Communications and Marketing Officer Cities and Infrastructure for Growth Zambia (CIGZambia)

Position: Communications and Marketing Officer
Location: Lusaka, Zambia
Start Date: February/March 2024

Contract Duration: 50 – 75% Consultancy for one year with the possibility of extension

About Cities and Infrastructure for Growth Zambia (CIGZambia)

Cities and Infrastructure for Growth Zambia (CIGZambia) is a facility set up to provide high quality independent technical advice and assistance to Zambian government bodies and private sector organisations engaged in projects and programmes that will help harness the potential of Zambia’s cities and towns to act as drivers for economic growth and job creation. The overall programme objectives are:

• increasing urban productivity
• improving inclusive access to urban economic infrastructure services
• increasing investment into urban economic infrastructure services
• enhancing national and regional integration between cities

About the Role

CIGZambia is recruiting a Communications Officer to work closely with both the CIGZambia technical and operations teams. The Communications Officer will be responsible for communicating CIGZambia’s services and capabilities to potential clients (both government and private sector), communicating the results of CIGZambia projects to the media and to the wider international development community, and supporting the strategic positioning of the programme in relation to its stakeholders.

CIGZambia is a demand-driven programme, and we are looking for someone who can identify, develop and communicate well with the different target audiences and stakeholders, and who is keen to contribute to building CIGZambia’s overall programme reputation and strategic positioning. The ideal candidate will have strong written and interpersonal skills, think politically, and be able to manage multiple tasks to achieve results under tight deadlines.

The Communications Officer will report to the Team Leader.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement the evolving CIGZambia communications strategic needs to communicate the impact of our energy programming;
• Create communication and marketing assets such as brochures, press releases, presentations, and content for both in-person events and online channels, including social media, and more;
• Identify impact stories, write newsletters, and then determine suitable mediums for sharing;
• Oversee media requests, support media relations, and write talking points for CIGZambia representatives, partners and stakeholders;
• As required, liaise with other communications service providers to ensure quality control and a cohesive CIGZambia look and feel;
• Champion the CIGZambia, Cowater International, and FCDO branding and visibility guidelines;
• Support with CIGZambia reporting requirements to FCDO, as required;
  Develop internal bi-weekly updates and external monthly newsletters;
• Support CIGZambia teams in other areas as required, including copy editing, content creation, external event communications and graphic design.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field
• Minimum of five years of experience in communications or media, preferably in a role within an organisation with a similar mandate and comparable responsibilities
• Strong proficiency in written and verbal English communication
  Familiarity with social media outreach strategies and techniques to enhance visibility
• Outstanding interpersonal skills demonstrated in interactions with civil society, government, and business entities
• Excellent critical thinking abilities, showcasing the capacity for good judgment and prompt, effective problem-solving
• Experience in utilizing various software, social media platforms, and technology tools, including MS Office, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator), Canva, and/or other graphic programs.