Regional Stories and Media Lead, WARO at Sightsavers Nigeria

Sightsavers is an international organisation that changes lives for the long term. We work in more than 30 countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and support people with visual impairments to live independently.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Regional Stories and Media Lead, WARO

Location: Nigeria
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
Contract: Fixed Term Contract with remote working
Project: DID Project Nigeria CO
Reports To: Stories manager and dotted line to the Head of Media
Department: Campaigns and Communications

Job Purpose

• Sightsavers have a large UK based communications team responsible for sourcing stories, producing creative content and securing international coverage. We have a growing requirement to extend our communications reach into the countries our programmes are implemented, supporting global and national communications requirements.
• While we work extensively with photographers and videographers based in programme countries, we need regional stories resource to help us tell authentic written and audio stories in an agile way, and to support creative suppliers and programme country offices during stories collection activity.
• We also need knowledge and expertise of regional media to pitch and place these stories in targeted news outlets where they can help raise the profile of Sightsavers and support campaign and programmatic goals.
• This exciting new role sits across the global Media and Content teams with responsibilities to both. The right candidate will need to be fluent in English and French, be a passionate and responsible storyteller with excellent regional media knowledge and strong communications strategy experience.
• They will be adept at building strong relationships across the region, remotely and in person. They will be able to manage their own time effectively, balancing competing requests while identifying joint content and media opportunities.

Purpose of the Role

• The Global Media and Content Teams are excited to be hiring a Regional Stories and Media Lead in West Africa. The role is available in one of our programme countries listed.
• The purpose of the role is to extend Sightsavers’ communications reach throughout our programme countries within West Africa. The post-holder, supporting global and national communications goals will have knowledge and expertise of regional media with the ability to pitch and place stories in targeted news outlets where they can help raise the profile of Sightsavers and support campaign and programmatic goals.
• If world class relationship building skills, authentic story telling at a regional level in West Africa, a passion for news and a passion for telling stories sounds like an opportunity you have been waiting for then we are keen to hear from you.

About the role of Regional Stories and Media Lead WARO

• This new opportunity sits across the global Media and Content teams with responsibilities to both.
• The right candidate will need to be fluent in both written and spoken English and French, be a passionate and responsible storyteller with excellent regional media knowledge within West Africa and strong communications strategy experience.
• They will be adept at building strong relationships across the region, remotely and in person. They will be able to manage their own time effectively, balancing competing requests while identifying joint content and media opportunities.

Accountabilities
Stories:

• Work closely with West African programme teams to identify story opportunities across our three main thematic areas and priority programmes
• Feedback insight back to UK based teams, leading regular discussion which story opportunities to proceed with, working with stories producers to follow up on leads
• Fulfil in person, high quality stories collection across West Africa, predominantly focusing on written/audio stories and working alongside and managing freelance photographers and videographers to deliver visual stories
• Take on story collection projects as required from start to finish, planning each step of the process, working remotely through staff and local suppliers and in person.
• Fulfil briefs from UK based communications and fundraising teams, sourcing content to support their aims
• Support and deliver stories training to West African programme staff, including basic photography and video – office based training plus on the job during story assignments
• Support programme staff to document their work

Media:

• Support country teams with media outreach and media trips - providing advice, guidance and training by setting up workshops and then ongoing as needed.
• Provide us with expertise and knowledge about how the media operates in West Africa.
• Build relationships with key media in the West African region, potentially via media engagement events, and support country teams to do the same.
• Point of contact for any media issues which result in a reputational crisis in West Africa.
• Available to support media trips in West Africa.
• Support West African media pushes in each of the three thematic areas, working with and supporting country teams and the three thematic global media officers. This would include national media outreach in support of key campaign objectives, media outreach for key moments such as World Sight Day and NTD Day.
• Input a more diverse, global influence to all our media outreach including influencing media engagement plans in support of three thematic communication strategies

Both:

• Indirect management and support of country office and UK comms team staff, increasing knowledge about the regional media landscape, establishing processes in the region and supporting country office staff to identify and fulfil communications opportunities

Jobholder Entry Requirements
The essential knowledge, skills and behaviours required Knowledge (Education & Related Experience):

• Proven experience of sourcing and documenting emotive, contributor led stories
• Proven experience of managing photography and video documentation projects
• Proven track record of building strong internal networks and maintaining relationships and communications across teams and borders
• Proven experience of developing and delivering communications and content strategies
• Proven experience of working in a policy or campaigns focussed media role
• Excellent knowledge of national and international media and social media
• Ability to sell international/development stories to the consumer, national and international media
• The ability to work with internal and external stakeholders and create an understanding of how media and PR can contribute to the delivery of organisational objectives.
• Understanding and demonstration of ethical content and safeguarding best practice
• Excellent time management
• Proven awareness of disability inclusion and wider global development issues and an understanding of the power of individual stories
• Experience of training and skills transfer.

Skills (Special Training or Competence):

• Fluent French and English
• An overwhelming passion for telling stories
• A passion for news
• World class relationship building skills
• Excellent written and presentational skills
• Ability to present complex information in an appropriate and engaging form suitable to the audience
• Good networking skills
• Ability to work under pressure and manage conflicting priorities
• Ability to work with multiple internal and external stakeholders simultaneously
• Audio, photography and videography / video editing skills preferred but not essential

Knowledge, skills and experience for Regional Stories and Media Lead WARO

• Excellent knowledge of national and international media and social media, ideally within international development
• Extensive experience sourcing and documenting emotive, contributor led stories; managing photography and video documentation projects; developing and delivering communications and content strategies within West Africa
• Experienced in building strong internal networks and maintaining relationships and communications across teams and countries
• Professional experience working in a policy or campaigns focussed media role
• Ability to sell international/development stories to the consumer, national and international media
• Advocate both internally and externally with stakeholders to showcase how media and PR contribute to achieving organisational objectives
• Awareness of ethical content; disability inclusion; safeguarding best practice, wider global development issues; understanding of the power of individual stories
• Experience of training and skills transfer
• Excellent time management
• Team builder, line manager
• Fluent English and French, both written and spoken
• Current and ongoing right to work in one of the countries detailed

Core Behaviours:

• Creative
• Empathetic and sensitive
• Self-starter
• Passionate and enthusiastic
• Confident communicator
• Excellent listener
• Collaborative

Resilient Key Relationships:

• Internal
• UK based Campaigns and communications colleagues – media, social media, content and stories, communications, campaigns
• UK based fundraising teams
• West Africa country teams – especially those with direct access to programme work External
• Photographers and videographers
• Programme partners
• Media outlets.
• Journalists.

Salary
Local Terms and Conditions Apply.

Application Closing Date
9th October, 2022.