KM and Communications Director John Snow Health Zambia Limited

Background

The USAID Zambia Accessible Markets for Health (ZAM-Health) Activity is a five-year project to expand the availability and accessibility of high-quality health products and services in the private sector, improve health knowledge, and increase the adoption of healthy and health-seeking behaviors. The program will employ private sector approaches such as marketing, social franchising, and partnerships with for-profit entities to achieve these outcomes. USAID ZAM-Health is implemented by John Snow Health Zambia (JSH) in partnership with JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), Media 365 and PharmAccess.

Position Description

The Communications Director is a full-time position and will develop and execute the project’s communications and knowledge management strategy. They will generate, compile, and disseminate program data and information to program stakeholders in a timely manner and pay close attention to audience preferences for receiving information. The Communications Director will work closely with other team members to document and disseminate successes and lessons learned and develop activities and products to distribute information effectively. They will be responsible for  developing a multi-channel dissemination strategy using the latest information technology, when appropriate, to reach key stakeholders at the national and international levels. This role will report to the Chief of Party and be based in Lusaka.

Responsibilities

• In collaboration with key program staff, develop and execute an internal and external communications and knowledge management strategy, which includes audience segmentation, key messages, and a robust monitoring and evaluation component;
• Coordinate with key program staff and USAID to determine goals, targets, and program needs (both internal and external) of the communications and knowledge management strategy;
• Advise the Chief of Party and the senior leadership team on all aspects of the program’s communications efforts, ensuring the program is taking advantage of key communications opportunities and speaking with one voice when communicating externally;
• Work with key program staff to compile, write, and disseminate program quarterly and annual reports for the donor. Coordinate the entire process of developing and completing these reports;
• Ensure all program-produced public communications and materials are branded correctly according to the program’s branding strategy and marking plan;
• Manage consultants and any other communications staff to help implement the communications strategy in the areas of web design, media outreach, photography, videography, and publication design and layout;
• Organize, produce, package, and disseminate program information (print, video, and electronic) in a timely manner to key audiences

Qualifications

• Degree in public health, international development, communications, or a related field;
• Ten years of experience working in a communications and/or knowledge management role in an international development, public health, nonprofit, or corporate setting;
• Proven ability to work with web-based and social media platforms;
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), in English;
• Ability to develop, write, and edit technical content for both print publications and the web
• Demonstrated managerial and organizational skills in a fast-paced environment with flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines;
• Ability to establish and maintain excellent relationships with program team members, donors, and other cooperating agencies;
• Big picture thinker with strong team-building and organizational skills preferred;
• Prior work history with USAID-funded projects preferred.