About KELIN

KELIN is an independent Kenyan non-governmental organisation that works to protect and promote health-related human rights through advocacy, strategic litigation, legal empowerment, research, and policy engagement. Established to address legal and ethical issues related to HIV, KELIN’s work has since expanded to advance the right to health more broadly, with particular attention to vulnerable, marginalised, and excluded populations in Kenya.

Job Summary

The Communications Manager will lead KELIN’s institutional communications, visibility, and influence function. The role holder will ensure that KELIN’s work shapes public discourse, policy engagement, and stakeholder perception by translating programme, research, litigation, and institutional priorities into clear, compelling, and strategically aligned messaging.

The communications manager will work closely with programme, research, MEL, business development, and leadership teams to ensure that communications is positioned as a core strategic function that drives advocacy, public engagement, donor confidence, and institutional growth. They will also helps safeguard KELIN’s public image and ensures coherence across internal and external communications.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Communications Strategy and Planning

• Development and implement KELIN’s communications strategy
• Develop annual and periodic communications plans, campaigns, content calendars, and visibility priorities.
• Advise senior management on strategic messaging, public positioning, and reputational considerations.
• Ensure that all communications align with KELIN’s mission, values, brand, and advocacy objectives.

Strategic Positioning, Influence, and Decision Support

• Shape KELIN’s public positioning on key legal, policy, and health rights issues.
• Support management in institutional messaging and narratives
• Identify visibility opportunities in high-level policy, media, and thought leadership platforms.
• Align evidence (research/MEL) and external messaging
• Provide insights on public perception, visibility trends, and stakeholder engagement.

Content Development and Storytelling

• Lead the development of communication materials, including press statements, articles, newsletters, briefs, fact sheets, speeches, talking points, web content, social media content, and impact stories.
• Translate technical content into clear, audience-appropriate messaging.
• Work with programme, research, and MEL teams to identify stories, evidence, results, and lessons suitable for internal and external communication.
• Translate research outputs, MEL data, and litigation outcomes into compelling narratives that influence engagement.

Media and Public Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, media houses, editors, and other relevant public-facing platforms.
• Draft and review media materials and coordinate media engagement, interviews, press briefings, and public statements as required.
• Monitor media coverage and advise management on public perception, emerging risks, and response strategies.

Digital Communications and Brand Management

• Oversee KELIN’s digital presence, including the website, social media platforms, and other online communication channels.
• Manage KELIN’s visual identity, branding standards, and content presentation.
• Track digital engagement and use insights to improve reach, relevance, and audience engagement.
• Use digital platforms strategically to shape narratives, influence public engagement, and expand KELIN’s reach and visibility.

Advocacy and Campaign Communications

• Lead the communication strategy for advocacy, strategic litigation, and policy engagement efforts through strong communication strategies and targeted messaging.
• Develop communication approaches for campaigns, public education, policy influence, and rights awareness initiatives.
• Package research findings, legal developments, and programme results into accessible outputs for policymakers, communities, partners, and the public.
• Strengthen the visibility and influence of KELIN’s thought leadership and public-interest work.

Internal Communication and Organisational Alignment

• Support effective internal communication across the organisation to strengthen coherence, collaboration, and shared understanding of priorities.
• Help leadership communicate key decisions, messages, and institutional updates clearly to staff and other stakeholders.
• Support internal events, learning sessions, launches, and other institutional activities with appropriate communication materials.

Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Support

• Support business development and fundraising efforts through the preparation of communication material and donor-facing content.
• Contribute to proposal development by strengthening presentation, messaging, and institutional positioning.
• Develop materials that enhance KELIN’s credibility with donors, partners, and prospective collaborators.
• Help position KELIN’s work for strategic partnerships, public recognition, and broader institutional growth.

Reputation, Risk, and Quality Assurance

• Safeguard KELIN’s brand and public image by ensuring quality control over external messaging and visibility materials.
• Advise leadership on communication risks, reputational issues, and crisis-response needs where necessary.
• Review communication outputs for consistency, accuracy, tone, and alignment with organisational policy and strategy.
• Ensure that public communication reflects ethical standards, sensitivity to rights-based issues, and the protection of communities and partners.
• Lead communication responses in high-risk or sensitive situations in coordination with the Executive Director.

Planning, Coordination, and Administration

• Prepare annual and periodic communications workplans, budgets, and performance updates.
• Track communication outputs, campaign performance, media engagement, and visibility milestones.
• Maintain organised archives of communication products, media content, photographs, videos, and branded materials.
• Set and enforce organisation-wide communication standards, messaging frameworks, and branding guidelines.
• Review and approve public-facing content, campaigns, and messaging.
• Guide how programme, research, and MEL outputs are translated into external communication.
• Advise on and clear sensitive or high-risk communication.
• Escalate reputational or communication risks to the manager.

