Communications Advisor VVOB Education for Development

ABOUT VVOB

VVOB is an international NGO with programmes and projects in 10 countries worldwide. Our head office is based in Brussels, Belgium.

When you join VVOB, you become a key player in VVOB’s mission to ensure quality education as a key enabler for achieving the sustainable development goals. We implement our programmes and projects with one shared passion: to ensure the improvement of quality education. Our teams of national and international experts achieve this by providing technical assistance to governmental and other education actors. In doing so, worldwide we ensure capacity building of governmental and other education actors.

Do you share our ambition to ensure that learners around the world can enjoy their fundamental human right to quality education, without exception? Are you also convinced that quality education guarantees equal opportunities for everyone and is the key to a better world?

We are looking for a Communications advisor who will operate from our Zambia office in Lusaka, who will support an intervention focused on out-of-school-learners in the Digital Online Learning (DOL) project. Do you want to take on this challenge? Then continue reading!

The Digital School Project in Zambia

The DOL project is a pilot project targeting Lusaka, Kafue and Chibombo districts. Over the course of 30 months the proposed intervention will prepare an estimated 1,000 out-of-school adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18, for minimum four subjects plus the two Special Papers or aptitude tests of the Grade 7 national examinations of 2024 and 2025. The targeted learners are given the opportunity to obtain a Grade 7 certificate in an accelerated manner, allowing them to either re-enter the education system, academic stream or technical and vocational education and training (TVET), or to have the basics skills needed to function in life.

Responsibilities of the Communications advisor

As the Communications advisor, you will develop, coordinate and support the internal and external communication of the project to increase awareness, understanding and support by stakeholders and target groups. You will ensure consistent, up to date information is readily available to a diverse audience to promote acquisition of foundation skills by all learners.

You will: 

• Work with the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) and partners in the DOL Project to develop a communication strategy for all internal and external communication, including capacity development of colleagues and partners.
• Develop regular, attractive project updates and communication outputs, identifying and using the best channels and media to reach the target group, as well as other stakeholders such as financial and technical partners.
• Provide coordination, technical support and advice to colleagues and partners when needed.
• To enhance the visibility of the project to create a bye-in for scaling.
• Keep abreast with policy trends, take part in internal and external working groups, task forces etc. related to or useful for communication.
• Provide quality assurance of materials and/or content developed in or for the programme, including proofreading, supporting layout, design, conformity to VVOB templates and standards etc.

If you’re our Communications Advisor your workweek at the office will include the following highlights:

• In the regular online DOL project team meeting you take note of upcoming events and activities to add into your calendar and ask the team for clarifications where needed and consider which activities might be communication worthy.
• Based on input from the technical team, you draft a script for a video or article for dissemination to the public on the progress of DOL leaners and support systems.
• Lunch! A perfect time to nurture relationships with VVOB colleagues and have an informal exchange on what is happening in the project.
• You organize a training for colleagues on how to harvest rich  learning experiences in readiness to share with the public and the team.
• You help improve the design of graphics in the annual report, also doing a quick proofread of the narrative, checking for language flow and typos.
• You organise and lead a community meeting on DOL, aimed at improving parents involvement in our catchment area.

Who are you?

This is a national position, open to Zambian Nationals

Your expertise and experience

• Master’s degree in communication, journalism or other relevant field or equivalent experience
• 3-5 years’ experience in developing internal and external communication and with the use of different media channels to do so (magazines, social media, …)
• Expert understanding of digital, social and other media and how to maximise impact and visibility for the organisation.
• Excellent computer skills in MS office and other relevant tools & technologies (digital media, graphic design tools etc.)
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently.
• Experience from the international development sector a plus.
• Experience with working in a multicultural team.
• Excellent command of the English language + based on country needs

Matching competences

VVOB core competences:

• Results and goal oriented
• Continuous improvement
• Cooperation within a team and with other stakeholders

Function specific competencies:

• Powerful communicator, strong listening, speaking and writing skills
• 360° empathy
• Development oriented
• Creativity
• Problem analysis and judgement

What we’re offering:

• A fixed-term contract
• 25% gratuity at year’s end
• In-patient and out-patient medical package for you and your legal dependents (as proven by marriage certificate and birth certificate(s).
• Education allowance for your legal children
• Transport allowance and housing allowance in line with the Zambian employment legislation
• Supportive environment enabling continuous professional development
  An opportunity to work in an evidence-based project aimed at ensuring that out of school learners in Lusaka province acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills.