Communications Officer At Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund

About Us

The AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a development institution that finances early and growth-stage businesses to innovate, create jobs, and leverage investments and markets to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalized communities in Africa.

Since 2008, we have invested over US$ 300 million in over 510 businesses across sub-Sahara Africa focusing on Agribusiness, Renewable Energy, and Climate-smart Technologies. We have impacted more than 33 million lives, created over 35,000 jobs, and leveraged over US$ 838 million in matching funds to our portfolio companies.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya, with offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, and Somalia.

About the Role

The Communications Officer is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of AECF’s communications strategies and plans in West Africa including developing internal and external communications products, disseminating insights and knowledge pieces while creating and managing content for digital platforms. The position holder will lead efforts in developing clear and powerful messages, utilizing multiple channels tailored to target audiences at country, regional, and global levels. Working closely with key staff in Partnerships and other units to aggregate, package, and tailor information gathered through AECF’s grant-making activities, to raise the organization’s visibility while supporting and amplifying its program work.

Key Responsibilities:

Brand management

• Develop a monthly social media calendar to manage the various social media accounts and continuously generate new digital media content to ensure consistent and regular posting of messages on all platforms.
• Liaise with program units in the documentation of project activities, milestones, and successes through case studies, human-interest stories, video, and photo stories for internal and external dissemination in line with approved communications plans.

Events Management

• Coordinate communications activities and events ranging from press conferences to large seminars and meetings, involving external and/or internal audiences.
• Support staff participation in key strategic events.
• Update and maintain the calendar of events.

Media

• Monitor the African and International media for relevant news stories and trends, to align AECF communication and branding.
• Build and maintain a database of African journalists and media houses across the African continent in line with the AECF media liaison strategy.
• Support the communications team with media planning activities such as media invites, media tours, and media round tables.
• Produce news summary for dissemination to staff.

Internal Communications

• Promote knowledge and information sharing in the organization by engaging different units and facilitating seamless exchange of information with both internal and external parties.
• Support staff engagement activities including brown bags and other learning activities.
• Contribute to the development and circulation of the internal newsletter.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, Journalism, Social Sciences, Public Affairs or any other related field.
• Member of a professional body in good standing.
• Minimum of five (5) years relevant experience.
• Good interpersonal, analytical, and communications skills.
• Fluency in written and oral English and French languages.