Communications Manager

Pact is an international nonprofit that works in nearly 40 countries building solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven and owned by the communities we serve. Founded in 1971, Pact works with partners to build resilience, improve accountability, and strengthen knowledge and skills for sustainable social impact.

Department

Programs – Pact strives for a world where all people are heard, capable, and vibrant. The Programs Team helps realize this objective by bridging program management, technical support, and business development, enabling Pact to achieve its global strategy. We ensure program excellence through continuous learning, monitoring and evaluation and provide organizational and industry-wide thought leadership by leveraging a complementary set of cross-functional, multi-disciplinary skills, expertise, and experiences. The Programs team: influences progressive change through the development and implementation of global and regional strategies and business plans; supports advancement of innovative solutions; pursues new business opportunities; and drives effective internal and external engagement to maximize Pact’s impact across the globe. Across all aspects of its role, the Programs Department adheres to and promotes a culture of inclusion, accountability, and respect.

Position Overview

Pact, Inc. seeks an experienced Communications Manager for the USAID-funded Strengthening Youth and Women’s Civic Participation Program, focused on Sudan. The Project aims to increase collaboration, sustainability, and resilience of Sudanese civil society and independent media to advance the inclusion, participation, and leadership of youth and women in Sudan. The activity will apply locally led, problem-driven, adaptive approaches. This program will be starting Y2 of a five-year activity, with a dramatic shift in the operating context since the war started in Sudan in April 2023. As Pact has shifted its operations offshore and outside of Sudan, this position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Communications Manager is a senior member of the team responsible for overall communication and knowledge management related to the program. The successful candidate will support the project manager with ensuring that all communications requirements set by the donor and Pact are fulfilled completely.

Key Responsibilities

Internal Communications Management:

• Coordinate and facilitate the development of program reports, specifically the quarterly and annual reports to USAID.
• Work with the program team to develop program presentations, briefs, success stories, and best practices for Pact, USAID, and other audiences.
• Support staff with developing presentations, videos, and audio materials where necessary.
• Lead the development and rollout of a program communications plan in line with program needs, staff requirements, and USAID communications guidelines.
• Work with the technical team to identify and prepare the program Communications Standard Operating Procedures; and brief all Sudan team and consortium partners on its implementation.
• Develop and/or update other relevant communications materials for the program.
• Supervise the program Communications Officer, and coordinate and project manage the communications team’s priority tasks.
• Serve as liaison with Pact’s Integrated Communications team in Washington, DC.

Writing and Copy – Editing:

• Write and edit sections of the program’s quarterly and annual reports for USAID, as well as other documents for external audiences.
• Organize, support production of, and edit, success stories.
• Write feature stories or blogs for publication and/or posting on websites and social media.
• Support the procurement team to select translators as needed and monitor translated deliverables for quality.

External Communications Management:

• Work with team to develop materials and messages that demonstrate program progress and achievement, tracking and telling the story with program data, including factors critical to success and/or areas needing improvement.
• Work with the M&E team to develop state of art data visualization for program presentations.
• Organize and conduct training of partners on media relations, story writing, etc.
• Guide Sudan team members and program grantees on branding and marking requirements.
• Support program management to disseminate regular updates to key external stakeholders, including USAID.

Other

• Comply with all company policies and procedures, including completing all compliance training topics by the deadline to satisfy each and receiving the corresponding acknowledgment statement that the training has been completed.
• Enhance conflict sensitivity in reporting and messaging.
• Enhance compliance with reporting ethics, including consent for photographs, interviews, etc.
• All other duties as assigned.

Basic Requirements

• Master’s degree with five (5) years work experience or bachelor’s degree with at least seven (7+) years work experience.
• At least three (3+) years management experience
• Excellent Writing and editing skills in English.
• Experience supporting the communications function of international development projects, such as those funded by USAID.
• Experience in a supervisory role with demonstrated ability to solve problems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Arabic language skills are strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of and experience with key democracy, human rights, governance programming in Sudan is a strong advantage, as is experience building the capacity of civil society organizations.
• Collaborative spirit in working with teammates and partners; commitment to engaging stakeholders in accordance to conflict sensitive approaches, Do No Harm (DNH) principles and practices.
• Demonstrated ability to partner successfully with teams within the Horn of Africa region and globally.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.