Communications Officer Jobs – Mercy Corps

About the Organization

Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities.

Job Description

Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization which implements high-quality, analytical development programmes in very difficult places. Mercy Corps has been operating in Uganda since 2006. It has and continues to implement programs in Acholi and Karamoja sub regions. Mercy Corps is taking a community-led, market driven approach to address poverty and food insecurity needs through interventions that get to the root causes and contributing factors of economic vulnerability.
About DREAMS Program:
The Delivering Resilient Enterprises and Market Systems (DREAMS) program is a collaboration between three leading organizations in the field of global poverty alleviation: Village Enterprise, Mercy Corps, and IDinsight. The DREAMS program aims to improve the well-being of 150,000 women, children, and men over the course of the five years. Targeting refugees and host community members in the West Nile region of Uganda, our innovative approach will layer two evidence-based models[1] – poverty graduation and market systems development – to achieve increased household income, savings, and assets; improved food security and wellbeing.
Job Summary: This is a new position for the program that seeks to boost the profile DREAMS program both within the agency and among external stakeholders. The communications officer will support DREAMS management to roll out communications and influence plan, supporting the development of communication products that creatively and innovatively tell the DREAMS story to a wide and diverse audience. He/she will guide team members and partners on effective storytelling, photography, and documenting learning. The communications officer will play a critical role in the program’s final year by providing content to drvie clear, consistent, and strategic messaging to effectively influence stakeholders and donors of the DREAMS.

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Duties and Responsibilities

Safeguarding Responsibilities

Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work ·
Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members ·
Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

Technical Responsibilities

Strategy and Planning

Support DREAMS management to develop a communications strategy & influence strategy that aligns with the country’s overall strategy.
Collect content for communication products targeting a wide and diverse audience, including staff, partners, government, and donors.
Support DREAMS programs to develop quality programmatic communications materials, including the design of posters, manuals, and IEC materials
Post content on internal communications channels to foster a positive team culture, including Mercy Corps collaborative platform, Workplace, internal newsletter and bulletins.
Draft content in line with the communications strategy, including press releases, website content, newsletters, and other communications material such as annual reports, social media, speeches and editorials
Working together with the regional and global media teams, s/he will identify promotional opportunities and draft supporting materials, such as press releases, to secure optimal coverage for the DREAMS program.

Project Products’ Dissemination

Create dissemination lists for project products, to be validated by the Grants Management Coordinator.
Coordinate dissemination of communication products to ensure consistent and wide- reaching dissemination.

Team Engagement

Work with the DREAMS and other MCU leadership teams to develop internal communications messages and materials to enhance program visibility.
Sensitize staff and partner team members on the DREAMS story and communications strategy to ensure consistent and impactful messaging.
Ensure compliance with Mercy Corps media and communication protocols, including branding and media engagements.
Ensure compliance with Mercy Corps and donor communication protocols.

Event Management

Support the MEL team to deliver a series of learning events that effectively communicate the DREAMS story to diverse stakeholders.
Support coordination with the media before, during, and after events to ensure comprehensive coverage and engagement.
Assist in organizing events to support program activities, including drafting invitations, documenting events, and generating materials such as banners, promotional materials, and press releases.

Other

Support Mercy Corps Uganda communications team with country-level communication planning and activities from time-to-time as may be required.

Qualification, Experiences and Competencies

The applicant should hold a bachelor’s degree in Communications, Media, Marketing, Public Relations or equivalent.
At least three years of experience in Communications and/or Media Engagement for INGOs.
Advanced computer skills and administrative experience (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, design applications).
Excellent writing and editing skills in English.
Strong ability to efficiently prioritize competing demands with attention to detail.
Creativity and influencing skills.
Video production and events management skills are desirable.
Ability to speak local languages of the areas of operation is desirable.