Communications Manager, DREEM At World University Service of Canada

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Start date: ASAP (Ideally July 1, 2026)

Supervisor: DREEM Project Director

Location: Nairobi, Abidjan, Accra, Kigali, or Addis Ababa

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage interested candidates to apply early, as the vacancy may close once the right candidate has been identified.

Background:

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization driving positive education and economic change for young people around the world. Our vision is a world where every young person thrives and belongs. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations and create their own futures. To help achieve this goal, we develop initiatives that: deliver lasting, measurable impact; are powered by partnerships across the globe; stay true to our core programming principles; and respond to the priorities and aspirations of the people with whom we work.

WUSC is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and has offices across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our global team of development professionals bring deep expertise and open minds to identify new solutions to old problems and create a better world together. WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference for youth around the world. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in the communities they serve.

Project Description:

WUSC has launched the second phase (2026-2031) of an exciting initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, which aims to significantly expand efforts to help refugee, displaced, and host community (RDP) youth, particularly young women, secure dignified and fulfilling work and access education opportunities across Africa. Building on prior successes, this Phase II will deepen engagement in new geographies, strengthen local ecosystems, and equip partners with necessary knowledge and tools for lasting change. A core strategy is emphasizing the engagement and strengthening of Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) to provide sustainable, locally-led technical assistance.

Over the next five years, Phase II’s ambitious goals include indirectly enabling one million RDP youth to secure dignified work and 35,000 to access education through the provision of expert technical assistance to a broad ecosystem of actors. Key implementation strategies involve working closely with RLOs through three pathways: providing financial access via RLO Engagement , strengthening their capacity to provide technical assistance to partners, and embedding them across Phase II’s functional areas. WUSC will serve as a network orchestrator, facilitating connections for scale and training partners and other stakeholders on RDP inclusion. The initiative will achieve its targets by increasing knowledge among partners, enhancing capacity to develop innovative programming, improving collaboration and inclusive policies, and strengthening the institutional ability of RLOs to design, implement, and sustain RDP solutions.

Role Description:

The Communications Manager for DREEM 2030 is responsible for designing and delivering a high-impact, Pan-African communications strategy that elevates the profile of the DREEM program and Refugee and Displaced Persons (RDP) inclusion across the continent. The Manager will lead efforts to showcase the “business case” for including RDP youth, specifically young women (70% target) and youth with disabilities (10% target), in education and dignified, fulfilling work.

This role goes beyond traditional PR; it is a technical advisory position centered on network orchestration and knowledge exchange. You will support Mastercard Foundation teams and their diverse partners (across sectors like Education, Agriculture, and Digital) to mainstream inclusive messaging and evidence-based storytelling. A critical component of this role is providing technical assistance (TA) to Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) and the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to strengthen their independent communications and advocacy capacities, ensuring that RDP voices are central to the narrative.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Communications Leadership:

  • In close collaboration with the project’s leadership and WUSC’s Communications team in Canada, develop, implement, and periodically update a multi-country project communications and visibility strategy.
  • Lead the positioning of DREEM 2030 as a “Network Orchestrator” and a center of excellence for RDP inclusion across the continent.
  • Ensure all communication products and activities strictly adhere to Mastercard Foundation branding and WUSC corporate guidelines.
  • Advise senior leadership, technical teams, and country offices on strategic communication approaches to influence ecosystem actors.
  • Work in close collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation’’s communications lead to ensure both parties remain up to date on new opportunities, success stories, and goals and can synergize/amplify communications efforts.
  • Work in close collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation’’s regional and country communications leads to synergize efforts, ensuring success stories from the 80+ partner portfolio are amplified across Foundation channels.

Content Development & Storytelling:

  • Lead the production of high-quality “Business Case” materials that demonstrate the economic and social value of including RDP youth, specifically young women (70%) and youth with disabilities (10%), in education and employment.
  • Oversee field-based storytelling that centers the lived experiences of refugees and IDPs, moving beyond vulnerability-based narratives to focus on agency, resilience, and economic contribution.
  • Produce high-quality, complex communication products, including thematic briefs, case studies, and “Business Case” materials, that demonstrate the economic and social value of including RDP youth in sectors such as Education, Agriculture, and the Digital Economy.
  • Oversee the production of high-quality photography and graphic design, alongside the development of multi-lingual (English and French) video content. Ensure all visual assets are culturally appropriate and packaged for diverse linguistic audiences across Pan-African forums and global refugee summits.

