View Vacancy - Head of West Africa and Nigeria Campaigns C4/HEO (04/22 LOS)

Main purpose of job:

The UK is investing in and building long-term partnerships across Africa, forging closer economic, security and technology ties that deliver for both the UK and African nations.

We are looking for an excellent media and campaigns specialist with a passion for strategic communications to join two high-performing teams: the regional Africa Campaigns Hub and the British High Commission to Nigeria communications team.

The Africa Campaigns Hub – a cross-discipline team of communications specialists split between London, Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town and Pretoria – supports UK-Africa partnerships by developing and delivering multi-media communications campaigns across Africa.  

Established in 2019, the Africa Campaigns Hub brings together campaigning, digital content creation, stakeholder engagement, audience insight, evaluation, press and strategy capabilities to deliver impactful pan-African campaigns and communications that engage African audiences. Campaigns to date cover a wide-range of topics including investment, climate change, entrepreneurialism, security and vaccines.

This role will be based in the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, working closely with and complementing the UK Government Africa Communications Network – communicators working in British Embassies and High Commissions across Africa. Reporting to the Head of Campaigns in Cape Town, you will be responsible for designing and delivering pan-African communications campaigns on priority topics such as investment, women and girls, security, and the global recovery from COVID-19.

The successful candidate will also be part of the communications team for the British High Commission to Nigeria, spending approximately 50% of your time shaping and delivering these priority campaigns specifically to Nigerian audiences, with innovative, high-quality and impactful media campaigns that support delivery of the UK’s partnerships across Nigeria.  The successful candidate will also support the Nigeria communications team during high profile occasions such as inward high profile visits, and during crisis moments.

We are looking for a media and campaigns specialist with experience in planning, designing, delivering and evaluating high-profile campaigns that are engaging and influencing, and deliver on policy or business objectives.

You will be enthusiastic and proactive; able to spot thematic links; engage with businesses, civil society groups and others; and take decisions based on audience insight. With an eye for emerging communications trends, you will have a passion for sharing your communications skills with others – and be confident engaging with different teams across Nigeria, Africa and the UK.

You should also expect to travel, across the region and to the UK.

Roles and responsibilities:

Work closely with Africa Campaigns Hub colleagues in London, Nairobi, Cape Town and Pretoria to design and deliver strategic, pan-African media and digital communications campaigns – informed by robust audience insight.

Lead the development and delivery of regional communications campaigns in Nigeria using OASIS model communications strategy techniques and a blend of multi-media communication tools to tailor and deliver campaigns to the relevant local audiences. 

Acting as one of the British High Commission’s spokespeople, your responsibilities will include drafting articles, press notices, blogs, social media posts, communications briefings and plans to support delivery of priority campaigns, as well as clearing and delivering appropriate media messages to local and international media.

Work closely with the Nigeria based communications and political teams on high profile, inward visits to support efforts to successfully deliver on communications objectives for visiting VIPs such as (but not exclusive to), the UK’s Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Africa.

Support the upskilling of communicators across the UK Government’s West Africa Communication Network in line with the latest Government Communication Service learning and development programmes, including in campaign planning, audience insight and evaluation.

Build trusted relationships with local, national and international partners, developing and maintaining an active directory of third party stakeholder contacts – from academia, NGOs, think tanks, campaigners, journalists and social media influencers – for supportive engagement opportunities.

Translate business and policy objectives into communications objectives, generating ideas and plans to meet them.  This includes working closely with policy colleagues in London and across the UK Government Africa Communications Network to identify excellent stories for media and digital communications that will advance our communications objectives, whilst also identifying and managing risks.

The role is subject to change as the Network and requirements evolve.

• Postgraduate degree and/or undergraduate degree and other professional qualification.
• At least four years professional work experience.
• At least three years professional experience in media, communications or PR, with proven campaign skills. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, including stakeholder engagement skills to build credibility with senior government/business representatives as well as colleagues within the UK government network;
• Experience of engaging with the press and securing interview slots and other media opportunities.
• Strong copywriting skills and experience of writing press notices and other written materials. 
• Experience of organising and delivering campaigns.
• Excellent organisational and self-management skills to respond effectively to tight – and changing – deadlines and priorities;
• Sound knowledge of MS Office and strong skills in digital media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networking sites.
• The ability to learn quickly and work with a high degree of autonomy;
• A positive “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges. 
• Strong editorial judgment and ability to communicate effectively with different audiences. 
• Evidence of research to inform communications advice and of using evaluation to learn lessons and improve communications. 
• The ability to build and maintain networks with counterparts in other organisations. 
• Experience of designing and delivering proactive and reactive communications plans.