Company Overview

The Pharo Foundation (the ‘’Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organisation that runs philanthropic programmes as well as a for-profit arm, Pharo Ventures. The Vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The Mission is to achieve the Vision by investing in the human and physical capital of Africa, with a strong focus on job creation.

Established in 2011, the Foundation has been implementing numerous programmes in Ethiopia and Somaliland and is in the process of expanding into Rwanda and Kenya. The strategic pillars of the Foundation are education, health, water, and agriculture. In 2020, the Foundation also established Pharo Ventures, its wholly owned social enterprise arm, with the objectives of economic value and job creation in East Africa. Pharo Ventures has already embarked on a series of ambitious businesses in Somaliland and Ethiopia in the construction and agro-processing sectors, and is exploring its first Kenyan venture.

The Foundation has a programme office in Assosa, the regional capital of Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz Regional State (BGRS), with plans to expand operations in the country. Since its establishment in 2016, the Foundation’s programme office has been working on an integrated livelihood development programme that covers agriculture, water, health, and education.

Headquartered in London, the Foundation has an operational head office in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa and Assosa), Somaliland (Hargeisa), and Rwanda (Kigali) with further expansion plans in Africa.

Position Summary

We are looking for a Communications Manager in Ethiopia who will work with the communications department to raise the Foundation’s profile and support the overall achievement of our mission and vision. This position is responsible for coordinating key communications functions at the country level for the Foundation, working closely with the Director of Communication and Knowledge Management (Nairobi) to develop and execute processes and projects in support of the Communications Strategy.

The Communications Manager must thrive in a fast-paced environment, s/he will quickly comprehend and act on changing priorities when necessary. This position is the senior liaison between the communications department and other field programme staff at the country level. The position holder must be able to tell captivating stories of change, be conversant with new and innovative digital media, s/he must demonstrate superior interpersonal and written communication skills. This position may play a supervisory role as guided by the Head of Department.

There will be a travel component to this position and the opportunity to visit and work with our integrated programmes across the Foundation’s countries of operations.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Internal Communications

Support implementation of the communications strategy and country communications plans.
Collect information from programme teams and produce communications content for the internal weekly highlight/media digest, quarterly newsletter, and social media platforms.
Provide technical support to the country programme teams and other departments in developing communication products and in media engagements.
Ensure adherence to brand guidelines for all publications.
Track communications activities at the country level and follow through on the implementation of communication tasks.

External Communications

Support the development and implementation of communication plans for Ethiopia, for specific events and calendar days’ celebrations in line with The Pharo Foundation pillars.
Coordinate Terms of Reference (TORs) for tasks involving external service providers/supplier engagements to deliver high-quality products and services.
Review all communication materials to ensure correct messaging and branding in compliance with communication guidelines.
Coordinate media field visits to showcase the organisation’s work including conducting interviews to gather content.
Prepare media packs and briefing kits as guided.

Content Development and Documentation

Assist in developing and production of high-impact communications products Information, Education and Communication (IEC) / publicity materials including brochures, fliers, fact sheets, organisational profiles, and posters.
Produce high-quality stories and ensure the collection of case studies to demonstrate the impact of The Foundation’s work.
Coordinate the collection of programme news from Ethiopia and package the information for dissemination on various communication channels including the weekly highlight/media digest, quarterly newsletter, and social media platforms, among others.
Build a digital photo library/media bank of high-quality photos representing The Pharo Foundation pillars.
Ensure repository and updating of all communication documents on a shared folder.
Conduct media monitoring to track relevant news, events, and activities highlighting the Foundation’s work.

Digital Communications (Web and Social Media Content)

Create social media platforms for Ethiopia in line with the Foundation’s social media strategy.
Coordinate and update creative content for the social media platforms in line with the agreed-upon content calendar including calendar days commemorated by the organisation.
Utilize analytical tools to drive social media engagement and track performance using social media metrics.
Develop innovative website content for Ethiopia.
Boost the organisation's intranet: Workplace and media bank with content from different thematic areas, photographs, and short videos.

Branding and Events

Ensure The Pharo Foundation brand guidelines’ consistency and appropriate implementation across all projects.
Support country project teams and/or procurement in developing proper specifications for communication
and branded merchandise.
Manage selected vendors to ensure developed products are in line with the organisation’s style and brand guidelines.
Check and ensure quality control by signing off communication work and counterchecking deliveries.
Develop a branding schedule to keep track of branding tasks and update the same on a monthly basis.

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (with frequent travel to Assosa)

Matrix Reporting: Director of Communications and Knowledge Management & Country Representative, Ethiopia Functional Relationships: Head of Ventures Ethiopia, Departmental Heads, and Field Programme staff

Job Requirements

Qualification Requirements (Knowledge and Skills) Essential

University degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
Minimum experience of 6 years in Public Relations and Communications.
Demonstrable experience in digital communications including social media platforms.
Demonstrable experience in web content management systems and blog platforms including WordPress.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Branding experience.
Basic photography and videography skills.

Desirable

Desktop Publishing skills (Adobe Suite and Microsoft Publisher).
Ability to respond with a high degree of urgency to internal and external needs and dealing with competing priorities.
Ability to plan and follow on tasks with minimal supervision.
Demonstrate enthusiasm and positive attitude.
Take initiative to identify and solve problems.

How to Apply

Review of complete applications will be on a rolling basis. In the event that we identify an outstanding candidate early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested candidates to apply at the earliest possible time. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidates.

Please send the information listed below, as a single PDF file, to the following email address: recruiting.et@pharofoundation.org. Please indicate “Communications Manager Ethiopia” in the email subject line.

A detailed CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter, please add where you saw this advertised i.e state where you heard about this position e.g. through our website, jobs board, etc.

One-page list of five references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts.

Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply.