Organisation overview

Tostan is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Thies, Senegal, operating in five West African countries and partnering with actors across Africa and around the world through training and mutual learning.

Tostan’s mission is to empower communities to develop and achieve their vision for the future, and inspire large-scale movements leading to dignity for all. Since its founding in 1991, Tostan’s flagship program, the Community Empowerment Program, has supported community-led impacts in education, health, economic empowerment, governance, the environment, and many other areas. Tostan has been particularly proud to play a significant role in the large-scale empowerment of women and girls, the community-led abandonment of harmful practices such as female genital cutting and child marriage, and the expanding partnership between local community leaders and local government in creating sustained change.

Tostan has also built and scaled a platform to share its work with other organizations and has welcomed over 900 development practitioners and local leaders from 49 countries across Africa and around the world to engage in its model. Tostan’s global efforts to champion community leadership, empowering education, and other critical topics have shaped development approaches, policies, and priorities at many levels.

In an increasingly complex, challenging global context, Tostan feels a compelling sense of urgency to build upon this 32-year legacy to support community well-being in new and greater ways. In early 2023 Tostan will launch its Strategy to 2030: In partnership for community well-being. Developed in collaboration with partner communities, local & national government, and supporters from around the globe, this strategy will support breakthroughs in community well-being by engaging new clusters of communities, deepening connections and resources at local level, and catalysing the broader ecosystem of actors that support communities. Partnerships – with communities and with key actors in their ecosystem – are at the heart of realizing this potential. For more information, please visit: www.tostan.org

Position Summary

The Senior Communications Officer (SCO) will be a creative, highly organized self-starter, with experience in digital communications and marketing. She/He will be inspired by Tostan’s ambitious new strategy and will contribute to the advancement of our communications in line with this strategy. With knowledge and experience in implementing fundraising communications, this person will bring expertise and enthusiasm to our thriving organization. She/He will have the ability to build relationships with colleagues from a range of different cultural and professional backgrounds, and will be able to follow processes as well as work flexibly and creatively when needed.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Head of Communications and collaborating closely within the Partnership team, the Senior Communications Officer is responsible for overseeing and implementing Tostan’s communication strategies, with a specific focus on key stakeholders (philanthropy, institutional partners, etc.). With a primary emphasis on digital communications and email marketing, the individual in this role will generate creative ideas to enhance Tostan’s presence and reputation across digital platforms. They will identify opportunities to convey Tostan’s messages to key audiences in innovative ways that align with organizational goals, always prioritizing the communities at the core of Tostan’s work.

Key responsibilities

Under supervision of Head of Communications, the Senior Communications Officer (SCO) will:

General

• Work closely with Philanthropy and Resource Development teams to ensure consistency in messaging and branding across all communication materials;
• Develop and lead the implementation of sister organizations’ communication strategies in other countries;
• Develop and maintain stakeholder (donors, partners, etc.) communications via social media and newsletters, creating promotional assets as necessary;
• Develop and implement communication plans for philanthropy, Resource Development, and Influencing related events/campaigns, etc;
• Develop and implement Tostan’s email marketing strategy for external and internal purposes;
• Develop and implement comprehensive communication plans (including digital) for specific projects/events;
• Work closely with Comms Associate and Creative Content Associate to produce communications materials to support other teams in the partnership department as well as the Program Leadership Team (PLT) and the TTC:
• Work closely with the Community of Practice Coordinator to identify relevant content.

Digital Communications & Media Relations

• Lead the implementation of Tostan’s social media strategy to increase engagement with Tostan’s online community;
• Work closely with Comms Associate and Creative Content Associate to produce engaging social media content for audiences (including Philanthropy and institutional partners);
• Contribute to the implementation of the website redesigning project;
• Support in updating content on the website using Content Management System;
• Oversee and lead the identification and collection of communications content such as photographs, short videos, interviews with staff and community members, for use in internal and external communications;
• Write blog posts, newsletter articles, and other donor/institutional partners engagement pieces;
• Lead the production of key media content/assets (press kit, press release, op-ed, etc.).

This list is not exhaustive, the Senior Communications Officer (SCO) will be called upon to perform any other duties that may be assigned to him in connection with his skills or position.

Key relationships

Direct line Manager: Head of Communications

Peer (within the Partnerships department)

Senior Philanthropy Officer*

Institutional Partnerships Officer*

*Currently in recruitment

Localisation: Thies, Senegal

Key qualifications required

Education:

● Master’s Degree in Communications or relevant field is welcomed and preferred

Language skills:

• Fluency in French (oral and written) required;
• Fluency in English required;
• Knowledge of a local language in which Tostan works is welcome.

Knowledge and Experience:

• More than five years’ communications experience;
• Experience working in a development context and/or social sector organization;
• Experience working in fundraising communications;
• Professional experience using and leading others on key communications technology tools such as web-based project and content management systems, social media tools as well as search engine optimization;
• Ability to build strong relationships with global partners, with evidence of partnership working to achieve high impact.

Soft skills (characteristics)

• Enjoy working within a small NGO environment that is mission-driven;
• An inspiring professional practitioner, strategic in outlook and pragmatic in operation;
• Ambitious with a sense of urgency and passion, alongside personal credibility;
• Inspiring, inclusive, resilient, highly self-motivated and detail oriented;
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, analytical and written communication skills with exceptional ability to communicate complex information in clear simple language;
• Relishes the opportunity to transfer knowledge and collaborate, as well as to lead, manage, coach and mentor teams and individuals;
• Ability to build strong working relationships, both in-person and virtually.
• Team player, comfortable in working with multiple deadlines, under pressure and in a multicultural environment;
• Believes strongly in Tostan’s mission to empower communities to develop and achieve their vision for the future and inspire large scale movements leading to dignity for all.

Type of contract: local contract

Start date: February 2024

Our team is made up of people who strongly believe in Tostan’s mission to empower communities to develop and realize their vision for the future and inspire large-scale movements towards dignity for all.

Vision, Mission, Values, Problem definition

Vision

Dignity of all

Mission

Empower communities to develop and realize their vision for the future and inspire large-scale movements toward dignity for all.

Values

Love – integrity, respect and humility – learning and innovation – sustainability – partnerships – and dialogue

Problem definition

Lack of success in empowerment and non-formal education, exacerbated by poverty and deeply rooted social norms, created an environment that does not adequately prepare individuals and communities to realize their own vision of well-being. Sustainable communities

How to apply

Send your resume, cover letter, and scans of your diploma and certificate of education and training by email to [email protected].

Please send an email with ” SCO2024 “ quoted in the subject line. We will accept applications until December 25th, 2023. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Tostan is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applications in accordance with legal standards and without regard to race, religion, age, gender, origin or disability.

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