Communications Lead – iWork Programme

Job Description

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people. 

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community-based organizations across eight program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

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Our Commitment to Safeguarding  

At SOS Children’s Villages, safeguarding isn’t just a policy, it’s a foundational value embedded in everything we do. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting the children, young people, adults, and communities we serve, as well as our workforce and resources.

We cultivate an environment of trust and accountability where every voice is heard and respected. All successful candidates will be expected to champion our holistic safeguarding principles, actively upholding our Child & Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and regulations against sexual misconduct, fraud, and corruption.

By joining our team, you commit to integrating these vital standards into your work, ensuring the highest levels of safety, ethics, and integrity in every action and partnership.

Together, we create a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and protected

Join Our Mission:

We are looking for Communications Lead  who will be responsible to provide leadership and coordination for all communications, visibility, knowledge management, stakeholder engagement, and public relations activities of the iWork Programme. The Communications Lead will lead the implementation of a comprehensive communications strategy that strengthens awareness, engagement, advocacy, learning, donor visibility, and reputation management across all programme components. The incumbent will coordinate communications activities across consortium partners, manage media relations, oversee content development, support stakeholder engagement initiatives, and ensure compliance with Mastercard Foundation branding and visibility requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Communications Strategy and Planning

• Lead the implementation of the programme communications strategy and annual communications plans.
• Develop key messages, communication products, and visibility plans aligned with programme objectives.
• Ensure communication activities contribute to programme awareness, engagement, advocacy, learning, and visibility goals.
• Coordinate communications activities across consortium partners to maintain consistency of messaging and branding.

Content Development and Storytelling

• Lead the creation of high-quality communication products including success stories, impact stories, case studies, newsletters, blogs, speeches, factsheets, policy briefs, reports, and multimedia products.
• Document programme achievements, lessons learned, innovations, and best practices.
• Coordinate the collection of stories, testimonials, photographs, and videos from programme implementation areas.
• Ensure ethical storytelling and safeguarding-sensitive representation of programme participants.

Media Relations and Public Engagement

• Develop and maintain relationships with media institutions and journalists.
• Coordinate media briefings, interviews, press conferences, and media visits.
• Draft and distribute press releases, media advisories, and public statements.
• Monitor media coverage and analyze programme visibility and public perception.

Digital Communications and Visibility

• Oversee programme digital communications and social media activities.
• Ensure timely development of content for websites, social media platforms, newsletters, and digital campaigns.
• Monitor digital engagement and recommend strategies to improve audience reach and participation.
• Support production of videos, infographics, animations, podcasts, and other digital communication products.

Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy

• Support stakeholder engagement initiatives, forums, summits, conferences, job fairs, and learning events.
• Develop communication materials for advocacy and policy engagement activities.
• Promote programme achievements and evidence to influence policy discussions and public discourse on youth employment and internships.
• Support strategic communication with government institutions, development partners, host institutions, youth groups, and community stakeholders.

Brand Management and Donor Visibility

• Ensure compliance with programme branding and visibility requirements, including Mastercard Foundation guidelines.
• Review communication materials to ensure consistency, quality, and brand compliance.
• Coordinate approval processes for externally facing communication products.
• Protect and enhance programme and organizational reputation.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Support documentation of programme knowledge, innovations, lessons learned, and evidence.
• Translate programme results, data, and research findings into accessible communication products.
• Contribute to programme learning and adaptive management processes.
• Maintain a centralized repository of communication assets and resources.

Monitoring, Reporting and Analytics

• Develop and track communications performance indicators.
• Prepare quarterly and annual communications reports.
• Monitor media coverage, social media performance, website analytics, and stakeholder engagement metrics.
• Provide recommendations to improve communication effectiveness and audience engagement.

SAFEGUARDING 

• Ensure all visual content developed and published complies with the organization’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Protect the dignity, privacy, and rights of children, young people, families, and vulnerable groups in all visual communication products.
• Ensure proper consent and approval processes are followed before the use of photographs, videos, and personal stories.
• Support the promotion of safeguarding messages through communication materials when required.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation related to safeguarding-sensitive visual content.
• Conduct themselves per the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding and Local/Country Policies and Procedures.
• Be vigilant about any possible form of abuse, harm, neglect, harassment, or exploitation against children, youth, and adults in personal and professional lives.
• Report any safeguarding incident or concern within 24 hours to the Incident Management Team focal person or concerned party through the defined reporting channels.

Our Ideal Candidate?

Let’s find out if we’re a match. The next step in our process depends on how your background closely align with the below criteria’s.

Essential Requirements (Must-Have):

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Media Studies, Development Communication, Marketing, International Relations or related fields.

