The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH draws on the wealth of regional and technical expertise as well as tried and tested management know-how. As a federal enterprise, we support the German Govemment in achieving its objectives in tne field of intemational cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ offers customised solutions to complex challenges. We offer demand-driven, tailor-made and effective services for sustainable development in more man 130 countries worldwide.
 
Job Summary

•   The African Cashew initiative (ACi) constitutes a new era of public private partnership in development cooperation: The major funders are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) whose contributions are topped up by various private and public sector partners. On the ground, ACi is implemented by three strong implementing partners: GIZ is acting as the lead agency, supported by two sub-contracted implementing partners - the US-based NGO Technoserve and the Dutch-based NGO FairMatchSupport.
•   The overall goal is to alleviate rural poverty and promote pro-poor growth by increasing income of small-scale farmers and creating new employment opportunities, especially for women.
•   The project started in 2009 and is working in five countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Mozambique.
•   In the upcoming third project phase, ACi also expands to other countries and regions.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

•   The Communication Professional is responsible for implementing standards and guidelines for ACi and GIZ communication work as described in the recommendations for communication by GIZ Offices and in the ACi Communication Strategy.
•   Supporting the ACi communications manager with strategic orientation of communication in the five project countries, in presenting a consistent ACi / GIZ image with national and international project partners.
•   Cooperating and consulting with the various GIZ country offices on matters around ACi / GIZ communication
•   Cooperating with GIZ's (Ghana) Corporate Communications Unit, managing the exchange of information on communication (among other things by contributing themes, trends, risks, research on information and by involving officers responsible for the contract and cooperation, e.g. for media enquiries from Germany, planning and implementing journalist tours, supplying texts for internal media)
•   Participating and Representing ACi in GIZ Ghana's Community of Practices on Knowledge Management and the Business Development Working Group
•   Cooperating and participating in the corporate communication networks, eg participating in corporate communication workshops
•   Planning, executing and participating in high level cashew sector stakeholder meetings, trainings and international conferences
•   Further developing communication instruments and assisting in introducing innovation and change for and with ACi partners (e.g. manuals, guides, fact sheets, success stories, press releases, studies, technical publications)
•   Management of all online media (ACi website and Social Media)
•   Coordinating activities with external communication, service providers (eg appraisers, agencies, photographers, trainers, translators, printers, graphic designers)
•   Reporting within the ACi management group of on internal and external communication activities

The Communication professional performs the following tasks:

National and International media work
The Communication Professional

•   coordinates media activities in the five project countries (possibly also project/ programme activities)
•   establishes and maintains contact with national media, in particular setting up and running a national media distributor
•   writes and sends out press releases
•   compiles information materials for the media (basic material and for specific occasions) and distributes these systematically in line with the target group's needs
•   organises national media events and journalist tours
•   monitors the media (collect press clippings and analysis of media reports on ACi)

National PR work
The Communication Professional

•   (further) develops suitable communication instruments for PR (e.g. country brochures, fact sheets, advertising material, PowerPoint presentations on GIZ based on the corporate presentation, newsletters, information sheets for the country portfolio)
•   manages the necessary coordination processes and the production of publications and materials in accordance with ACi / GIZ standards (corporate design, standards for content)
•   organises and implements ACi partner visits

Exhibitions, fairs and conferences
The Communication Professional

•   coordinates the ACi booth during conferences with the respective communications material and activities or similar.
•   plans, organises, executes, documents the Cashew Master Training Program in three of the ACi countries
•   handles logistics for meetings, events and conferences

ACi communication materials
The Communication Professional

•   further develops, adapt and implement ACi communication strategy and operational communication plan until April 2016
•   produces promotion materials for meetings, events, international conferences;
•   prepares ACi contributions (texts, pictures) for various internal and external newsletters and other publications e.g. ACi News Bulletin (collecting partner news and stories, conducting interviews with cashew industry players)
•   supervises the display of communication material in the ACi and GIZ offices;
•   advises ACi staff in structuring, time managing and developing technical publications such as guides and manual on cashew production and processing writes policy brief for all ACi countries according to a given format with support from an international consultant
•   reviews, designs, edits and translates all ACi technical publications and studies

ACi and Partner Website
The Communication Professional

•   develops news texts and pictures, stories on project's activities and achievements;
•   revises and editing of texts and downloads in ACi website;
•   periodically reviews of webpage contents for updates;
•   develops strategies to increase popularity of ACi website;
•   keeps ACi project description and website links on the respective partners' websites up-to-date;
•   provides editorial support to the GIZ office's website, coordinates and advises on the online presentations of projects and programmes

Social Media
The Communication Professional

•   writes and uploads news on the ACi Facebook page
•   writes and uploads news on the ACi Twitter
•   (further) develops ACi short films for promotion and information purposes for ACi Youtube Channel

Internal communications within ACi
The Communication Professional

•   organises Brown Bag Lunches to support internal learning and knowledge transfer
•   documents internal meetings - written and visual - such as Learning & Innovation Meetings, Annual Planning Meetings, etc
•   consults with the Corporate Communications Unit on articles for the GIZ staff newsletter 'intern' and GIZ News on the intranet, and provides editorial input on practical examples and other texts for GIZ media
•   supervises ACi staff adherence to ACi communication guidelines'
•   supporting the ACi team in all five countries in all questions about ACi and GIZ corporate design.
•   keeps ACi internal shared drive and DMS up-to-date.

Other duties/additional tasks
The Communication Professional

•   performs other duties and tasks at the request and support to ACi management team

Qualification Required & Experience

BA / MA in communication / PR /Marketing or comparable qualification.

Professional experience
The Communication Professional

•   has at least 5 years' professional experience in the field of communication (media and PR work, journalism, internal communication, marketing, lobbying or similar)

Other knowledge, additional competencies
The Communication Professional

•   is ability to express him/herself well both verbally and in writing; polished, target-group oriented style
•   is a strong team player in an international environment
•   is experienced in project and/or event management
•   has editorial experience, experience in writing articles and press releases (evidenced e.g. by work samples)
•   is experienced with media production
•   has good knowledge of In-Design and Photoshop, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
•   has very good working knowledge of ICT technologies (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office)
•   has very good knowledge of English and French (written and oral), German language is an added advantage
•   has at least 2 years of working experiences in the field of (international) communication
•   is willing to frequently travel in the West African Region and internationally on short notice and is willing to learn on the job

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Interested and suitable applicants are to forward their applications with a detailed Curriculum Vitae and a half to one-page letter addressing the applicant's motivation by email to:-

hr-ghana@giz.de

Closing Date: 20 October, 2015

•   Kindly note that only short-listed applicants  would be contacted.
•   If you do not hear from us 2 weeks after the deadline, please consider your application unsuccessful.