NDLI Communications Manager

About NetHope

NetHope enables humanitarian organizations to better serve individuals and communities in the developing world through smarter use of technology. Working at the intersection of the international NGO sector, private business and technology innovation, NetHope is a Membership organization currently serving over 60 leading humanitarian, development, and conservation organizations around the world. NetHope empowers our Member organizations to collaborate, innovate, and leverage the full potential of information and communications technology to support their work in 190 countries. NetHope and our Members partner with over 50 of the world’s leading technology firms to create innovative solutions to existing and emerging challenges, and to reimagine how technology can improve our world.

The Opportunity

NetHope is seeking an accomplished, enterprising, and energetic Communications Manager consultant to manage aspects of communications for the NetHope Digital Leadership Institute (NDLI). NDLI is delivering online training offerings for nonprofit executives and senior leaders to increase their digital skills, and their applicable uses in the humanitarian sector. This role will be responsible for the creation, production, and distribution of communication messages that effectively describe and promote NDLI. The ability to take digital skills knowledge and transform it into exciting and useful messages, and disseminate it to the right audiences through the best distribution channels is critical.

The NDLI Communications Manager Consultant

The Communications Manager consultant will develop messages and communications strategies for the NDLI, an initiative to augment the digital skills of 200 nonprofit executives and senior leaders. The consultant will be responsible for the communication of the NDLI vision, programme, schedule, content, and evaluations to nonprofit executives and senior managers. The person will produce deliverables that ensure high-quality promotion of NDLI, and emphasize the value of NDLI to the success of professionals in nonprofits.

To support the communication of the training offerings to executives and senior managers of nonprofits, NetHope is recruiting a consultant who can develop the communication strategy for NDLI and a range of communication artifacts including public relations, advertising, marketing, training catalogue and schedules, evaluations, and day-to-day communications production. All communications will be digital across a variety of digital media, such as email, social media, instant message, web, video, webinars, and online presentations.

The consultant will work remotely to complete the duties and responsibilities outlined below while reporting to the NetHope Senior Director, Field & Impact Programs. They will closely collaborate with the Senior Director of The NetHope Center for the Digital Nonprofit, Global Head of Innovation and Director of Communications, during the design phase, and will have direct involvement with NetHope’s SMEs, and NetHope partners.

Since NetHope works as a virtual team, the consultant must be adept at working independently, reaching out to build team engagement, building and bridging communications in a virtual environment, and adapting distributed processes and workflows.

Responsibilities

Communications Strategy

• Develop the communications plan (written, electronic, social and traditional media, and web) across NDLI various audiences (NetHope Members, executive, senior leader, donors, technology partners, and media) in collaboration with NetHope’s Communications team to ensure alignment and cohesion with NetHope’s overall communications and brand strategy.
• Recognize internal and external communications opportunities and define and execute appropriate strategies to support them.
• Build and/or maintain a deep knowledge of the global nonprofit sector at executive level to anticipate sector changes and recommend changes to NDLI communications strategy to support/respond.
• Prepare communications campaigns for communication with technology partners.
• Participate in NDLI team meetings and coordinate with NetHope’s Communications team on the development and implementation of NDLI’s communications plan.

Communications

• Consistent with the NDLI communications strategy, establish communications capabilities to create momentum, share information, and increase awareness of NDLI with executives and senior managers of nonprofits.
• Advertise and market the programme to NetHope Members and other nonprofits
• Communicate the training catalogue in a language that motivates executives to enrol and participate and technology partners to contribute
• Edit and organize use-cases and case studies in support of the values and benefits to NDLI
• Create messages for learning platform, such as onboarding, forms, automatic messages
• Generate learning schedules that are easily integrated into executive workflows
• Communicate timing of cohort event, keeping participants engaged
• Design evaluation forms
• Create press releases and content
• Coordinate NDLI website content on NetHope.org (copy, photos, and graphics).
• Develop and manage NDLI-related social media in consultation with the NetHope Communications team.
• Implement NetHope’s branding guidelines and approved USAID Branding and Marking Plan in accordance with USAID regulations.

Public Relations & Promotion

• Collaborating with NetHope’s Director of Communications, develop the NDLI public relations strategy integrated with NetHope’ overall public relations strategy and calendar.
• Develop, issue, and track advertising, marketing and press releases.
• Cultivate humanitarian, technology and philanthropy media network.
• Collaborate with NetHope’s technology partners to share NDLI impact stories and engage their participation as content providers.
• Collaborate with NetHope member communications counterparts.
• Oversee and manage NDLI online activities.

Personal Characteristics

• A passion for NetHope’s mission and for working collaboratively and nimbly in a fast-paced dynamic global environment
• Cultural sensitivity across all aspects of work
• Values and encourages diversity of thought, backgrounds, and perspectives
• Solid judgement including handling of sensitive information
• Integrity/ethics beyond reproach
• Excellent at working in a networked & virtual team environment
• Ability to multi-task while maintaining vigilant attention to detail in a fast-paced working environment

Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of communication and engagement styles of nonprofit leaders at executive and senior manager levels.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office products.
• Ability to manage a complex workload and work to tight deadlines.
• Experience with online tools and platforms, including cloud services.
• The relentless pursuit of excellence – balanced with a pragmatic sense of what is possible and realistic.
• A penchant for creative problem-solving, attention to detail, ability to adapt, spirit of teamwork, and exceptional work ethic.
• Create and manage relationships and/or partnerships to gain support.
• Demonstrated mastery of project management and good record-keeping skills.
• Ability to work independently in a virtual organization. Good judgment, time management, organizational skills, and resourcefulness required.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution preferred or equivalent work experience.
• At least 7 years of public relations, communications, or marketing experience in a professional environment.
• Prior global nonprofit sector experience strongly preferred.
• Additional preferred experience:
• working with staff at all levels of the organization, specifically senior executives
• technology / digital fluency
• using social media for organizational brand and promotion
• design aesthetic
• Understanding of branding and marking regulations by USAID, a plus

Reporting and Working Conditions

• This position is a consultancy with an expected workload of 60 days over a 9-month period reporting to the Senior Director, Field & Impact Programs and working closely with the program and communications teams, specifically with Senior Director of The NetHope Center for the Digital Nonprofit, Global Head of Innovation and Director of Communications.
• NetHope is a virtual organization, so our team, our Members, and our partners are located around the world. Due to the global nature of the organization, meetings may thus be required at any time of the day to meet with our stakeholders in varying time zones. To meet these needs, NetHope embraces flexible schedules for team members, and we work with each other to be located globally, but still maintain a reasonable work time balance.
• As a global organization, we welcome qualified applicants with diverse backgrounds from various locations, and who may have non-traditional work patterns.
• NetHope is a networked team-oriented environment with staff working across functional areas to produce high-quality programs, services, and connections with our Members. We value open communication and believe that a staff working as a team produces the best outcomes.
• This position is 100% remote and virtual.