Horn Africa Consultants Firm (HACOF) is a regional development consultancy firm with operational presence across the Horn of Africa, including Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. HACOF provides technical advisory, research, monitoring and evaluation, and programme management services to international development partners, donors, and implementing organisations working in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
HACOF is currently pursuing a number of competitive procurement opportunities across Somalia, Kenya, and the wider Horn of Africa region, spanning monitoring and evaluation and related technical advisory services. In anticipation of potential contract awards, HACOF invites expressions of interest from qualified individual consultants and technical experts across these thematic and geographic areas to join its roster of pre-qualified personnel.
NOTE: Inclusion on the HACOF roster does not constitute an offer of employment or a guarantee of engagement, and all consultancy assignments remain subject to successful contract award, confirmed scope, and available funding. Consultants whose profiles are assessed as relevant will be contacted directly when a suitable assignment arises. HACOF is committed to building a diverse and regionally rooted expert pool and strongly encourages applications from competent professionals, nationals of the countries in which HACOF operates, and candidates with direct lived and working experience of fragile and conflict-affected settings in the Horn of Africa.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Communications Specialist will serve as a full-time member of the MEAL delivery team for the duration of the assignment, providing continuous and on-demand communications support to the programme and its implementing partners. This is not primarily a media relations or public affairs role: the Communications Officer must be capable of synthesising evidence from monitoring and evaluation activities into high-quality, audience-appropriate communications products across digital and print platforms, in English and Somali, and in formats accessible to non-literate audiences. The Communications Officer will also lead the team’s regular social and news media monitoring function.
Key Responsibilities
- Convert findings from MEAL activities, including third-party monitoring, Outcome Harvesting sessions, and evaluation reports, into professional and accessible communications products for public, partner, and donor audiences, in line with the programme’s ethical storytelling guidelines.
- Produce professionally designed monthly and quarterly donor update products in English, drawing on partner communications, reporting data, and MEAL findings. These updates must be succinct, visually accessible, and appropriate for both a donor readership and a wider public audience.
- Maintain a weekly media monitoring function covering relevant Somali and international social media platforms (including X/Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and online news outlets), producing concise weekly summaries of no more than two pages covering civic space developments, reputational risks, and emerging opportunities. Monitoring must be conducted in both English and Somali.
- Alert the programme management team and MEAL team lead in a timely manner to any media reports, social media discussions, or public communications that pose reputational risks to the programme or its implementing partners and support the preparation of appropriate responses.
- Develop and maintain the programme website content, ensuring that stories and updates are published in a timely manner, meet ethical and quality standards, and are accessible to a Somali readership.
- Produce storytelling products including written stories of change, photo essays, video scripts, infographics, and illustrated content that responsibly document civic activity and the experiences of programme beneficiaries, strictly adhering to informed consent requirements and data protection standards.
- Produce communications content in Somali, including translations of key products into relevant Somali dialects, and develop formats accessible to non-literate audiences (illustrations, animations, audio content, and similar).
- Support implementing partners’ communications capacity where needed, including through the development of training materials, templates, and communication handbooks.
- Ensure that all storytelling and communications products avoid reinforcing political bias, clan polarisation, stigma, or narratives that may expose individuals, groups, or communities to harm or heightened risk.
- Collaborate with the Research Officer to integrate media monitoring data and communications findings into Outcome Harvesting analyses, assessment designs, and learning briefs.
- Attend and document key programme events, including Outcome Harvesting sessions and annual learning events, to support real-time communications and post-event reporting
Qualifications and Experience
- A minimum of 8 years of demonstrated experience designing and producing creative communications products in the Somali context, including for international development or humanitarian audiences.
- Demonstrated expertise in multi-platform storytelling, covering written, visual, and digital formats, with a strong portfolio of prior communications products produced for development programmes in fragile settings.
- Full professional proficiency in both English and Somali, including the ability to produce polished written content and to translate products between languages accurately and in culturally appropriate registers.
- Demonstrated experience with ethical storytelling and inclusive, dignity-respecting communications approaches, particularly in contexts involving vulnerable populations, political sensitivities, or protection risks.
- Demonstrated experience monitoring Somali-language and English-language social media and online news media for programmatic or reputational risk management purposes.
- Proficiency in graphic design and visual communications tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or equivalent).
- Experience producing video scripts, infographics, animations, or other non-text communications formats accessible to non-literate audiences is a strong advantage.
- Familiarity with development communications standards, including those of bilateral donors and multilateral agencies.
- Prior experience supporting communications for governance, civic engagement, or civil society programming in Somalia is strongly preferred.
- Somali language proficiency is strongly desirable and will be a significant advantage in the shortlisting process.
How to apply
Applicants must submit all of the following documents in a single email to the address indicated below. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- A cover letter of no more than two pages in English, clearly stating the position title applied for, the applicant’s relevant experience in relation to the position requirements, the applicant’s availability to commence the assignment from August 2026, and the applicant’s daily/monthly rate expectation in USD.
- A current curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than six pages, structured to clearly demonstrate compliance with the minimum qualifications and experience requirements listed for the position. The CV must include, at minimum: full name, contact details, nationality, languages, education history with institutions and graduation dates, professional certifications, a reverse-chronological employment history covering at least the past ten years, and a list of at least three professional references with name, title, organisation, telephone, and email contact details.
- A sample of relevant prior work (maximum two samples), such as a communications product, of which the applicant was a primary author or contributor. Samples should be identified with the applicant’s role and contribution clearly stated. Confidential or restricted documents should be submitted with any sensitive information redacted.
Submission Instructions: Applications should be sent to hr@hacof.com. The email subject line must clearly state the position title in the format: [POSITION TITLE]. This is a rolling recruitment process, and early applications are encouraged. Shortlisting will begin immediately upon receipt of applications and will continue until the position is filled.