Jobs

Communications Officer Storytelling and Content Producer Africa at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Published

2 months ago

September 17, 2024

Job Description

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving peoples health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all peopleespecially those with the fewest resourceshave access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life

What You’ll Do

Storytelling Leadership:

Play a key role in the development of storytelling and content production strategies and approaches.
Identify and develop powerful stories that highlight the impact of the Foundation’s grantees and partners’ work.
Lead the creation of written content, photo essays, videos, and audio stories that capture the essence of our work in Africa.
Collaborate with internal teams, grantees, and partners to gather necessary information, conduct interviews, and produce multimedia content.
Cultivate a network of storytellers, photographers, videographers, and other content producers across Africa.
Identify innovative formats, trends, and platforms to disseminate content, ensuring it resonates with diverse African audiences and reaches a broad audience.
Pitch story ideas to journalists and social media influencers to help the Foundation engage with a broad African audience.

Content Development

Create and oversee the production of brand stories that communicate the Foundation’s mission and impact.
Manage a content calendar to ensure timely delivery of storytelling projects and facilitate training sessions for partners on effective storytelling techniques.
Work with regional experts to ensure content is culturally relevant and aligned with the Gates Foundation’s brand and messaging.
Lead initiatives to design and deliver storytelling and public speaking skills training for grantees and partners.
Ensure storytelling approaches are continually refined using analytics, audience insights, and feedback to improve impact.

Strategic Communications

Develop and implement a comprehensive storytelling strategy aligned with the Foundation’s communications goals and regional priorities, contributing to thought leadership.
Build strong partner and grantee relationships to continuously identify and develop impactful stories.
Engage with key influencers and media outlets to amplify the Foundation’s storytelling efforts, while monitoring feedback to improve engagement.
Collaborate with the Brand Strategy Lead and global brand team to ensure that all content supports the Foundation-wide brand architecture and initiatives.
Manage relationships with creative agencies and contractors to ensure timely, high-quality production of content across Africa.

Brand Creative

Serve as a subject matter expert on brand standards across various Africa communications channels, ensuring adherence to global brand guidelines.
Contribute to global storytelling initiatives by collaborating with the Foundation’s global brand team and leading on visual storytelling innovation.
Lead the creation of impactful brand campaigns, working closely with regional and global experts.

Your Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, or a relevant field. Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum 5+ years of professional experience in editorial, content creation, journalism, or communications, with a strong portfolio of storytelling work.
Proven expertise in strategic communications, developing and implementing communication strategies that align with organizational goals and drive engagement.
Experience working in a global and Africa-based non-profit, communications agency, or media organization preferred.
Deep understanding of Africa’s diverse audiences and the ability to tell compelling stories that resonate across the continent.
Strong project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver high-quality content on time.
Proficiency in designing and delivering storytelling and public speaking skills training programs.
Experience in facilitating the development of multimedia content (written, photo, video, audio) and managing relationships with grantees, partners, and external content creators.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences.
Ability to commit to 25-40% domestic and international travel as needed.
Proficiency in additional languages is an advantage.
Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.