Background

Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. We work with governments and civil society in 73 countries to design and implement evidence-based strategies that tackle their most pressing public health problems. Our goal is to see governments adopt promising interventions at scale as rapidly as possible.

Responsibilities & Duties

Strategic Leadership & Stakeholder Management -

• Represent Vital Strategies and provide on-the-ground coordination of food policy communication projects in Africa (specifically Kenya and Uganda).
• Assess country political feasibility and identify in-country stakeholders, partners, and local grantees to lead communication efforts.
• Ensure alignment of communication plans with the overall advocacy agenda and public health priorities in countries and the region.
• Keep abreast of countries’ political context regarding food policy and public health.

Campaign Development & Execution -

• Provide guidance on strategic planning, development, and evaluation of mass media, digital media, and public relations campaigns.
• Manage the development and execution of industry-accountability integrated communication strategies across up to three African countries.
• Work with staff, partners, and agencies to develop messages, guide production, plan media, and evaluate campaigns.

Grant & Budget Management -

• Manage and monitor all food policy program sub-grants in Africa.
• Collaborate with the leadership team, senior grants manager, and country-level communication managers on grants.
• Ensure deliverables, budgets, and reporting align with agreements and deadlines.

Team Coordination & Collaboration -

• Coordinate communication managers in Africa to facilitate timely information sharing between leadership, country teams, and external partners.
• Collaborate with the internal PR team to draft materials like press releases, newsletter copy, and fact sheets.

Public Relations & Event Management -

• Monitor news and trends to pitch story ideas, interviews, and statements from key spokespeople.
• Manage and participate in events including workshops, training sessions, conferences, campaign launches, and press briefings.

Qualifications

Education and Degree -

• Master’s degree

Skills and Abilities

• Strong project management skills
• Expertise in strategic communication, public relations, policy advocacy and media campaigns, including digital media
• Ability to bring new, creative ideas to communicating the organization's work
• Excellent judgment and strategic thinking
• Self-starter with ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams
• Ability to foster a collaborative team environment that encourages different perspectives and new ideas
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across time zones and platforms
• Ability to effectively address multiple complex activities and tasks concurrently and to work under the pressure of deadlines
• Strong skills in organizing resources and establishing work priorities and timely meeting of deadlines and milestones

Experience

Required -

• Minimum of 10 years work experience with at least five years of job-related experience in advertising, digital marketing, strategic communications, public relations, and/or public health
• Demonstrated capacity to think strategically, to lead and work within diverse teams, to work in multi-cultural settings and with a high degree of independence
• Experience with grants management and negotiation, financial management, and compliance
• Advanced-level proficiency with Microsoft Office packages
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing productive relationships, partnerships and collaborations

Preferred -

• Experience in communicating complex concepts for non-technical audiences
• Experience in communication and government relations
• Familiarity with public health and advocacy work
• Experience working with NGOs and public interest groups on public policy initiatives
• Experience working at the international level and in cross-cultural settings
• Experience in working with donors, multilateral organizations, foundations, and technical assistance agencies

Language Requirements:

• Expert command of both written and spoken English

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Travel internationally as needed (up to 20% of the time).

• Represent Vital Strategies and provide on-the-ground coordination of food policy communication projects in Africa (specifically Kenya and Uganda).
• Assess country political feasibility and identify in-country stakeholders, partners, and local grantees to lead communication efforts.
• Ensure alignment of communication plans with the overall advocacy agenda and public health priorities in countries and the region.
• Keep abreast of countries’ political context regarding food policy and public health.
• Provide guidance on strategic planning, development, and evaluation of mass media, digital media, and public relations campaigns.
• Manage the development and execution of industry-accountability integrated communication strategies across up to three African countries.
• Work with staff, partners, and agencies to develop messages, guide production, plan media, and evaluate campaigns.
• Manage and monitor all food policy program sub-grants in Africa.
• Collaborate with the leadership team, senior grants manager, and country-level communication managers on grants.
• Ensure deliverables, budgets, and reporting align with agreements and deadlines.
• Coordinate communication managers in Africa to facilitate timely information sharing between leadership, country teams, and external partners.
• Collaborate with the internal PR team to draft materials like press releases, newsletter copy, and fact sheets.
• Monitor news and trends to pitch story ideas, interviews, and statements from key spokespeople.
• Manage and participate in events including workshops, training sessions, conferences, campaign launches, and press briefings.

• Strong project management skills
• Expertise in strategic communication, public relations, policy advocacy and media campaigns, including digital media
• Ability to bring new, creative ideas to communicating the organization's work
• Excellent judgment and strategic thinking
• Self-starter with ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams
• Ability to foster a collaborative team environment that encourages different perspectives and new ideas
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across time zones and platforms
• Ability to effectively address multiple complex activities and tasks concurrently and to work under the pressure of deadlines
• Strong skills in organizing resources and establishing work priorities and timely meeting of deadlines and milestones
• Advanced-level proficiency with Microsoft Office packages
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing productive relationships, partnerships and collaborations

• Master’s degree