Digital Communications & Knowledge Platforms:

  • Create, launch, and manage the DREEM project website, serving as the primary digital hub for the initiative.
  • Coordinate closely with WUSC HQ (Ottawa) and the Mastercard Foundation on website architecture, technical management, and brand alignment.
  • Manage and optimize the project’s digital presence, ensuring a robust flow of content for the DREEM online platform/knowledge hub.
  • Develop engaging digital campaigns tailored to diverse stakeholders across Africa, including in fragile contexts.
  • Collaborate with the Knowledge Management team to ensure research findings and technical toolkits are packaged for high digital engagement and accessibility.
  • Track performance metrics and recommend content improvements based on analytics.

Partner & Stakeholder Capacity Building:

  • Assess communications capacity needs among RLO partners and other stakeholders, and lead the delivery of communications Technical Assistance (TA) to RLOs and the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), empowering them to lead their own narratives and advocacy efforts.
  • In collaboration with the Training and Curriculum Development Specialist, develop and deliver tailored training packages, toolkits, and guidelines on topics such as:
    • storytelling and writing for development
    • branding and visibility requirements
    • digital communications and social media management
    • strategic communication planning
    • photography and ethical communications
  • Mentor partner teams and RLO communications focal points through hands-on coaching in collaborative content development, ethical storytelling and digital advocacy.
  • Lead the “Refugee-Led Procurement” strategy by ensuring WUSC sub-contracts refugee-led communications companies, photographers, or videographers for all project-related media needs.
  • Manage vendor relationships directly or support program leads in overseeing them to ensure high-quality, professional outputs.
  • Support the Mastercard Foundation RDP Enterprise team in the development of RDP inclusion focused comms peer learning mechanisms.
  • Assess and monitor the growth of partner communications capacity as a key project output.

Internal Communications & Knowledge Sharing:

  • Strengthen communication flows across the multi-country DREEM 2030 team to ensure technical innovations in one region (e.g., Kenya) are shared and adapted in others (e.g., Senegal or Ethiopia).
  • Support the documentation and internal dissemination of “lessons learned” from the TA model to improve project delivery.
  • Develop templates, brand assets, and guidance materials for internal and external use.
  • Facilitate the exchange of best practices by participating in the WUSC global Communications Community of Practice and contributing to organization-wide learning.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL):

  • Define and track communications KPIs that measure narrative shift and the uptake of RDP inclusion practices among partners.
  • Work closely with the MERL Senior Manager to translate complex research data and “Evidence-to-Action” briefs into accessible, high-impact communication products.
  • Contribute results-oriented inputs to semi-annual reports for the Mastercard Foundation, highlighting how communications activities are driving systemic change.
  • Document lessons learned regarding the effectiveness of the TA approach and contribute to the project’s adaptive management processes.

Qualifications:

  • At minimum, a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, International Development, or related field;
  • 7–10 years of progressive experience in communications, preferably within donor-funded programmes in the African context.
  • Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate technical content into compelling narratives.
  • Demonstrated experience developing and implementing multi-country communication strategies.
  • Experience designing and delivering training or capacity-strengthening initiatives.
  • Strong digital communications and content management skills.
  • Previous experience in managing consultants and junior communications officers.
  • Graphic design, photography, or multimedia experience is an advantage.
  • Demonstrated commitment to social inclusion and knowledge of the specific constraints and realities of challenges faced by refugee and displaced groups;
  • Adherence to gender equality and social inclusion principles; proven knowledge of and commitment to the concept of gender equality and intersectionality within programming;
  • Complete fluency in English and French is essential, with the ability to write articulately and cogently, and to edit at a similarly high level;
  • Strong planning, organization and problem-solving skills with ability to work hands-on, independently, and within team in a fast-paced work environment;
  • Commitment to WUSC’s mission of building a better world for all young people, particularly displaced and refugee youth.

Other requirements:

  • The headquarters of this initiative is located in Nairobi, Kenya, but the ideal candidate can also be based in Abidjan, Accra, Kigali, or Addis Ababa. The Communications Manager must already possess the relevant work authorizations in the country they are/will be residing in, and no relocation support will be provided by WUSC.
  • The role will require frequent travel across the continent, and occasional international travel for conferences, workshops and meetings;
  • Ability to work a flexible schedule.

How to apply

To apply, please click on this link

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence, and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.