Mercy Corps Senior Investment and Media Campaign Officer Job in Wajir Kenya

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.  

Driven by local needs, our programs provide communities in the world’s toughest places with the tools and support they need to turn the crises they confront into the opportunities they deserve.  

Mercy Corps is looking for committed and dynamic individuals to take up the following position:

Senior Investment and Media Campaign Officer

Location: Wajir

Program / Department Summary:

Mercy Corps Kenya began emergency operations in Wajir West and South in August 2011 focusing on provision of clean water and then quickly scaled up activities and is now applying an integrated approach to the drought that responds to the critical needs of communities through immediate assistance while simultaneously laying a foundation for future recovery and resilience through development of livelihood assets and water systems. 

Ongoing programs in Northeastern Kenya will strengthen systems and mechanisms that enable sustainable development, emergency response, and peaceful processes through high-quality and high-impact programming. 

Mercy Corps has responded to the immediate needs of the target population through various emergency interventions and will be addressing the restoration of community and individual livelihood assets to protect against future shocks while simultaneously working with community members, local government officials from Wajir west and south, and private sector stakeholders to ensure community-driven and market-led development interventions. 

General Position Summary: The senior investment and media campaign officer will ensure that information flows between processes and project team members to fully leverage interoperability and collaboration. 

The coordinator will provide partners with the capabilities they need to increase cost efficiencies and maximize the return on their investments in innovation, empowering them to design, build, and operate better-performing business infrastructure. 

Working under the Program Director—Wajir, The coordinator will help to leverage information technology, learning, best practices, and national level collaboration - and promote local efforts devoted to this crucial work. 

He/she will also help the investors maximize the impact of the investment campaigns in the county and National Government, print, broadcast and social media community. 

The position will work with cross-functional teams to develop media outreach campaigns and craft media strategy and plans to support new business initiatives.

Essential Job Functions:

• Create effective marketing campaigns for Wajir Dry lands and Livestock program
• Provide support to the Program Management team by assisting with developing program communications and following up on program activities
• Work closely with local entrepreneurs to determine availability of investment opportunities in the livestock sector, seed and other sponsor capital needs.
• Work closely with local entrepreneurs to track the progress of new product sales efforts
• Coordinate market feedback and test marketing during the early stages of water, animal input supply and rangeland management products development
• Work with local entrepreneurs and the Business development experts to develop competitive positioning and competitor analysis to create product-specific marketing plans
• Assist the Program Director in creating and updating investment summaries and marketing presentations and ensure materials remain current as product terms change during marketing period
• Conceive, develop and implement strategic messaging, media and community outreach plans and calendars.
• Develops and maintain productive and collaborative working relationships with key individuals within the County Government and private sector players relevant for program success.
• Conceives and develop effective relationships with outside vendors, reporters and media outlets in order to recommend the best possible outside resources for use on program campaigns and impact.
• Develop and coordinate communications strategies among campaigns at the national and county level core industries/businesses.
• Analyzes print, broadcast and online media coverage for trends that would influence our strategies and use that analysis in our communications vehicles.
• Exercises expert judgment in identifying media opportunities and exhibit leadership in developing strategic and timely responses.
• Conceives and execute cohesive strategies for specific DALIP campaigns by writing effective printed material, media outreach resources, letters, reports, web postings and other materials including video production for organizing campaigns.
• Oversee the development and preparation of communications materials related to our market development campaigns.
• Develop and conduct communications training for staff, local leaders, workers and local business community

Organizational Learning  
 

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. 

Accountability to Beneficiaries
 

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: None
 

Accountability: 
 

Reports Directly To: Program Director
 

Works Directly With: Wajir based staff, Program Quality Manager, Country counterparts in the Horn Strategy.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably Advertising, Business or Communications- Media/advertising or related experience strongly preferred
• Must be a strong team player and have strong interpersonal skills
• Familiarity with investment concepts; more detailed knowledge of media campaign strategies
• Must be well organized; able to juggle projects and negotiate priorities, ability to multi-task
• Excellent writing skills
• Ability to communicate detailed investment concepts effectively both orally and in written form
• Good presentation skills,
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with senior executives internally and externally
• A strong service orientation
• Have the ability to convert analysis into actionable solutions and the communication skills to accurately present your findings.
• History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO and NGO partners in complex environments.
• Prior work experience in Northern Kenya strongly preferred; an ability to work comfortably, effectively and creatively within the cultural environment of Northern Kenya and areas of poor security required.

Success Factors:
 

The successful candidate will be a self-starter, multi-task oriented and able to work in a complex environment. 

S/he will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures. 

S/he will be a team-player with positive attitude to problem solving and conflict resolution. 

The successful candidate will be able to apply creative solutions to program quality and team-building. 

S/he will also have the skill to engage, motivate and encourage staff to bring creative solutions to development issues, identify opportunities for increased impact, and pursue project objectives.

How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before December 13, 2013 at 4.00 p.m a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references( including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org .

Applicants must clearly indicate on the email subject: The position and location they are applying for, e.g “ Senior Investment and Media Campaign Officer-Wajir” 

Applications without the right subject heading will be automatically disqualified. 

Please do not attach any certificates. 

(ONLY Qualified short-listed candidates will be contacted)