About The Mawazo Institute.
The Mawazo Institute is a women-led African organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya supporting African women researchers and thought-leaders as they work to find evidence-based solutions to local and global development challenges. This is achieved through two programmes: (1) The Mawazo Fellowship Programme, which offers training and professional development to young African women researchers, and (2) The Mawazo Voices Programme, which amplifies the work of African researchers through public and policy engagement to ensure they impact sectors where solutions are developed to address critical societal issues.
We are an African and woman-led organisation, with unique insights into the challenges that we seek to address. We are a small but tight-knit team, made up of passionate individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, who hold ourselves accountable to our beneficiaries and each other. Our core values are: respect, collaboration, independence, purpose, excellence, and integrity.
Mawazo’s work is strongly driven by a commitment to and passion for compelling and accessible science communication that can amplify the impact of African-led research in society.
The Mawazo Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or other protected status. We do wish to promote a gender-sensitive work environment, and highly encourage applications from women.
Role Summary
Mawazo Institute is looking for an experienced and creative Digital Communications Associate to join the Communications team. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and managing our digital platforms, monitoring and engaging with users, creating compelling content, and developing campaigns to increase engagement and brand awareness. The ideal candidate is an excellent communicator and can think strategically to create campaigns that will reach our target audience. They must be highly organised, have a good understanding of current trends, and be able to develop innovative ideas to keep our digital content fresh, up-to-date, and engaging.
Responsibilities
The Digital Communications Associate is a member of the Mawazo Communications Team and will report to the Communications Lead. This position includes but is not limited to the following duties:
Content Creation, Scheduling/ Account Management
· Support in the development of content for the newsletter, annual report, articles, blog posts, think pieces, etc.
· Work with the communications team to align social media efforts with the overall communication strategies/plans.
· Create innovative and impactful written social media content, tailored across Mawazos social media channels including X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
· Working with the Programmes team, curate timely and relevant social media content from the Fellows and Alumni by identifying opportunities and drafting posts that align with the UN international/Africa days campaigns and Mawazo’s broader aims and objectives.
· Work with the in-house designer to support the creation of multimedia content (graphics, reels, infographics) to enhance engagement across various platforms.
· In collaboration with the Comms team, collect insights and testimonials from blog posts and research papers authored by Fellows and Alumni for sharing on social media.
· Plan and schedule regular pre-approved content on the social media management tool for all the relevant social media platforms to ensure consistent communication regarding Mawazo and all other related events.
· Collaborate with the Mawazo team for events that require social media engagement including conferences
· Provide comprehensive social media support during Mawazo events (planning and delivery).
· Ensure that the Mawazo website is up to date especially monitoring and updating the Press Release page, the Events page, and the Gallery
· Ensure accuracy, high quality and consistency in social media messaging and branding, safeguarding the reputation of Mawazo.
Online Community Engagement.
· Develop and implement strategies to engage with followers, including tagging/mentioning relevant stakeholders, reposting/sharing/retweeting and responding to comments/messages in a timely manner.
· Identify key stakeholders’ social media accounts related to African research, development, feminism, research and higher learning institutions, and the larger research ecosystem to seed content, target them with Mawazos content, and build relationships as potential partners who can amplify our messages and reach a broader, targeted audience.
· Engage and build relationships with critical stakeholders in the feminism and research ecosystem to help us drive engagement across social platforms, grow our social presence and develop deeper relationships with our existing online community and new audiences. This will include but not limited to fostering discussions, participating in conversations, and encouraging user-generated content.
· Begin and steer online conversations pertaining to Mawazo’s values and goals to cement Mawazo’s reputation as a leader in the field.
Monitoring and Reporting.
· Monitor social media for relevant conversations, particularly in feminism and the research ecosystem, to identify opportunities for innovative engagement and storytelling that showcase the value of Mawazo’s work.
· Monitor Mawazo’s social media accounts, responding to comments, messages and mentions in a timely and professional manner.
· Address social media related queries, and work with the communications team to proactively spot and resolve or escalate issues such as negative comments and misinterpretation of our communications activity.
· Track, analyse, and provide monthly reports on social media metrics to evaluate content performance, using insights to recommend improvements in engagement and reach while assisting the communications team in adjusting strategies accordingly.
Qualifications.
· Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations or a related field.
· Proven experience in managing social media accounts for organisations or campaigns; experience in academia is a plus.
· Strong writing skills with an ability to create engaging content tailored for different audiences.
· Familiarity with graphic design tools (e.g., Canva) is preferred but not mandatory.
· Social media strategist using social media for brand awareness and impressions;
· Excellent knowledge of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok and their back end and other social media best practices including SEO and web traffic metrics;
· Knowledge of analytics tools for measuring social media performance is essential.
· Strong interpersonal skills
· Strong organisational skills with attention to detail.
· Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team environment.
· Creative thinking coupled with problem-solving abilities.
· Basic written and spoken French is ideal but not a requirement
Terms Of Offer
Compensation and benefits for the Digital Communications Associate position include:
· Competitive salary
· 21 days of paid leave
· 10 days of paid sick / family leave
· 3 months paid parental leave in the event of the birth or adoption of a child by the employee or the employee’s partner
· Health insurance and pension
· Operating on a four-day work-week
· Flexi-hours and hybrid working arrangement
· Access to a wellness fund
· Access to a professional development fund
· Quarterly data bundles
Interested candidates should be looking to commit to the role for a minimum of 2 years.
The Digital Communications Associate position is offered on a fixed-term basis with a three-month probationary period. Upon successful completion of probation, the role will be confirmed, with the option for automatic contract renewal upon expiry, subject to the CEO’s approval.
How To Apply
If you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV and Cover Letter to [email protected] on or before Friday 22nd November 2024 by 11:59 PM EAT. The subject line should read ‘Digital Communications Associate application – [INSERT YOUR NAME].‘
Please note that applications will be accepted on a rolling basis or until a suitable candidate has been selected.
Due to the volume of applications we receive, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
