Senior Programme Manager: Publications and Information At Rift Valley Institute

Job Title: Senior Programme Manager: Publications and Information
Employment Type: Permanent contract, full time employment
Location: UK with occasional duty travel to other RVI offices in Africa
Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Head of Programmes and line manages the Programme Officer: Communications, IT and Knowledge Management

Key Working Relationships

• Regularly interacts with the Head of Programmes, Executive Director and the Executive Management Team (EMT) on the development and implementation of RVI’s communications strategy.
• Oversees the work of the Communications, IT and Knowledge Management team.
• Has regular contact with programme and project managers to develop, commission and produce high quality publications and communications materials relevant to their projects.

Scope of the Role

• Oversees and supports the development and implementation of RVI’s publications and communications strategy.
• Ensures publications meet quality standards and comply with organisational house style
• Has a key role in delivering and communicating RVI’s development strategy
• Takes strategic decisions on the development of RVI’s publications and Information in consultation and collaboration with other staff.
• Takes day-to-day decisions on the production of publications, including editorial, timing, design and quality control.
• Manages relationships with external consultants, including editors, printers and designers.
• Involves in organisational decision-making as part of Senior Programme Managers Team, including fundraising, recruitment and project development.
• Oversees cross-organisational communications and knowledge management.
• Line manages the Communications Team.
• Manages some projects in the areas of his/her competence as required.

Responsibility for Resources

• Responsible for managing publications and communications staff and consultants.
• Responsible for the annual publications and communications budget.
• Responsible for individual project budgets led and managed by the Publications and
  Information team.

Job Purpose

The Senior Programme Manager (SPM), Publications and Information is responsible for the development and delivery of RVI’s publications and information work in a way that supports RVI’s strategic goals of advancing and exchanging knowledge through research, education and public information. It is RVI’s strategy to invest in African researchers and increase publications by African researchers. The SPM Publications and Information oversees and ensures quality control over the production of all RVI’s communications outputs, including research products, briefings, blogs, podcasts, videos, the RVI website and social media. S/he supports RVI’s IT systems and internal communications and reporting systems. The SPM Publications and Information is a member of the Senior Managers Team, which supports programme development and strategic decision-making within the Institute.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Production (50%)

• Manage and oversee the development of RVI’s publications work ensuring the timely production and dissemination of publications as a key aspect of the Institute’s research agenda and development strategy.
• Work with managers to develop publications plans and commission researchers for research projects, prioritising African researchers.
• Work with managers to mentor and publish early career African researchers.
• Maintain editorial control and quality assurance over all RVI publications and sign-off on all written publications, including reports, briefings, blogs, public notices and newsletters.
• Supervise editing and proofreading of RVI reports, briefings, blogs, newsletter and other published materials in digital and physical form.
• Commission and oversee the work of consultant text-editors, typesetters, graphic designers, mapmakers and printers engaged in the publication process.
• Work with managers to facilitate dissemination and uptake strategies for RVI’s research publications, maintaining RVI’s commitment to open-access publishing and the publication of African authors.
• Develop and oversee implementation of RVI’s multi-lingual publishing goal (i.e. English, Arabic, Somali, French, Swahili and Amharic).
• Oversee the monitoring and analysis of the uptake and impact of RVI publications through website and social media analytics.

Programme management and development (20%)

• Support other RVI staff in the design and development of new research and project proposals.
• When required, develop and manage RVI projects, including liaising directly with donors on project progress, reporting, financial administration, recruitment and management of consultants, ensuring the integrity of projects and quality of project reports and outputs.
• In collaboration with project managers, support the development of RVI’s approaches to research, knowledge production and data management.
• Support RVI Education and Forums team with the production of written materials for courses and Forums.

Communications, knowledge management and public representation (10%)

• Line manage and support the Programme Officer: Communications, IT and Knowledge Management to develop and implement a communications strategy.
• Oversee and support the management of the RVI website and social media accounts, and sign-off on written materials, ensuring the highest of standards.
• Oversee and support the effective management of the organisation’s data bases, including dropbox, ensuring compliance with RVI’s data protection policy.
• Represent RVI in public meetings to promote the work of the institute and its research and educational projects.

Institutional reporting and development (10%)

• Work with RVI managers to coordinate the production of institutional reports, including the Board Book, Annual Report, and monthly reports.
• Work with the Executive Management Team (EMT) on the production of annual statutory reports.
• Participate in annual and strategic organisational planning, decision-making and development processes, including the annual plan and reports.
• Participate in regular meetings of the Senior Managers Team.
• Manage and report on the Publications and Communications annual budget.
• Fundraise for Publications and Communications work.

Personnel Management (10%)

• Line manage the Programme Officer: Communications, IT and Knowledge Management, monitor their performance and support their professional development through mentoring.
• Oversee the recruitment of other communications staff and consultants as required.

Representation

• Acts as RVI’s representative in the UK.
• Represent RVI in meetings with donors, and institutions in the UK, and as required in Europe and the US.
• Oversee the management of RVI’s UK office, including financial administration, and future staff.

These are the normal duties which the RVI requires from the post holder at the date of appointment. As a Senior Manager, the post holder will be expected to join and facilitate task-oriented teams and working groups from time to time. It may also be necessary to alter some of the duties described above in accordance with the needs of the job and the organisation. Any changes will be made in consultation with the employee.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Knowledge & Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD, in a relevant social science discipline.
• Demonstrable knowledge of RVI’s regions of work and one or more country where RVI is operational in eastern and central Africa.

Experience

• Proven track record in relevant role(s), including research, research management, academia, journalism, and editing publications management.
• Experience of working in Eastern Africa, the Horn of Africa or the Great Lakes region.
• Experience of personnel management.

Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Writing and editorial: able to produce clear and accurate written material, for publications, proposals and internal reporting.
• Project management: able to organise and manage multiple tasks and projects efficiently and effectively, following institutional financial processes.
• Collaboration and communication: able to work effectively with multi-cultural or culturally diverse staff from different programmes and in different locations, often remotely.
• Strategic planning and oversight: able to develop and implement a publications and communications strategy in line with the Institute’s development strategy.

Desirable

• Ability to work in another regional language—French, Arabic, Somali, Amharic or Swahili — would be an advantage.

NOTE:

Applicants should have the right to work in the UK.

We will be reviewing applications and hold interviews on a rolling basis and the vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline, if a suitable applicant is selected.