Communications Officer At Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

About the Role

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Communications Officer to develop, organize, and manage a joint internal and external communications plan and activities for all our local projects. This role will be offered on a three(3) year fixed term contract, subject to availability of funding and will be based in Cotonou, Benin.

The Communications Officer will support the dissemination of the programme lessons, its successes, proposed strategies and heighten visibility of the programme. Under the guidance of the Project Manager Demand Creation and in close collaboration and coordination with GAIN’s Global Communications team, the postholder will support the formulation and implementation of communications strategies that aim to increase the standing and awareness of GAIN Benin’s interventions with a broad range of stakeholders including government officials, private sector, non-government, media, donors and civil society organizations.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Support GAIN Benin’s corporate communications strategy by working closely with the Digital Communications Manager, Program Managers, Knowledge Leadership team, and the global communications team, to design and implement the unit’s communication strategy and work plan.
• Develop and disseminate content that raises the awareness of the organization work in Benin (e.g., press releases, videos, pamphlets, publications, articles etc.) with special consideration to the variety of targeted audiences.
• Participate in field visits to document project updates that can be used to develop human interest stories, case studies, success stories, and other communication resources that can be utilized to engage various stakeholders e.g., private sector, policy makers, NGOs and implementing agencies active in LSFF, Demand Creation and SUN Business etc.
• Ensure that the GAIN Benin office’s outputs are updated and well covered on GAIN’s digital media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).
• Develop some innovative digital initiatives showing impact of GAIN’s work, identify relevant platforms for storytelling and engaging with relevant communities.
• Provide guidance, tools and content to programmes staff teams to reinforce coherence in messaging and brand.

About you

The ideal candidate should have demonstrable experience in communication, interactive digital media, print and broadcast media in French and English. Professional experience working in communications, directly or indirectly related to food supply chains, SMEs, development sector with direct/indirect engagement with farming communities preferred.

You should be a great storyteller and content creator with the ability to capture programmes impact through photography and video and disseminate via relevant platforms to showcase the organisations work. The ideal candidate should have experience to strengthen and position the digital communications for the office by ensuring that the GAIN Benin office’s outputs are updated and well covered on GAIN’s digital media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).

The ideal candidate should be able to translate different sets of information and tailor it to different audiences. An education background with a university degree level (Bachelors or Masters) in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Business Administration, or a related field or equivalent work experience is required.

About our Offer

The starting gross salary on offer for this role is from XOF 7’599’792– XOF 8’685’480 gross per annum, depending on experience.

GAIN has a fair and competitive salary structure that allows for annual progression subject to good performance. In addition, GAIN offers a total of 37 days holiday per year (including annual leave, public holidays and additional office closure days), an attractive pension scheme and competitive insurance cover including health, travel and life assurance. We are committed to the health of our staff, especially in these challenging times, and have developed a programme of wellbeing that includes flexible and hybrid working, additional leave allowances, wellbeing days, mindfulness coaching and access to independent and confidential counselling.

GAIN also has a strong commitment to professional development. We will support you to grow in your career through both formal and informal training, and are committed to providing opportunities through internal recruitment, secondments, and promotion. All of this is delivered in a supportive and collaborative environment.

About GAIN

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Due to COVID19, conflict in Ukraine and climate change, malnutrition and hunger have worsened significantly since 2019, reversing a decade of progress. There is growing recognition that our food systems need to change if we are to reverse these trends.

GAIN’s Strategy aims to transform food systems to make healthier diets from sustainable food systems accessible to all people and especially those whose are most vulnerable to shocks. By 2027, we aim to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries. This is bold and complex, and the only way to achieve this is to work together with partners including governments, businesses, and civil society at the country and global level. These goals, and the ways of achieving them, build on our twenty-year legacy of transforming people’s lives with improved nutrition through concerted action and effective policy change.

Our Working Culture and Environment

We provide a flexible working environment that includes a combination of home and office working opportunities through our global hybrid working policy. This encourages our staff to have a healthy work-life balance and increases staff motivation, enriches employee wellbeing, and improves performance and productivity.

All of our positions are based in one or more of GAIN’s designated offices as stated on our job advertisements. Successful candidates will be based in one of GAIN’s country offices and must have the existing right to live and work within a reasonably commutable distance of the relevant city / cities in which the role is advertised. Please note, that GAIN does not sponsor working visas and relocations.

GAIN reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment for candidates who are considered to ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.

Applicants must have the right to work and be currently based in the advertised country location, to be eligible to apply for this position.

This advert closes on 15th March 2024. Early applications are encouraged. GAIN reserves the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable candidates ahead of the closing date.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is committed to equality of opportunity and creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued. We are keen to reflect the diversity of our society at every level within our organisation and therefore welcome applications from talented and committed people from all backgrounds, representing the diverse societies we operate in.