independently and remotely.
• Ability to interpret complex and varied subject matter and convey it accurately and engagingly to different audiences.
• Some familiarity with key issues in either agriculture, food systems, climate change and development in Africa.
• Demonstrate initiative and creativity in engaging new and existing stakeholders and working in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Demonstrated success in working on international programs and in an international work environment.
• Basic understanding and willingness to consider gender and inclusion in communication materials.
• Ability to create engaging digital content for use on social media platforms to a high standard, such as Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, Headliner, etc.
• Ability to manage website content management systems and digital platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud.
• Ability to be flexible, respond positively to change, work effectively under pressure, and manage conflicting priorities.
• Ability to work diplomatically and impartially in multicultural and international settings.
• Access to photography and videography equipment is advantageous.
• Willingness to travel within the country and internationally.

LANGUAGE PROFICINECY:

• Excellent oral and written language skills in English, including effective listening and strong verbal and written communication abilities.
• Knowledge of local Zambian languages (particularly Bemba, Nyanja, or Chewa) is advantageous.

This is a nationally hired consultancy; therefore, individuals with relevant abilities are encouraged to apply. IWMI offers a competitive monthly rate for this assignment. The duration of the contract will be for a period of twelve (12) months.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs . We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on May 28, 2024 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.