The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Head of Communication and Knowledge Management.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa\u2019s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of the One CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food-secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.
The Head of Communication and Knowledge Management (HoC) leads a unified, data-driven function that shapes organizational visibility and understanding across Africa and globally. The role integrates corporate communication, knowledge translation, digital outreach, advocacy, and crisis communication to support institutional impact and resource mobilization. The HoC is responsible for designing and executing communication strategies at corporate, programmatic, and country levels, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and donor requirements. Key duties include overseeing content planning, production, and dissemination; strengthening stakeholder trust across governments, donors, partners, private sector, civil society, media, and the public; and managing capacity building, governance, measurement, and risk within the communication portfolio.
The tasks of the Head of Communication and Knowledge Management will include:
Main Responsibilities
A. Strategy & Leadership
\u2022 Develop and execute a 3-year integrated communication strategy aligned to the institutional/corporate strategy, SDGs, AU Agenda 2063, and donor priorities.
\u2022 Lead annual communication planning, objectives, and key results (OKRs) /KPIs for corporate, programmatic, and country and regional-level communication.
\u2022 Advise the DG/Director for Strategic Planning and senior leadership on reputation, issues management, and stakeholder positioning.
\u2022 Build a high-performing team, including regional focal points and embedded program communicators.
\u2022 Oversee the brand architecture, messaging framework, and tone of voice (organization, programs, country offices, and initiatives).
\u2022 Maintain brand guidelines, visual identity, and digital asset management (DAM) for photos, video, and templates.
\u2022 Oversee multilingual adaptation (e.g., English/French/Portuguese/Swahili) and accessibility standards.
\u2022 Lead proactive media relations, including Africa wide and international outlets.
\u2022 Coordinate media training and talking points for leaders and scientists.
\u2022 Manage reputation issues and crises.
\u2022 Translate R&D outputs into policy briefs, technical notes, data stories, infographics, and explainer videos.
\u2022 Establish editorial calendars and peer-review/quality assurance workflows with scientists and M&E teams.
\u2022 Drive open access, FAIR data, and repository visibility, coordinate outreach for journal publications E. Digital & Web Content
\u2022 Coordinate the web and intranet roadmap (information architecture, UX, SEO, analytics, content governance).
\u2022 Lead social media strategy across priority platforms; implement listening, community management, and safety.
\u2022 Run email/newsletters, marketing automation/CRM, and campaign landing.
\u2022 Enforce content security, privacy compliance (e.g., GDPR/NDPR), and consent for media.
\u2022 Partner with Resource Mobilization team to develop cases for support, donor reports, and success stories.
\u2022 Ensure donor branding and visibility compliance (e.g., FCDO, USAID, EU, AfDB, Gates Foundation, regional governments).
\u2022 Design tailored communication packages for country governments, RECs (ECOWAS, EAC, SADC, COMESA), and city/province authorities.
\u2022 Organize and manage internal channels (town halls, intranet, staff newsletters, communities of practice).
\u2022 Support change communication for institutional initiatives.
\u2022 Oversee Africa wide and global events: flagship conferences, science weeks, field or farmers days, exhibitions, webinars.
\u2022 Produce executive speeches, op-eds, and thought leadership series aligned to strategic themes.
\u2022 Set up a comms MEL framework with baselines and quarterly reviews.
\u2022 Establish dashboards for channel performance, media share of voice, web analytics, engagement quality, and policy/uptake evidence.
\u2022 Safeguard policies for dignity, child protection, and do-no-harm storytelling.
\u2022 Ensure compliance with intellectual property, image rights, data privacy, and research ethics.
\u2022 Manage procurement, vendor frameworks, and annual comms budget.
Internal Collaboration:
\u2022 Work closely with senior leadership to align communication priorities with strategic objectives.
\u2022 Collaborate with research, programs, country offices, resource mobilization, and monitoring & evaluation teams to ensure coherent communication flows.
\u2022 Support internal communication to enhance staff engagement and organizational cohesion.
External Collaboration:
\u2022 Engage proactively with media, donors, partners, and stakeholders to amplify the organization\u2019s work.
\u2022 Coordinate with global and regional communication networks and partners for joint campaigns and initiatives.
\u2022 Represent the organization in external platforms, events, and strategic partnerships.
Core Competencies
\u2022 Strategic thinking and systems design
\u2022 Influencing and stakeholder engagement at senior levels
\u2022 Editorial judgment and storytelling
\u2022 Data literacy and ROI orientation
\u2022 Team leadership, mentoring, and vendor management
\u2022 Cultural intelligence and inclusivity
\u2022 Resilience under pressure; sound risk judgment
Requirements
\u2022 Master\u2019s degree in communication, Journalism, Public Policy, International Development, or related field; or Bachelor\u2019s plus substantial leadership experience.
\u2022 10\u201315+ years in integrated communication with 5+ years leading multi-country teams.
\u2022 Proven public affairs/media experience across Africa; crisis and issues management expertise.
\u2022 Demonstrated success translating scientific/technical research for policy and practitioner audiences.
\u2022 Strong command of digital ecosystems (web CMS/SharePoint/WordPress, analytics, SEO, social, CRM/marketing automation, digital asset management (DAM, Adobe CC).
\u2022 Excellent writing/editing; multicultural fluency is an advantage.
Benefits
Duty Station: Ibadan (Office-Based) with Africa-wide coverage.
General information: The contract will be for a period of three years, with the possibility of renewal contingent upon the availability of funds and the candidate's performance. IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.
Applications: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate\u2019s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant\u2019s current or previous organization or applicant\u2019s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be sent online using this link: https://apply.workable.com/iita/#jobs
IITA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce.
While all applications will be acknowledged, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.