Communications and Advocacy Expert*

The position is to be filled as soon as possible, with an initial contract duration of one year. There are good prospects for an extension. Employment location will be Juba, South Sudan, with frequent travel to the project locations in the country.

As Communications and Advocacy Expert (CAE) reporting to the Country Director, you will be responsible for strategizing, developing and producing key advocacy and communication products in close coordination with the Senior Management Team (SMT), Program Country Team (PCT), Head of Program Development, Quality and Strategy, Head of Program Implementation, Gender and Protection Mainstreaming Expert, WASH Expert, Climate Resilience Expert, Nutrition Expert and Head of Projects to enhance Welthungerhilfe (WHH) South Sudan’s (SSD) presence in the humanitarian landscape in South Sudan and internationally. In your role, you will aim to strengthen organizational representation and engagement in order to inform and mobilize the public and influence policies, perceptions and practices, as well as support the resource mobilization efforts.

Your responsibilities

• Lead the formulation of advocacy strategy for WHH SSD to strengthen WHH SSD representation and positioning for influencing and public mobilization, in close cooperation with SMT and PCT
• Ensure that all advocacy messages, documents and strategies are evidence-based, drawn from field experience and assessments, and of high quality and effectiveness
• In collaboration with the MEAL Unit, develop indicators and frameworks for measuring effectiveness and impact of advocacy messaging
• Develop and update talking points, top-line messages, and advocacy asks for the WHH South Sudan program
• Actively participate in UN, NGO forum, existing working groups and other advocacy platforms
• Proactively plan and execute German and international journalists’ visits to cover the activities of WHH SSD project locations, in close cooperation with WHH headquarters’ Communications Unit
• Develop an engagement strategy, establish and maintain working relationships with main media outlets in SSD, incl. newspapers, radio stations, TVs to broadcast information about WHH SSD projects and activities
• Initiate, develop and maintain good relationships with press departments of donors, other stakeholders and humanitarian organizations in-country and share relevant communications and external relations material with them to increase the visibility of WHH as an organization
• Collaborate with Program and Project staff in collecting quality stories, photographs and news articles that can be used in local media, international and blog sites according to donor/project requirements
• Create content that attracts the audience’s attention and raises the level of its interaction; prepare high quality material (photos, videos, infographics) for the projects and campaigns implemented by WHH SSD
• Prepare (content and design) Projects one-pagers, thematic reports and annual reports to inform the humanitarian community on WHH SSD activities, approaches and achievements
• Develop attractive, understandable, and informative designs of WHH SSD visibility materials used in the projects (banners, brochures etc.) and ensure they are adapted to the context (local dialects, illiterate communities, etc.)
• Contribute to the development of the strategic plan on the outreach to donors and international partners in SSD and prepare the plan for execution
• Initiate, develop and maintain good relationships with press departments of donors, other stakeholders in the country and share relevant communications and external relations material with them to increase the visibility of WHH as an organisation
• Serve as the in-house focal point for advisory on donor-related visibility, branding compliance
• Prepare and disseminate bi-monthly newsletters on WHH SSD developments and activities to all WHH SSD staff
• Create and follow the calendar of international days relevant for WHH SSD and plan the events and community engagement together with the PCT and relevant Heads of Projects
• Contribute to Projects budget development and ensure that sufficient funds for visibility materials is planned
• Support in monitoring publications and other products containing the logo to ensure consistency with WHH corporate branding guidelines
• Ensure that the visibility and communication materials adhere to WHH and donors’ requirements

Your profile

• University degree in communications, law, social sciences, public policy or a related field; Master’s degree in a relevant field would be an advantage
• At least 5 years experience in a humanitarian and/or early recovery context, including experience working in advocacy and communication on humanitarian issues, refugee rights, human rights, and/or development issues in conflict and post conflict environments
• Strong understanding of the political system and context in East Africa and South Sudan or similar context, including familiarity with key stakeholders from government, UN, NGOs, Civil Society
• Demonstrated experience using innovative communication tools and technologies to engage and influence stakeholders; track record of increasing visibility and recognition of the organization through communication activities
• Experience in social media strategy planning, content creation, and social media community management
• Proven experience crafting messages in various formats (articles, press releases, websites, photos, success stories, blog entries, tweets, etc.) targeting a variety of audiences
• Exceptional proven writing and editing skills (English) and the ability to summarise and repackage technical information in clear, compelling language
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an ability to engage with diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in the use of technology and software (Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Professional, Google Products)
• Strong relational skills including ability to build relationships, influence, and work collaboratively with various stakeholders
• Readiness to receive necessary vaccinations for working in Welthungerhilfe’s project countries
• Arabic and/or German language skills would be an asset.

Our offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees and the balance of their work and private life. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale. In addition, Welthungerhilfe offers numerous other benefits, which are listed under “Our benefits”.