Background

We are a not for profit organization that works with vulnerable children in the public school system to improve their lives and school performance. Founded in 2012, Food for Education provides subsidized school meals every day to over 15,000 kids with a goal of feeding 1,000,000 kids by 2025.

The Role

The Senior Manager, Communications is the operational lead for Food4Education's communications function, responsible for translating organisational strategy into integrated communications that strengthen reputation, employee engagement and organisational growth.

Reporting to the Head of Communications, the role provides strategic oversight across internal and external communications, executive communications, media relations and reputation management while leading a team responsible for delivering high-quality communications across the organisation.

As Food4Education expands across Africa, the Senior Manager will ensure communications are embedded into organisational planning, enabling the organisation to communicate consistently, proactively and with impact across every audience.

Key responsibilities

Lead the communications function - Provide day-to-day leadership of Food4Education's communications team.

• Lead and coach the Communications team, ensuring clear priorities, high standards and professional development.
• Manage performance, work planning and resource allocation across the Communications pillar.
• Foster strong collaboration across communications, brand & marketing and special projects.
• Build processes that improve planning, coordination and delivery.

Strategic communications - Translate organisational priorities into integrated communications.

• Develop integrated communications plans aligned to organisational priorities.
• Ensure communications is engaged early in strategic initiatives.
• Partner with departmental leaders to embed communications into programmes and projects.
• Maintain alignment between communications activities and organisational objectives.

Internal Communications Leadership - Provide strategic oversight of Food4Education's internal communications function.

• Lead the development of the internal communications strategy.
• Oversee internal communication channels, editorial planning and employee engagement.
• Guide leadership communications during organisational growth and change.
• Partner with the People team to strengthen culture, engagement and organisational alignment.
• Ensure employees across kitchens, field teams and offices remain connected to Food4Education's mission.

External & corporate communications - Lead organisational communications externally.

• Oversee media engagement and corporate communications.
• Guide executive communications for the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
• Ensure consistent messaging across all external communications.
• Oversee speeches, talking points/briefings, opinion pieces and institutional communications.

Reputation & Issues Management - Protect Food4Education's reputation.

• Lead issues preparedness and crisis communications planning.
• Monitor emerging reputational risks.
• Advise senior leadership on communications responses.
• Coordinate communications during sensitive or high-profile issues.

Communications planning & governance - Strengthen how communications operates.

• Maintain integrated communications planning processes.
• Oversee editorial governance and messaging consistency.
• Ensure communications requests are prioritised against organisational objectives.
• Establish reporting frameworks and communications KPIs.

Agency & stakeholder management

• Manage PR agencies and specialist communications partners.
• Build relationships with media, strategic partners and key stakeholders.
• Ensure agencies deliver against agreed objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification is advantageous.

Experience

• 8–10 years' experience in strategic communications.
• Experience leading communications teams.
• Experience advising executives.
• Strong media and corporate communications background.
• Experience managing communications in a complex, fast-growing organisation.
• Experience in Africa and/or development sector advantageous.

Success measures

• Communications plans consistently support organisational priorities.
• Strong executive and leadership communications.
• Improved employee engagement through effective internal communications.
• Increased positive media profile and thought leadership.
• Effective management of reputation and issues.
• High-performing Communications team.

• Provide day-to-day leadership of Food4Education's communications team.
• Lead and coach the Communications team, ensuring clear priorities, high standards and professional development.
• Manage performance, work planning and resource allocation across the Communications pillar.
• Foster strong collaboration across communications, brand & marketing and special projects.
• Build processes that improve planning, coordination and delivery.
• Develop integrated communications plans aligned to organisational priorities.
• Ensure communications is engaged early in strategic initiatives.
• Partner with departmental leaders to embed communications into programmes and projects.
• Maintain alignment between communications activities and organisational objectives.
• Lead the development of the internal communications strategy.
• Oversee internal communication channels, editorial planning and employee engagement.
• Guide leadership communications during organisational growth and change.
• Partner with the People team to strengthen culture, engagement and organisational alignment.
• Ensure employees across kitchens, field teams and offices remain connected to Food4Education's mission.
• Oversee media engagement and corporate communications.
• Guide executive communications for the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
• Ensure consistent messaging across all external communications.
• Oversee speeches, talking points/briefings, opinion pieces and institutional communications.
• Lead issues preparedness and crisis communications planning.
• Monitor emerging reputational risks.
• Advise senior leadership on communications responses.
• Coordinate communications during sensitive or high-profile issues.
• Maintain integrated communications planning processes.
• Oversee editorial governance and messaging consistency.
• Ensure communications requests are prioritised against organisational objectives.
• Establish reporting frameworks and communications KPIs.
• Manage PR agencies and specialist communications partners.
• Build relationships with media, strategic partners and key stakeholders.
• Ensure agencies deliver against agreed objectives.

• Strategic communications
• Team leadership and coaching
• Performance management
• Resource allocation
• Collaboration
• Process improvement
• Integrated communications planning
• Internal communications strategy development
• Editorial planning
• Employee engagement
• Leadership communications
• Media engagement
• Corporate communications
• Executive communications
• Reputation management
• Issues preparedness
• Crisis communications planning
• Stakeholder management
• Agency management
• Public relations
• Journalism

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification is advantageous.