Advocacy and Communications Manager

About the Greenbelt Movement

The Greenbelt Movement is a non-governmental organization founded in Kenya by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai. Since 1977, the movement’s work has focused on conserving the environment by empowering rural women and local communities through environmental education, supporting ecosystem restoration through tree planting, advocacy and movement building, and creating livelihood safety-nets at household level.

To learn more about the work of The Greenbelt Movement, please refer to http://greenbeltmovement.org/who-we-are

What are we looking for?

The Greenbelt Movement is in an exciting growth phase, expanding its work in Kenya and increasing its influence across Africa and therefore seeks a dynamic and experienced Advocacy and Communications Manager. Building on the foundation set by Prof Wangari Maathai, the successful candidate will lead the development and implementation of an ambitious, high-quality and impactful advocacy and communications agenda based on the organisation’s strategic plan and priorities.
Working with staff across the organisation, the successful candidate will play a leading role in developing and implementing credible advocacy strategies that leverage the strength of Greenbelt Movement’s brand in the media, use cutting edge digital campaign tactics to build in support of GBM’s advocacy strategy, and provide opportunities for GBM staff and partners to take effective online and offline actions in support of the organisation’s mission and objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Project Development

• Lead engagement in national, regional and international mechanisms

• Deliver a range of influencing activities including organizing events, publishing op-eds, position papers and briefings, convening policy dialogues with policymakers, etc.

• Follow key influencing processes and provide briefings and updates as required to relevant GBM staff and partners.

• Map out key influencers that GBM should engage with, working closely with relevant partners and strategic allies.

• Represent GBM and engage with a range of key external stakeholders, including government officials, regional and global institutions, think tanks, academics, private sector and other key advocacy audiences.

• Draft and communicate analysis and insight of key policy and political trends and issues for internal and external audiences.

• Support GBM staff capacity strengthening for increased engagement with national, regional and global mechanisms.

• Work with the GBM programs team to deliver the overall advocacy strategy and organizational priorities.

• Track, monitor and evaluate GBM’s influencing strategies and contribute to team planning, budgeting, and annual reporting.

  Project Management and Implementation

• Build relationships with relevant ministries, government agencies and legislators in Kenya

• Support partner efforts towards county- and national-level legislative and policy processes in the focal counties

• Coordinate strategic advocacy partnerships for purposes of implementation

• Undertake research to document and expose environmental violations to communicate impact of our work.

• Develop project agreements, as needed, and monitor activities and expenses relating to them.

  Communications

• Supervise the maintenance of GBM’s website, social media and fundraising sites through regular monitoring, posting and content development in collaboration with programme staff.

• Supervise the development of videos, newsletters, blogs and op-eds, and annual reports, with the support of the programme staff.

• Remain up to date and distribute relevant news items to the leadership team and programme staff

• Supervise media engagements, manage relationships and develop and grow a database of media contacts

• Supervise special events, meetings and campaigns through relevant communications tools, including publications, flyers, blogs, or online campaign strategies

Qualifications and Experience:

• Degree in communications, journalism, public relations, law, environmental science, international relations, or other relevant degree required with 6 – 8 years professional and/or relevant experience.

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in implementation of advocacy projects

• Knowledge of and experience in national, regional and global environmental law and policy, especially the climate change and biodiversity discourse in multi-stakeholder platforms

• Excellent analytical and strategic skills to determine and respond to fast-moving organisational, political, policy and media agendas, including the proven ability to “think on your feet and outside the box” and present well under pressure.

  Demonstrable Experience in:

• Successfully achieving advocacy objectives and achieving policy change, in the context of NGO influencing agenda.

• Designing and delivering successful advocacy strategies, including digital campaigning

• Strategic understanding of political trends, opportunities, and challenges in national and international landscapes

• Stakeholder mapping and strategizing according to the policy objectives of different projects

• Leading or coordinating national or international campaigns at a senior level.

• Training staff and other stakeholders on emerging issues in communications and how to harness opportunities in digital narrative advocacy, strong presentation skills, branding, etc

• Operational management, including experience in developing, monitoring and managing a large, complex budget and experience in reporting performance against plans to a range of audiences.

• Ability to travel locally and internationally and, when required, to work outside normal office hours.

• Excellent written and spoken communications skills in English and Kiswahili. Proficiency in French is an advantage.