Information Manager at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Information Manager

Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Institution: GIABA (ECOWAS)
Status: Permanent
Grade: P3/P4
Department: Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources
Directorate: Director-General
Division: Communication & Advocacy
Line Supervisor: Communication & Advocacy Officer

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Principal Officer, Communication & Advocacy, the incumbent shall manage and maintain the Information Centre. He/She shall also be responsible for managing sensitisation and public outreach activities in French and Portuguese speaking GIABA member States.

Role and Responsibilities

• Effectively manage the Information Centre;
• Effectively supervise the staff under him/her;
• Develop and implement sensitisation and public outreach  programs and activities in the countries under his/her responsibilities;
• Monitor and report on media activies as it relates to the work of GIABA on contiuous basis;
• Maintain an eLearning training centre and deliver online training to relevant stakeholders;
• Undertake advocacy activities and facilitate the advocacy activities of the Director-General;
• Establish and maintain partnership with government agencies, professional bodies, academia, students, private sector, the media and other civil society bodies in support of GIABA’s AML/CFT activities;
• Ensure wide media coverage for GIABA activities;
• Maintain a physical library to serve AML/CFT reference centre;
• Support the academia, students and other researchers conducting studies on ML/TF and AML/CFT;
• Contribute to reports and other publications of GIABA;
• Ensure the planning, coordination and control of activities of the Communication and Advocacy Unit;
• Ensure internal and external visibility of the actions and results of the Centre and, for this purpose, produce periodicals, bulletins, newsletters, etc. as required;
• Organise press engagements, from time to time, to disseminate strategic information and GIABA products;
• Support the organisation of media events of the Director-General and delegated staff;
• Assist with the communication, sensitisation and outreach needs of program activities;
• Support the maintenance of the GIABA website;
• Develop IEC materials for different target groups for production and distribution at different fora;
• Maintain a database of various stakeholders;
• Establish and maintain social media and other network platforms;
• Contribute to the maintenance of a befitting image for the institution;
• Support events planning as may be required from time to time;
• Contribute to the speeches of the Director-General;
• Support GIABA national correspondents to enhance their communication strategy and outreach;
• Periodical reporting to the line supervisor on activities implemented and the results obtained;
• Perform any other duty that may be assigned from time to time.

Academic Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Public Relations, Mass Communication or related any field from a recognized University;
• 5 years responsible experience in journalism, strategic communications, public information or international relations;
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of strategy and guidelines for internal communications and the production of innovative platforms for the promotion of internal communication in ECOWAS;
• Proven knowledge of communication, information and public relations and the ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and cultivate productive relationships.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices;
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instil a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval;
• Ability to utilize the  Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information and resources;
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors and colleagues to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to timeline, quality and quantity;
• Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions;
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their need, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs;
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established  customer service standards;
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion;
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy;
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply  judgement, tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals;
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities;
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make  recommendations;
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance and performance targets;
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals;
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency  using appropriate tools;
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means, ;
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner;
• Proficiency in  information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop,  implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work  goals;
• Identify, organize and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution;
• Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others  to set and meet deadlines;
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators and risks;
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Annual Salary
UA45,511.85 USD71,808.60  /  UA53,235.34  USD83,994.71

Application Closing Date
19th November, 2020.