Position Title: WiDEF Senior Communications Manager
Project: Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF)
Position Location: Ideally based in Washington, DC, USA (negotiable)
Position type: Full-time five-year fixed-term contract
Compensation: US$ 70,000 to US$ 90,000
Background:
The Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP) is seeking an experienced communications manager to lead the communications strategy and efforts of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) project.
WiDEF is a five-year, US$ 60M+ digital inclusion program funded by USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. WiDEF will directly scale evidence-based solutions to effectively close the gender digital divide. Employing a strong localization approach, the program will create opportunities for organizations and businesses at the forefront of equitable digital inclusion to receive financial, technical and operational support to advance their work. WiDEF will collaborate with industry-leading organizations to engage local and global private sector actors and funders to advance a shared set of commitments to closing the gender digital divide. Beyond direct delivery, the initiative will incorporate a substantial policy and advocacy component as well as global communications efforts in order to inform and influence action at every level of the development system.
Duties and Responsibilities:
As the WiDEF Senior Communications Manager you will:
- Lead the development and implementation of a global communications strategy in line with WiDEF’s Strategic Plan, positioning the initiative and its mandate to global and regional audiences in Africa and Asia, and ensuring WiDEF’s message is clearly and consistently communicated while growing WiDEF’s brand equity.
- Ensure uniform WiDEF messaging is applied across the consortium and overall project, its programs and activities.
- Lead the provision and development of communications policies, guidelines and messages to direct all communications activities, and ensure coherence and consistency across the project, management teams, leadership council, and any WiDEF representation.
- Develop global campaigns and messaging to support and advance WiDEF advocacy priorities while ensuring that campaign strategies and messages enhance WiDEF’s reach and visibility among all stakeholders;
- Drive a “whole of initiative” approach to communications that leverages the collective capacity of the consortium and partners in the most holistic and mutually reinforcing way possible.
- Guide digital media presence and use, including social media, in an adaptive way that responds to developments in the digital and innovative media landscape.
Lead and oversee communications activities and media relations
- Oversee the development and maintenance of a WiDEF website
- Guide the development and implementation of event-specific, integrated communications strategies to advance WiDEF
- Direct relationships with the media at the global and Africa and Asia regional levels; developing and nurturing media networks, to educate and sensitize journalists to WiDEF and overall digital gender inclusion
- Guide the development of audiovisual and print products to inform about WiDEF and expand its visibility
- Prepare media messages and support the preparation of spokespersons for media interviews and events
- Cultivate and maintain a roster of relevant media contacts and pursue earned media opportunities
Lead strategic partnerships for communications, including within the WiDEF community
- Ensure close coordination within the consortium to ensure consistent messaging on WiDEF and digital gender inclusion
- Cultivate and nurture partnerships within the WiDEF consortium and media, making sure to center the advancement of women in the digital economy
- Develop partnerships with the private sector, including media, and civil society to enhance public awareness of digital gender inclusion and WiDEF’s vision and mission, including but not limited to, marketing and editorial opportunities
- Collaborate with a network of digital inclusion practitioners to amplify WiDEF initiatives and leverage events and plans from the network
Required Skills and Experience:
- Knowledge of and/or experience working on communications in the domains of ICT4Development, digital inclusion, gender inclusion and related areas is highly preferred
- Ability to take the lead/self-start based on the needs of the larger program
- Exceptional cross-cultural communication skills, including experience working with globally distributed teams in disparate countries and time zones
- International work and lived experience, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa and/or South Asia
- Master’s degree in communications or other relevant field, or the equivalent combination of education and work experience
- An entrepreneurial mindset, comfort with ambiguity and a commitment to going beyond the status quo
Core Values and Competencies:
- Awareness and sensitivity regarding gender issues in technology, especially digital development in the global majority
- Understanding of and belief in feminist principles in practice
- Creative and open approach to communications, grounded on diversity of view and experiences
- Effective communication with diverse audiences
- Inclusive collaborative style
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Integrity and professionalism
Functional Competencies:
- Proven knowledge and expertise in leading strategic communications at the international and regional levels, especially in Africa and/or Asia;
- Proven management and leadership skills to drive success;
- Proven ability to conceptualize and implement communications and public relations strategies and campaigns, including but not limited to brand development;
- Excellent knowledge of news media and media relations; digital media and other communications channels and proven ability to apply these for effective outreach;
- Proven ability to develop partnerships for communications;
- Outstanding written and oral communications and editing skills; proven ability to position issues effectively, both orally and in writing;
- Demonstrated experience and skill in effectively managing multiple stakeholders and successfully juggling multifaceted priorities
- Familiarity with partnering with US government communications
- Strong knowledge of gender and digital issues.
Experience:
- At least 5-10 years of management experience in global strategic communications, preferably with an international organization and/or one based in the global majority.
- Proven experience with cutting-edge communications and media approaches, and tools, including social media;
- Experience working with top-level media from media centers around the world, specifically on digital technology and/or gender issues;
- Experience in all the tactics of media relations—press conferences, feature stories, broadcast, OpEds, risk management;
- Experience with the use of a range of communications tools, including publications, internet and public relations and proven ability to create successful interfaces among these tools for global communications initiatives;
- Senior-level management experience and ability to work well with decision-makers;
- Experience in leading strategic communications at the international or regional level;
- Experience in managing teams, including networked capacity in multiple remote locations.
Languages:
Fluent written and oral presentation in English is required. Knowledge of another language is an advantage.
Job Details:
Location: This is a full-time 5-year contract term position to be ideally based in Washington, DC, USA (negotiable) and working with a remote team in multiple locations and time zones. The successful candidate must have permission to work at the preferred location.
Remuneration: GDIP offers competitive compensation—based on value, skill, and experience—with excellent benefits. The salary range for this position is US$70,000 to $90,000, benefits include generous paid annual leave, contribution towards health care for individuals and 75% for family, retirement match at 3%, and other progressive benefits to foster a healthy work-life balance.
Submission Instructions:
To apply and be considered, please send an expression of interest letter, including salary requirements, and a resume or CV to jobs@globaldigitalinclusion.org by November 27, 2023.
GDIP is committed to inclusivity and equity in its hiring process and practices and is therefore open to candidates of all backgrounds. We are interested in candidates who consider themselves champions of digital equality for the people of the global majority.
GDIP is fiscally sponsored by Global Impact, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Individuals based in the USA will be legally employed by Global Impact on behalf of GDIP.