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years of progressive experience in communications, media relations, public relations, advocacy, or development communications, preferably within INGOs or donor-funded development programmes.
• Experience working in donor-funded programmes, preferably in youth employment, livelihoods, education, gender, social inclusion, or economic development programmes.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic communications planning and implementation.
• Proven experience in media engagement, stakeholder communications, and content development.
• Sound knowledge of branding, donor visibility, reputation management, and strategic communication practices.

Desired Assets (Nice-to-Have): 

• Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Media Studies, Development Communication, Marketing, International Relations, or a related field.
• Strong exposure to media relations, public engagement, and stakeholder communication.
• Excellent writing, editing, storytelling, and content development skills.
• Experience in digital communications, social media management, and online engagement strategies.
• Experience in knowledge management, documentation of lessons learned, and development of learning products.
• Strong project planning, coordination, budgeting, and communication campaign management skills.
• Experience coordinating communications across multiple stakeholders, consortium partners, or large-scale development programmes.
• Experience in photography, videography, and multimedia content production is an added advantage.
•  Experience working with development partners and donor visibility requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and communication management tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; knowledge of local languages is an asset.

Role specific Competencies:

• Strategic Communication Planning: Ability to develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies, annual communication plans, stakeholder engagement plans, and visibility initiatives that support programme objectives, advocacy priorities, donor requirements, and organizational goals.
• Media Relations and Public Affairs: Strong ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with journalists, media institutions, influencers, and public stakeholders. Capable of developing media materials, coordinating interviews, managing media events, and promoting positive programme visibility.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to effectively engage with government institutions, development partners, private sector actors, youth associations, disability organizations, community structures, and consortium partners to strengthen programme visibility, collaboration, and impact.
• Advocacy and Campaign Development: Ability to design and implement communication campaigns that influence attitudes, raise awareness, support policy engagement, and promote social and behavioural change related to youth employment, gender equality, disability inclusion, and economic empowerment.
• Digital Communications: Strong understanding of digital communication platforms and tools, including websites, social media channels, email marketing platforms, and online communities. Ability to develop and manage engaging digital content and campaigns that increase audience reach and engagement.
• Content Development and Storytelling: Excellent ability to produce, edit, and package compelling communication products including human-interest stories, success stories, case studies, press releases, speeches, newsletters, policy briefs, reports, scripts, and multimedia content that effectively communicate programme results and impact.
• Knowledge Management: Ability to capture, organize, synthesize, and disseminate programme learning, evidence, innovations, best practices, and success stories for internal learning, partner engagement, donor reporting, and external visibility.
• Event and Protocol Management: Ability to coordinate communication aspects of conferences, workshops, stakeholder forums, learning events, launches, media briefings, and high-level engagements while ensuring professional representation of the programme and partners.
• Brand Management: Strong understanding of branding principles and donor visibility requirements. Ability to ensure consistent application of programme, organizational, and donor branding standards across all communication materials and public-facing activities.
• Results Orientation: Ability to set clear communication objectives, monitor performance indicators, measure communication effectiveness, and continuously improve communication approaches based on evidence and audience feedback.
• Leadership and Coordination: Demonstrated ability to lead communication functions, coordinate multidisciplinary teams and consultants, manage competing priorities, provide technical support, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality communication outputs.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across departments, consortium partners, field teams, and external stakeholders while fostering collaboration, mutual accountability, and knowledge sharing.
• Innovation and Creativity: Ability to develop innovative communication approaches, identify emerging communication trends, and produce creative content and visibility products that effectively engage target audiences.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to analyze communication performance data, stakeholder perceptions, media trends, audience insights, and programme information to support strategic decision-making and adaptive communications management.
• Attention to Detail: Strong commitment to accuracy, consistency, quality assurance, and editorial excellence across all communication products, publications, reports, and visibility materials.
• Interpersonal Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including senior leaders, donors, government officials, media professionals, programme participants, and community stakeholders.
• Safeguarding Awareness: Strong understanding of safeguarding, ethical storytelling, informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible representation principles. Ability to ensure all communications activities are conducted in compliance with safeguarding policies and standards.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Demonstrated commitment to promoting gender equality, disability inclusion, refugee inclusion, and youth participation through communication approaches that are respectful, accessible, representative, and inclusive.
• Adaptability and Resilience: Ability to work effectively in dynamic environments, manage multiple priorities, respond to emerging communication needs, and maintain high-quality performance under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, coordinate, budget, monitor, and deliver communication activities and products within agreed timelines while managing multiple stakeholders and competing priorities effectively.

SOS Lead and Core Competencies 

Lead Competency 

• Role model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others
• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships
• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power
• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

Core Competency 

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

How to Apply

 Does This Sound Like You?

To apply, please submit your updated resume via: >> SOS Children’s Villages Application portal (ICIMS).

We actively champion diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage women to step forward and apply. As part of our unwavering commitment to holistic safeguarding protecting children, youth, adults, and assets our selection process emphasizes value alignment and includes thorough background checks for all potential hires.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer, providing fair consideration to all applicant regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.