This position is remote based in WRI Kenya preferably in Nakuru County or Kenya's Great Rift Valley. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.
About the Program:
WRIโs Restoration Initiative informs, enables, and invests in people who restore degraded land, converting them to socially, economically, and environmentally productive lands. WRIโs restoration work in Africa supports the goals of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, AFR100, where with other partners; we have identified more than 700 million hectares of cleared and degraded forest and agricultural lands suitable for restoration across Africa. Since 2023, WRI has been supporting landscape-focused restoration in Africa. Done well, landscape-scale restoration can revitalize African landscapes, while enhancing human well-being through food, energy, and water systems, which conserve, restore, and sustain the continentโs rich natural heritage while generating evidence for scaling within and across landscapes. In WRI Africa, restoration is anchored within the Vital Landscapes Pillar that aims at revitalizing and protecting landscapes for people and planet. The Vital Landscapes Pillar aims to build the resilience of our natural ecosystems to sustainably provide vital ecosystems services such as food, water, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation.
Job Highlight:
Reporting to the Communication Manager, you will work with the Restore Local Project in WRI Africaโs Vital Landscapes Pillar to support the design and implementation of communications and engagement strategies, media relations, and events. You will curate communications products to elevate people-centered stories and messages for various channels, such as websites, social media, blogs, and publications.
You will also work closely with Restore Local Project staff and partners in the Greater Rift Valley to develop communication products and messaging to promote project activities, create awareness, share lessons learned and increase the overall visibility of project activities. You will collaborate with other communications professionals across the institute on joint efforts to promote WRIโs mission and values.
What will you do:
Communications and Engagement (60%):
- Develop and implement a communications and engagement plan for the Restore Local project in the Greater Rift Valley landscape
- Coordinate and support the development of audience-specific knowledge products
- Coordinate and support the development of effective outreach material including high-quality presentations, publications, newsletters, blogs, photographs, videos, testimonials, webinars, social media, etc.
- Ensure that the project website is updated
- Facilitate communication between partners and the public through dissemination of research and data, publications, media outreach, and digital communications
Media Relations (20%):
- Draft press releases and coordinate the release of media advisories to promote research
- Coordinate project media relations including identifying opportunities for media coverage, responding to media requests, and arranging interviews as appropriate
- Maintain a list of media coverage of the Restore Local projects in the Greater Rift Valley
- Maintain a list of media contacts with the Greater Rift Valley Restore Local project scope
Events (10%):
- Coordinate the production of webinars with relevant program teams
- Coordinate communication support for program events, including social promotion and coverage, photography, media outreach, production of communication products, and post-event communication reports
- Contribute to WRI Africaโs list of events to ensure effective and efficient coordination of communication support
Institutional communications(10%):
- Contribute to WRI Africaโs communication initiatives such as compiling content for international days, blogs, the release of flagship reports, and newsletters
What will you need:
- Education: You have a completed Bachelorโs degree in mass communication, journalism, or social sciences preferred or an additional 4 years of related work experience
- Experience: You have 6+ years of full-time relevant work experience in a similar role preferably with international development organizations, knowledge institutions, or media
- Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills
- Ability to proactively identify opportunities for communication activities
- Experience storytelling and writing human-interest stories
- Experience designing and organizing events
- Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in teams and encourage knowledge sharing to achieve organizational goals and preferred experience of working in coalitions and other collaborative partnership models
- Willingness and ability to travel within the region and internationally
- Experience working with national and pan-African organizations and with international institutions; experience working on climate, water, cities, forests, or other development topics
- Languages: You have verbal and written proficiency in English
- Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization
Potential Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.
How to Apply: Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of 13 December 2023. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
What we offer:
- A competitive salary
- Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
- The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
- A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
- The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
- Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
- Generous leave days that increase with tenure
About Us:
Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the worldโs greatest environment and international development challenges and improve peopleโs lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
Our mission and values:
WRIโs mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earthโs environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
- Contribute to WRI Africaโs communication initiatives such as compiling content for international days, blogs, the release of flagship reports, and newsletters