Communications Specialist

Introduction

Solina Center for International Development and Research is a management and healthcare consulting firm that works with businesses, governments, researchers, and development organizations to develop innovative solutions that address pressing healthcare challenges. We apply proven business and research methods to our health systems work to ensure sustainable impact and optimize population health outcomes. Our team of highly qualified and experienced professionals and deep knowledge of Nigeria’s health system as well as health systems in developing countries, are our unique assets that enable us to consistently deliver the highest quality of service to all clients and partners. Our work seeks to benefit primarily disadvantaged and under-served populations. We implement transformation programs in Nigeria and are currently expanding our footprint to several West and Central African countries. We are building a competent world-class management team to enable us to sustainably achieve our strategic growth objectives.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded SCIDaR a grant to implement the Monitoring Learning and Evaluation (MLE) for targeted performance management of Sub National Tailoring SNT in Nigeria. The project aims to develop and implement a robust performance measurement framework that rigorously tracks SNT milestones and outcomes and utilizes data to foster evidence-based decision-making among critical stakeholders while enshrining accountability in the program. The work seeks to provide crucial insights for implementing, enhancing, and expanding effective strategies in sub-national malaria programming in Kano and Kaduna State

Description and Objectives

The Communications lead will work closely with the Knowledge Management and Learning lead and will be primarily responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing comprehensive program-wide communications and information dissemination strategies. He/She will lead the development of targeted content, including quarterly newsletters, case studies, and position papers for external dissemination, and contribute to strategic planning and programming related to external communications for the project. The communication specialist will primarily be based in Abuja, Nigeria but must be willing to embark on project-related travel to Kaduna and Kano states as required.  

Responsibilities

1. Develop content for the quarterly project newsletters, case studies, position papers, and other relevant documents with input from technical field teams and project leadership;
2. Copy-edit, proof-read and review all external project communications to suit the intended audience; 
3. Support the project team and state editorial committees to develop research article manuscripts to drive the project learning agenda;
4. Ensures routine engagement of the project team at relevant fora such as the National Malaria Elimination program and its sub-committees, State malaria Elimination programs, etc, to disseminate relevant project updates and learnings;
5. Organize both physical and electronic events such as learning exchange meetings across the three project states and webinars/seminars to share project learnings with stakeholders;
6. Conduct interviews with project stakeholders at the state and national levels to generate human-interest content for external communications;
7. Cultivate professional contacts and maintain liaison with media, government, implementing partners, key stakeholders, and community organizations for the dissemination of project lessons;   Ensure compliance of all project communication with the donor’s communications toolkit and other reference guidelines;
8. Routinely evaluate the impact of project communications, share findings with the team, and adjust communications and communication strategy accordingly;
9. Perform other tasks as requested by the project leadership team.

Qualifications & Experience

1. Academic training: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public relations, Journalism, public health, or any other related field. Master’s degree preferred;
2. Work experience: Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in communications in public health, including knowledge and competence in research writing, digital communications, social media management, web content management, and analytics;
3. Professional credentialing: Additional professional qualification/certification is advantageous.

Competencies required

1. Strong commitment to SCIDaR’s aims, values, and principles;
2. Commitment to SCIDaR’s aims, values, and principles;
3. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail;
4. Ability to work in a team and adapt to changing circumstances;
5. Willingness to learn and grow in the role;
6. Resourcefulness in problem-solving;
7. Flexibility and adaptability to varying work conditions;
8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and presentation skills;
9. Exceptional research writing, editing, and interpersonal communication skills;
10. Be competent in Microsoft Office, Publisher, Adobe Acrobat, and other communications software programs;
11. Must have excellent interpersonal and group facilitation skills;
12. Must have effective problem-solving skills and be able to handle multiple tasks with interruptions, as well as the ability to prioritize workload appropriately;
13. Results-oriented, experienced in developing and tracking self and team with clear KPIs;
14. Demonstrated strong strategic thinking and thought leadership abilities;
15. Fast learner; open to learning from peers, subordinates, and supervisors collaboratively; and at a rapid pace;
16. Can show examples of previous communication work implemented for any public health program. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

SCIDaR is an equal employment employer, committed to a workplace free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or any other protected status under applicable laws.