Founded in 2015, Big Win Philanthropy is an independent foundation that invests in children and young people in developing countries to improve their lives and maximize demographic dividends for long-term economic growth.

We are awed by the ever-growing cohort of ambitious and driven individuals at the highest levels of government in Africa who genuinely seek to improve lives and build the foundations for equitable economic growth, peace, and security. Yet the prevailing view of African leaders remains pejorative and obsolete. Big Win Philanthropy is recruiting a Communications Director to rewrite this narrative and, in doing so, raise the bar for even better governance across the African continent.

Location: Based in London with travel to sub-Saharan Africa

Hours: Full time

Salary: Competitive

As Big Win Philanthropy’s Communications Director, your primary responsibility will be to develop strategies demonstrating how inspired public-sector leadership can put Africa’s young and growing population on track to achieve the continent’s human capital goals. This will encompass developing standalone communications and media initiatives, working in collaboration with Big Win’s existing leadership development programs, providing strategic guidance to government leaders to help them deliver on the programs on which we are partnering, and overseeing Big Win’s own organizational communications. We are looking for someone who wants to communicate creatively and straightforwardly about the importance of leadership and the “big wins” happening in our partners’ countries and who does not default to “development speak” or the traditional tropes of the charity sector.

Main Accountabilities:

• Develop creative strategies for changing the narrative around public-sector leadership in Africa.
• Work with management to design a communications strategy for the organization aligned with our overarching strategic plan.
• Thoughtfully disseminate stories about our partners’ “big wins” in a way that raises the bar and distributes lessons learned.
• Advise Big Win’s partners, including government ministers and heads of state, on compelling branding and communications plans that advance their initiatives.
• Work with the Executive Team to instill a strong culture of effective communications across the organization. Work with Program Managers to ensure that all communications materials associated with Big Win’s programs are clear, compelling, impact-focused, and resonate with the intended audience(s).
• Maintain ownership over organizational communications materials and regularly update them.
• Cultivate a network of in-country communications and media production professionals across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Maintain a regular schedule for website and social media updates.
• Collaborate with and oversee the work of our strategic communications agency.
• Prepare an annual communications budget and implement RFP processes to select vendors.
• Work alongside our COO and Legal Director to ensure that all communications comply with Big Win’s safeguarding, privacy, and data protection policies.

Experience:

• Experience working in communications at senior levels of government, philanthropy, journalism, or related fields.
• Track record of designing effective media campaigns incorporating a wide range of communications outputs such as films, podcasts, exhibitions, etc.
• Demonstrated track record of implementing communications strategies in complex environments.
• Significant interactions with government, with proven experience in managing politically sensitive relationships with different stakeholders.
• Experience working with a range of partners, including strategic communications agencies, in-country delivery partners, and creative and technical vendors.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent writing/production skills and a flair for language.
• A creative approach, with experience designing and executing multimedia communications campaigns.
• Fluency in digital media, including a strong understanding of social media and digital channels.
• Substantial expertise in the communications landscape and media market in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Exemplary work ethic with a drive for concrete results in a complex environment.
• An eye for detail and an understanding of the high standards required by Big Win’s partners.
• Good financial acumen and proven ability to manage budgets and resources.
• Fluency in French and/or widely spoken African languages is desirable.

Personal Qualities and Attitudes:

• Team player with excellent people skills and highly developed communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills.
• Full alignment with the Big Win ethos of supporting the ambition of policy champions at a national level without prescribing external agendas.
• Ability to collaborate well with external partners.

Please forward your CV with a supporting statement of no more than 500 words, detailing why you are interested in Big Win Philanthropy and how you meet the person specifications.

Applications should be made via our retained advisors at Prospectus, Fiona Wansborough, and Jamila Abubakar, at the email addresses below:

fiona.wansborough@prospect-us.co.uk

jamila.abubakar@prospect-us.co.uk

Big Win is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community.

Queries: If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors, Fiona Wansborough or Jamila Abubakar at Prospectus at +44 (0)20 7691 1920 or via email.