Communications Team Lead - PCI Media

USAID/West Africa’s Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA-BiCC) Program aims ‘to improve conservation and climate-resilient, low-emissions growth across West Africa’. The program works with and through ore regional organizations – the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Mano River Union (MRU) and the Abidjan Convention to increase their capacities and outreach in those areas where their organizational mandates align with the three technical components of WA BiCC, which are: Combatting Wildlife Trafficking; Increasing Coastal Resilience to Climate Change, and; Decreasing Deforestation, Forest Degradation and Biodiversity Loss. Partners also include national and local government and non-governmental and civil society organizations as well as academic and research institutions. WA BiCC focuses on reinforcing the links between policy and practice, with practices being applied in 5 ‘Learning Landscapes’ – two coastal and three Transboundary Forest Landscapes.

Tetra Tech ARD is the lead implementer responsible for delivery of the WA-BiCC Program. PCI Media has been sub-contracted to provide technical expertise to the WA BiCC Program to develop an innovative Communication for Development (C4D) strategy, which employs Education-Entertainment (Behavior Change Communications) delivered to target audiences across the region, and strategic program communications, such as production and dissemination of technical reports, progress reports, technical briefs, social media, and development of the program website, as well as supporting event organization and media outreach.

Communications Team Lead

The Communications Team Lead will oversee and manage all program communications activities of the Communications Team based in Accra, Freetown, and Monrovia, working closely with the technical thematic teams based in Accra and Freetown. S/he will supervise the work and ensure the highest quality of all products on agreed priorities established with the KML Specialist who is also Director of the Collaborating, Learning and Adaptation Unit, which houses the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Team as well as the Communications Team. and the Chief of Party as needed.

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The Communications Team Lead will be responsible to lead Strategic Program Communications (quarterly reporting, success stories, web presence, standard branding and communication tools, etc.) for the WA BiCC program. S/he will work with the Communications Team to effectively communicate the knowledge generated during implementation. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, leading media relationships, developing PR activities, producing external and internal communication materials and writing for internal and programmatic purposes. The Team Lead will also work to develop, review and assist with the implementation of BCC approaches and products that seek to inform and influence how people productively and sustainably interact with and conserve natural resources and biodiversity while benefiting from livelihood activities.

Primary Responsibilities

• In coordination with the WA BiCC team:
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  • Lead implementation of communications strategy that supports the goals and objectives of the WA BiCC program and its partners;

• Identify and/or develop and/or manage partnerships with public or private entities to assist WA BiCC effectively communicate and disseminate core messages and lessons learned as articulated in the communication strategy;

• Ensure the overall delivery, design, management and ongoing adaptation of strategic program communications and BCC efforts by maximizing the comparative skill areas of the communications team members, ensuring that the appropriate messages and media reach each target audience across multiple platforms;
• Ensure the timely delivery of all communication assets, including new and traditional media targeting multiple audiences and across multiple platforms as identified with activity focal points;
• Undertake communication/outreach activities as needed, including event planning and management, publicity, engaging with stakeholders;
• Assume leadership in dealing with programmatic (contractual) reporting requirements in close coordination with the CLA Unit, M&E Specialist, technical leads, DCOP and COP; and
• Work with the M&E Specialist and Accra and Freetown-based teams to clearly identify and support delivery of the specific contributions that the Communications Team will provide to ensure the requirements of the WA BiCC Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.

• Lead weekly Communications Team meetings
• Participate in biweekly check-ins with the PCI Media Program Manager
• Undertake regional West Arica travel as required to fulfil the needs of this position in coordination with the technical line supervisor and COP
• Track budget flows and ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability against PCI Media budget lines
• Additional tasks may be assigned from time to time.

Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge Requirements

• Education and/or experience equivalent to a Masters’ Degree in communication, international development, journalism, social marketing or a field relevant to media/communication and development.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in international development or conservation, communication for social change, journalism, public relations, with at least 3 years of project management experience.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills in English and French (if possible) and in a variety of formats (i.e. web, print publications, briefing papers, press releases).
• Experience using communication strategies and tools to advance local, regional and international program objectives, including media relations, web/mobile/social media, print and events.
• Experience developing and successfully implementing a complex communication strategy, particularly for a new or growing program.
• Experience implementing national and regional/international communication efforts and adapting communication strategies for a variety of international audiences and media markets.
• Strong understanding of issues impacting developing countries, particularly around, biodiversity conservation, climate change, natural resource management, sustainable livelihoods, water and sanitation, and sustainable development.
• Ability to work and communicate with a range of stakeholders including policymakers and government officials, NGOs, the media, community representatives.

• Ability to thrive in team environments, with a strong understanding of diversity and other cultures.
• Strong fluency in spoken and written English and fluency in French language skills preferred.

• Immediately available to work in Ghana; able to travel without restrictions to other countries across West Africa.