Communications Officer at Cambridge Education

Cambridge Education is an education services company of Mott MacDonald Group that provides expert education consultancy in partnerships with governments, donors, international development agencies and partners around the world, as they seek to enhance people's skills and economic prospects.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Communications Officer
Job ID: 33508BR
Job Location: Abuja

Job Description

• Cambridge Education Nigeria Limited (CENL) is managing the TDP and DEEPEN programmes on behalf of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). TDP (Teacher Development Programme) aims to provide strategic technical assistant in 6 lead states on teachers’ improvement, ultimately improving student learning.
• DEEPEN (Developing Effective Private Education, Nigeria) is using the ‘making markets work for the poor’ approach to improve the policy environment and quality of private schooling in Lagos and beyond.
• We are accepting applications for a Communication Officer, Cambridge Education Nigeria, who will be accountable for:

Responsibilities
Strategic and Intervention Support :

• Support and implement an advocacy, communication and dissemination strategy which maximises Programme impact with implementing partners, civil society and policy makers in Nigeria;
• Proactively engage with all members of the TDP technical team on a regular (at least weekly) basis to understand their current/planned activities in detail and identify their communication needs;
• Support the delivery of inputs to key events such as conferences and presentations, including preparing presentations and exhibition materials;
• Advise and support the technical team on any online media communications issues regarding the programme interventions;
• Formulates action plans for specific initiatives that would generate stakeholders’ participation, aiming at building relevant platforms and channels for their voices to be heard and for policy influencing.

Communications, Publications and Branding:

• Take responsibility for the development and delivery of all communications activities regarding the programme including advocacy, campaigns, newsletters, leaflets, policy briefs, fact sheets, case studies, booklets etc., and the development and maintenance of the TDP website;
• Ensure that all relevant documentation and published outputs are produced to agreed formats (whether guided by DFID requirements or Cambridge Education Nigeria Limited (CENL) or programme ‘house style’) and where applicable, disseminated to the target audience in a relevant and timely manner;

Managing Relationships:

• Work closely with each of the three output leaders to develop valuable and accurate content for dissemination and to ensure that communications adequately address the key results;
• Liaise with DFID, and its Results Adviser and Communications Advisor in particular, to ensure consistent and agreed communications;
• Provide support to DFID and in conjunction with other state level programmes in the production of the DFID at Work publication;
• Liaise with editors and designers on the final layout of any leaflets and/or booklets;
• Liaise with printers, prepare print specifications and ensure that only quality products are accepted and issued;

Knowledge Management:

• Oversee the programme’s knowledge management activities in accordance with CENL’s current best practices;
• Proactively capture information and evidence about TDP and its activities;
• Maintain and ensure the use of a document repository for staff (including national and international consultants, as appropriate) to store and share key programme materials, photographs and documents (to include monitoring information);

General:

• Produce regular (at least quarterly) reports, containing rolling work plans and costed budgets that describe achieved and intended communication activities in the programme, and contributing to formal and informal reporting to DFID;
• Participate in regular update meetings with DFID and technical team meetings to discuss the programme’s progress;
• Develop effective and professional relationships with key stakeholders, and
• Conduct any further activities as required by the Programme Management.

Candidate Specification
Essential Competencies/Skills
Required:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent;
• Previous experience in supporting the effective implementation of a communications strategy in Nigeria is essential. 
• Specific focus on the education sector would be highly advantageous;
• Fluent in English (spoken, reading and writing).
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, creativity and strong attention to detail and accuracy are required for this post;
• Proactive approach to the programming of communications activities with proven project management (including budgeting) skills;
• Proven track record in public relations, communications and marketing – including the delivery of communications, use of media and print in information dissemination as well as experience in advocacy campaigning;
• Previous experience in working within a result-oriented communications team;

Desirable:

• Degree in strategic mass communications or the media;
• Relevant professional qualification in journalism, public relations or communications (i.e. CIPR, ACCA, CIM, etc.);
• Experience working on education and/or international development projects or programmes;
• Experience of working in project capacity with the Ministry of Education;
• Proven track record of using innovative communications where conventional approaches have not offered adequate solutions;
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams in projects or programmes with components of social development and/or poverty reduction; and
• Experience working with donor agencies (specifically DFID).