Helen Keller
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Program Communications Officer
(Flexible Location; strong preference for co-location in a Helen Keller country office in Africa)
Helen Keller Intl is a global health organization dedicated to eliminating preventable vision loss, malnutrition and diseases of poverty. Co-founded by Helen Keller – and guided by her fierce optimism and belief in human potential – the organization delivers life-changing health and food security solutions to build resilience of vulnerable families where the need is great but access to care is limited. In the US, Africa, and Asia, Helen Keller’s proven, science-based programs empower people to create opportunities in their own lives and build lasting change.
Background
Working in more than 20 countries, Helen Keller’s global headquarters is based in New York City, with program offices in Africa and the Asia Pacific region and an affiliate in Europe. With an annual operating budget of about $70 million, Helen Keller’s programs are supported by a diverse array of donors, including the governments of the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom; multilaterals including the World Bank and various United Nations agencies; foundations; corporations; individuals; and families.
The Program Communications Officer will be based in one of the countries where Helen Keller works, deeply embedding in our programmatic work and teams and serving as an essential link between the organization’s programmatic and marketing and communications work. S/he will support Helen Keller’s mission by translating technical impact via storytelling for core audiences including institutional and individual donors, peer organizations, government, and unilateral agencies and media.
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.
Scope of the Position
Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Business Development, the Program Communications Officer will be a key member of both the Business Development and Marketing and Communications teams to implement an on-the-ground communications strategy. S/he will be expected to develop strong working partnerships with senior technical and country program staff to discover and author stories that that demonstrate impact on the people, families and communities we serve. These stories of impact will help prominently position Helen Keller among institutional and individual donors, peer organizations, government and unilateral agencies and media. Additionally, s/he will support the development of a range of communications materials for online and offline audiences, including news briefs, fact sheets, blog stories, and publications and liaise with donors, partner organizations and outside contractors, when needed.
Key Responsibilities
· Storytelling
o Adapt and execute a targeted communication strategy for technical experts and institutional donors.
o Partner closely with the Storyteller to implement and refine storytelling pipeline.
o Liaise with program and country-based teams to tease out stories of impact. Travel to visit programs once conditions allow.
o Work with Marketing and Communications to shape stories into language that can be used for stories, website and social media, publications, etc.
o Serve as regular contributor to Helen Keller’s blog and social media channels.
· Brand maintenance
o Maintain and monitor brand integrity across internal and external communications, with support from Marketing and Communications.
o Edit and facilitate review of staff presentations, talking points, collateral and grant materials.
o Support country teams to develop tools and content needed to meet institutional donor reports.
o Support Director, Marketing and Communications in facilitation of a Communications Community of Practice.
· Communication operations
o Serve as primary program communications point person for country-based program teams.
o Liaise with country and project-level program and communication staff to edit, produce and disseminate strategic content for external audiences including donors, potential partners, technical experts and other peer professionals.
o Support country offices in hiring of freelance photographers and videographers.
o Participate in program and country office communication officer recruitment, hiring and performance evaluations, with an aim to standardizing these positions worldwide.
Required Qualifications/Competencies
· Education: Degree in English, communications, marketing or related field; plus
· Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in communications, public relations, advocacy and/or journalism, preferably with a global nonprofit or NGO, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
· Superior English language writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with focus and experience in synthesizing complex content into essential, compelling messages for a range of mediums including one-pagers, reports, white papers, website, social media and press.
· Oral and reading proficiency in French is required.
· Graphic design, photography and videography experience a plus
· Ability to manage competing priorities and thrive under tight deadlines
· Strong interpersonal skills and experience working effectively in teams and cross-cultural settings
· Ability to prioritize workload, assume responsibility for work, and follow through to completion.
· Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented.
· Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards
· Commitment to Helen Keller Intl’s work and mission
· Ability and willingness to:
o flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones; and
o undertake international travel (approximately 5-8 weeks of travel per year) once conditions allow.
How to apply:
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hki.recruitment@hki.org. We would especially appreciate a thoughtful cover letter regarding your specific interest in this role at Helen Keller. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller
is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is fully valued.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at the email above or call: +1 646-356-1789.