Education Experience and Competencies Desired

• Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Media Studies, Development Communication, International Relations, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution.
• Additional training in digital communications, branding, media relations, advocacy communication, or content strategy will be an added advantage.
• Professional certification in communications, public relations, digital marketing, or related fields will be an added advantage.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in strategic communications, public relations, media engagement, advocacy communication, or institutional communications.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing communication strategies for organisations, programmes, or campaigns.
• Proven experience producing high-quality communication products for diverse audiences.
• Experience managing media relations, digital platforms, public-facing messaging, and brand visibility.
• Experience supporting advocacy, rights-based programming, public policy engagement, or social impact communication.
• Experience in the NGO, public interest, governance, health rights, or development sector will be an added advantage.

Diversity Statement:

KELIN is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and welcome applications from all qualified individuals,

• Development and implement KELIN’s communications strategy
• Develop annual and periodic communications plans, campaigns, content calendars, and visibility priorities.
• Advise senior management on strategic messaging, public positioning, and reputational considerations.
• Ensure that all communications align with KELIN’s mission, values, brand, and advocacy objectives.
• Shape KELIN’s public positioning on key legal, policy, and health rights issues.
• Support management in institutional messaging and narratives
• Identify visibility opportunities in high-level policy, media, and thought leadership platforms.
• Align evidence (research/MEL) and external messaging
• Provide insights on public perception, visibility trends, and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead the development of communication materials, including press statements, articles, newsletters, briefs, fact sheets, speeches, talking points, web content, social media content, and impact stories.
• Translate technical content into clear, audience-appropriate messaging.
• Work with programme, research, and MEL teams to identify stories, evidence, results, and lessons suitable for internal and external communication.
• Translate research outputs, MEL data, and litigation outcomes into compelling narratives that influence engagement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, media houses, editors, and other relevant public-facing platforms.
• Draft and review media materials and coordinate media engagement, interviews, press briefings, and public statements as required.
• Monitor media coverage and advise management on public perception, emerging risks, and response strategies.
• Oversee KELIN’s digital presence, including the website, social media platforms, and other online communication channels.
• Manage KELIN’s visual identity, branding standards, and content presentation.
• Track digital engagement and use insights to improve reach, relevance, and audience engagement.
• Use digital platforms strategically to shape narratives, influence public engagement, and expand KELIN’s reach and visibility.
• Lead the communication strategy for advocacy, strategic litigation, and policy engagement efforts through strong communication strategies and targeted messaging.
• Develop communication approaches for campaigns, public education, policy influence, and rights awareness initiatives.
• Package research findings, legal developments, and programme results into accessible outputs for policymakers, communities, partners, and the public.
• Strengthen the visibility and influence of KELIN’s thought leadership and public-interest work.
• Support effective internal communication across the organisation to strengthen coherence, collaboration, and shared understanding of priorities.
• Help leadership communicate key decisions, messages, and institutional updates clearly to staff and other stakeholders.
• Support internal events, learning sessions, launches, and other institutional activities with appropriate communication materials.
• Support business development and fundraising efforts through the preparation of communication material and donor-facing content.
• Contribute to proposal development by strengthening presentation, messaging, and institutional positioning.
• Develop materials that enhance KELIN’s credibility with donors, partners, and prospective collaborators.
• Help position KELIN’s work for strategic partnerships, public recognition, and broader institutional growth.
• Safeguard KELIN’s brand and public image by ensuring quality control over external messaging and visibility materials.
• Advise leadership on communication risks, reputational issues, and crisis-response needs where necessary.
• Review communication outputs for consistency, accuracy, tone, and alignment with organisational policy and strategy.
• Ensure that public communication reflects ethical standards, sensitivity to rights-based issues, and the protection of communities and partners.
• Lead communication responses in high-risk or sensitive situations in coordination with the Executive Director.
• Prepare annual and periodic communications workplans, budgets, and performance updates.
• Track communication outputs, campaign performance, media engagement, and visibility milestones.
• Maintain organised archives of communication products, media content, photographs, videos, and branded materials.
• Set and enforce organisation-wide communication standards, messaging frameworks, and branding guidelines.
• Review and approve public-facing content, campaigns, and messaging.
• Guide how programme, research, and MEL outputs are translated into external communication.
• Advise on and clear sensitive or high-risk communication.
• Escalate reputational or communication risks to the manager.

• Strategic communications
• Public relations
• Media engagement
• Advocacy communication
• Institutional communications
• Content development
• Storytelling
• Media relations
• Digital platforms management
• Brand visibility
• Advocacy
• Rights-based programming
• Public policy engagement
• Social impact communication
• Internal communication
• Resource mobilization
• Partnership support
• Reputation management
• Risk management
• Quality assurance
• Planning
• Coordination
• Administration

• Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Media Studies, Development Communication, International Relations, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution.
• Additional training in digital communications, branding, media relations, advocacy communication, or content strategy will be an added advantage.
• Professional certification in communications, public relations, digital marketing, or related fields will be an added advantage.