Regional Communications Officer

Regional Position Location: Remote, France

Reports to: Senior Regional Communications Manager, Central Africa & Gulf of Guinea

Liaises with: HQ, Regional teams, Country programs, Site teams and technical support teams at global level

Expected travel: Frequent travel to Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo,

Republic of Congo, and Gabon

Duration: Full time position

Employment type: Remote, with regular field missions

Context

The Central Africa and Gulf of Guinea program is one of the largest of WCS’s 13 Global Regional Programs, spanning Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and Gabon. This is a rapidly growing program with a diverse and expanding portfolio of donors, partners and projects.

Across the region, efforts have been made to improve communications and marketing capabilities, particularly digital, in each country program as well as at regional level, which provides technical support and coordination throughout the region. This enhancement of communication capabilities goes hand in hand with an overall effort to promote conservation activities in the field, to increase visibility and awareness.

General Position Summary

The Regional Communications Officer will support the Senior Regional Communications Manager in developing communications strategies that respond to the needs of country and field programs, in mentoring a small local team of communications specialists to effectively implement these strategies across our conservation programs, and in coordinating with the WCS Communications Headquarters Team based in New York.

The Regional Communications Officer’s role will be to support and coordinate with the Senior Regional Communications Manager creating strong teams, quality products and homogeneous protocols for greater visibility.

The position is based remotely with frequent travel to the WCS offices in the region (at least 40% of the time).

Objectives

The Regional Communications Officer’s role will seek to achieve the following objectives:

• Support content production through the identification of impactful human story angles and their leverage in the most appropriate channels and medias
• Support country programs and sites in their communications efforts from a technical, editorial, and visibility point of view
• Help pitch stories and ensure smooth public relations with media outlets and production companies that may be interested in our activities in the region
• Support the Senior Regional Communications Manager in development of communications strategies, guidelines, processes and systems for the Central Africa region
• Provide support to the Senior Regional Communications Manager in the development of fundraising efforts, events and special projects

Terms of reference

Content production

• Liaise with on-site technical teams to identify story angles, prepare necessary background research, tentative schedule
• Produce and assist national and site teams in producing project-related quality multimedia content (text, video, photos, web and radio) – through field missions
• Produce purpose-specific content for web, digital, print, video and other channels, (including texts for visibility and marketing-oriented websites, video edits on thematic issues and research topics..)
• Assist the Senior Regional Communications Manager in content production related to multi-thematic and/or multi-country programs and projects with substantial funding, high expectations in terms of visibility and innovative ways to implement donor communications requirements
• Support the Regional Communications Manager in identifying, recruiting and accompanying in the field contractors (photos, videos, text) in order to outsource content production on an opportunistic basis

Implementation and capacity building

• Provide on-site capacity-building in communications techniques (story-telling, news-writing, press relations, photography, video editing,…)
• Provide remote mentoring, and editorial and product review
• Support ​​interim gaps in communications resources at national level as needed and determined by the Senior Regional Communications Manager

Media Relations

• Support press relations, particularly with international media based in Europe and Central Africa
• Identify media opportunities to pitch stories and implement appropriate background check
• Accompany press visits and production companies in the field, to ensure that our operations are well represented in the press

Regional Communications Strategies

• Support the Senior Regional Communications Manager in the development and implementation of actionable guidelines at national and site level
• Support the creation of consistent tools and protocols (knowledge management, templates, databases, photo library,…)

Fundraising, Events and Special Projects Support

• Create required products for specific grants and projects, particularly those nearing completion
• Support the organization of high-level events, including project launches, for specific grants and projects, particularly those recently started
• Support WCS visibility and institutional presence at international events and conferences
• Support with graphic design (layout, posters, banners, leaflets, logos,…) and in the production of visibility/branding products (uniforms, goodies, branded material,…)
• Develop thematic campaigns relevant at regional level, across all appropriate channels
• Initiate and develop Special Projects (dedicated website for Sites, multimedia content, collaborative projects,…)

Qualification Requirements

• More than five years’ experience developing and implementing communications and behavioral change strategies Significant experience engaging with international, national and local media
• Demonstrated experience engaging a diversity of target audiences using a broad range of contemporary media and tools across the PESO model
• Understanding of the tools that can be used to measure the success of communication and behavioral change a significant advantage
• Proven experience working in Africa, with experience in the DRC a distinct advantage
• Demonstrated experience, creativity and flexibility in operating effectively and sensitively in different socio-cultural environments
• Ability to work and write in both French and English fluently; sensitivity to local languages – especially in the development of communication materials
• Ability to work effectively in a large multi-cultural team
• Willing and able to travel to remote locations in Central Africa
• Interest in wildlife conservation and environmental issues