Strategic Communications and Advocacy Manager for Delivering Innovation in Self-Care 

(DISC)

Based in Nairobi, Kenya  

Reports to the External Communications Senior Manager, Advocacy, with a dotted line to Project Director Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC)

Travel: Post-COVID-19 Protocols: 15% 

Who We Are? 

With over 50 years of experience, working in over 40+ countries, Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization. PSI is reimagining healthcare, by putting the consumer at the center, and wherever possible – bringing care to the front door. We are working to fix market failures, shape future health markets and shift policy and funding to better support consumer powered healthcare.

There are over 5,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. We are a diverse group of entrepreneurial development professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and experience. All with unique skills that we bring to the critically important work that we do.

Join Us! 

PSI’s External Communications (EC) department positions PSI as a thought-leader and development NGO of the future. We nurture strategic relationships with donors and partners, support internal and in-country teams with external relations and raise funds for PSI. We work hard and laugh a lot together. 

We are looking for a Strategic Communications and Advocacy Manager to support the DISC project. This position is a key part of the Evidence and Learning team in the DISC project– a $18-million five-year self-care project made possible with the generous support of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

Reporting to EC’s Senior Manager for Advocacy and to DISC’s Project Director, you will collaborate to refine and execute DISC’s content strategy, which includes earned and owned media, digital and traditional outreach, as well as media relations. 

The DISC project is working with consumers, healthcare providers, governments and health systems in Nigeria and Uganda to catalyze voluntary self-injection of DMPA-SC contraceptives and promote additional forms of self-care. The investment aims to better understand the conditions under which consumers and providers will demand self-care interventions, and the feasibility of delivering high quality, cost-effective self-care services at scale.

As a flagship project of PSI, DISC is part of PSI’s organizational pursuit of universal health coverage through innovative and sustainable solutions that meet the actual health needs of people in low and middle-income countries. We believe all people can and should have control of their sexuality, sexual health, and fertility and that this is best achieved when people have greater voice, choice and agency over the processes and services that most affect them. Our mission is clear: every woman and girl – and every man and boy – should have access to the products, information and services they need to plan for the families, and lives, they desire. Access to quality-assured contraception and safe abortion where it is legal is part of that package.

Your contribution 

The Strategic Communications and Advocacy Manager will be an integral member of the DISC and EC teams to fine-tune and implement the project’s communication and advocacy strategy. This position will be filled by a highly competent communications professional with sophisticated decision-making abilities and a great attitude while working with a team that really likes each other. You will be open to constructive coaching to stretch and grow your skill set while bringing an important voice to the team that allows for others to grow through your advice and strategies.  

Tasks  

• Fine-tune, implement and monitor the communication and advocacy strategy for the DISC project, targeting an array of key global and country-level decision makers, to help achieve the team’s goals, and, more broadly, PSI’s strategic goals.
• Work with the DISC team and PSI’s EC team to develop key messaging and content to communicate DISC key insights through all phases of the project. This could include technical content such as digital and conference presentations, briefs and microsite copy; key marketing materials such as fact sheets, sell sheets and marketing brochures; and promotional campaign media such as videos, project blog posts and other digital content. 
• Work with the DISC team to identify and leverage key opportunities, channels and events to advance the DISC project brand and influence DISC’s key external stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Work the EC Advocacy Unit to support and help develop appropriate connections between DISC and Self-Care Trailblazer Group (SCTG) advocacy and communications strategies and activities.
• Develop, manage, and execute asset creation for PSI’s owned media, including blog content, magazine articles, social media, and infographics.
• Oversee the DISC blog to deliver a continuous strategy and content for its editorial calendar.In close coordination with the DISC Technical Communications team and Evidence and Learning Lead:
  • Regularly review and consider emerging technical content appropriate for DISC technical blogs and/or social media campaigns
  • Ensure timely and consistent repackaging and dissemination of technical communications knowledge products, ensuring a visually compelling and diverse “family” of communications products for each DISC technical knowledge product.
  • Play a leading role in development and execution of DISC technical webinars
• Oversee DISC’s microsite, managing the update process for content on PSI.org.
• Develop social media strategy for DISC, and set-up and manage DISC’s social media accounts, in close collaboration with PSI’s Digital Campaigns Manager.
• Manage content strategy for priority conferences and liaise with EC team members on other conference needs.
  • Work closely with Evidence and Learning Lead to ensure clear, cogent technical conference abstract submissions and presentations, for those accepted.
  • Support teams in preparing for oral presentations, coordinating dry runs and offering tailored support as needed
• Lead on global media for the project, including maintaining a database of media contacts, building relationships with journalists, setting-up interviews, managing media relations, and more.
• Participate in regular DISC technical meetings to keep up to date on project progress and identify topics for dissemination.
• Support capacity of DISC country teams to:
  • Capture and generate stories from the field.
  • Generate appropriate local media coverage—considering media monitoring, crisis communications, and brand building for local audience. Survey and respond to media content related to DISC and DISC topics that originates external to the project.
  • Develop and prepare for execution of country-specific advocacy strategies.
• Travel internationally to conduct trainings for DISC country teams and partners on storytelling, advocacy planning, message creation, annual communications planning to align with DISC and PSI’s strategic objectives. 

What are we looking for?

The candidate we hire will embody PSI’s corporate values: 

Measurement: You use hard evidence to make decisions and guide your work. You set clear goalposts in advance and explain clearly if you need to move them.  

Pragmatism: You’ll strive to deliver the best possible result with the resources available. You won’t be paralyzed by a need to make things perfect. 

Honesty: You own your mistakes and are open about your shortcomings – it’s the only way you’ll learn and improve. 

Collaboration: You’ll quickly establish a mental map of whom you can rely on for what, on your team, at headquarters, and in our country offices – if you try to do it all yourself, you won’t succeed. 

Trust: You accept limits to your sphere of control and give colleagues the benefit of the doubt

Commitment:  You are in it for the long-haul and want to grow with the organization, just like PSI serves its consumers and partners with host-country governments through thick and thin.

The Basics: 

• A strong interest in public health, women and girls and poverty alleviation.
• A bachelor’s degree in communications, advocacy and policy or related field such as Journalism, English or one where demonstrated expertise in writing is required.
• A minimum of 5 years working in communications, preferably with PR or marketing agency experience and NGO or non-profit in international development. 
• 1+ years of experience mentoring or managing junior staff positions.
• Must have excellent writing abilities and experience crafting messages for external audiences in English.
• Has experience managing blogs, crafting newsletters, writing and editing social media, developing content for corporate magazines, fact sheets, and other external materials.
• Extreme attention to detail with an ability to catch errors and grammatical mistakes. 
• Experience managing meetings and planning editorial calendars.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Office 365.
• Able to juggle multiple competing deadlines without getting flustered and with a sense of humor.
• Must be authorized to work in Kenya. PSI will not consider work visa sponsorship for this position.
• References will be required.
• The successful candidate will be required to pass a background check.

What would get us excited? 

• Understanding of international global health desired.
• Demonstrated experience with promotion and communications for global family planning and/or adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health programs.
• Experience working with large, multinational and intercultural teams.
• A do-er who can get their bearings quickly.
• A background in storytelling for non-profit settings. 
• Ability to communicate in French, Spanish or Portuguese is advantageous.

Status: Exempt

How to Apply  

Applications must contain a resume and cover letter addressed to the Senior Manager, Advocacy. Applicants already based in Kenya are highly preferred. Must be willing to provide professional references upon request. 

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status.