Back Communications Specialist, Congo Basin

This position will be hybrid requiring a few days per week in office. You can be based at a WRI Africa office in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

World Resources Institute has worked in Africa for over 30 years on forest protection, landscape restoration and more recently, sustainable cities, energy access, and climate action. WRI Africa has built a reputation as a trusted partner on the continent. Since 2017, these operations have crystallized under the helm of African leadership and formalized as WRI Africa. Today, WRI Africa is a team of over 125 scientists and experts from across the continent. Our vision for Africa is an inclusive transformation so Africa’s people and landscapes flourish. WRI Africa generates actionable knowledge across four strategic pillars: vital landscapes, thriving and resilient cities, energy, and institutional and economic transformation. Our work in the Congo Basin contributes to the creation of a political and regulatory environment that promotes sustainable forest management and the conservation of biodiversity. We support national and local actors to produce, manage, and use spatial data to guide sustainable forest management, including artisanal concessions, restoration of degraded areas, governance of the wood-energy supply chain, and sustainable agriculture practices.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Senior Communications Manager for Africa and the Congo Basin Strategy and Engagement Lead, you will design and implement communications and engagement strategies, lead media relations, and manage communication services for events. You will curate communications products for various channels, such as websites, social media, blogs, and publications, and work with program staff to develop relevant messaging to promote program activities to increase overall visibility. You will be supported by program and communications staff working in Africa. You will work with WRI’s Core Communications Team to coordinate outreach and identify opportunities. You will proactively collaborate with WRI’s Congo Basin country teams, as well as the WRI-African Communications Department on all aspects of your work.

What will you do:

Communications and Engagement (60%):

• Develop and implement communications and engagement strategies
• Coordinate and support the development of audience-specific knowledge products
• Translate WRI’s analysis and policy recommendations on forests into compelling stories through high-quality presentations, publications, blogs, photographs, videos, testimonials, webinars, social media etc
• Enhance WRI’s visibility in the Congo Basin by promoting WRI and partner research, analysis, and activities through online communications, media outreach, events, and other venues as appropriate
• Ensure that program websites are updated

  Events (15%):

  • Coordinate the production of webinars with relevant program teams
  • Coordinate communication support for program events, including social promotion and coverage, photography, media outreach, production of communication products and post-event communication reports
  • Contribute to WRI Africa’s list of events to ensure effective and efficient coordination of communication support

    Institutional Communications (15%):

    📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

    ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

    • Contribute to WRI’s communication initiatives such as compiling content for international days, blogs, release of flagship reports, internal newsletters and translating materials

      Media Relations (10%):

      • Draft press releases and coordinate the release of media advisories to promote research
      • Work directly with WRI’s Forest Program communications team to pitch and inform media stories related to forest management, and related topics
      • Coordinate program media relations including identifying opportunities for media. coverage, responding to media requests, and arranging interviews as appropriate
      • Maintain a list of media coverage of your program/projects
      • Maintain a list of media contacts with your program.

        What will you need:

        • Education: You have completed a bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, international affairs, political science, business management, international development, environmental sciences, or other social sciences
        • Experience: You have 3+ years of experience relevant full-time work experience
        • Demonstrable writing, editing, and oral communication skills in both French and English
        • Experience designing and organizing events
        • Demonstrated interest in areas related to WRI’s work
        • Willingness and ability to travel within the region and internationally
        • Experience managing multiple workstreams
        • Experience working collaboratively and with knowledge sharing
        • Experience working with national and pan-African organizations and with international institutions is desirable
        • Experience working on climate, water, cities, forests, or other development topics is desirable
        • Languages: You are proficient in English and French
        • Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

          Potential Salary:

          Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

          How to Apply:

          Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of 24 April 2024. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

          You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

          What we offer:

          • A competitive salary
          • Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
          • The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.