The Position: Reporting to the Project Manager, the External Affairs Manager will be responsible for developing the strategic plan around how to accomplish broader community awareness and engagement, as well as execution on those strategies.
The individual will be required to serve as a liaison between the Company and its stakeholders. This position requires previous leadership in community engagement, marketing and communications, strong public speaking and writing skills, and the ability to manage staff. This position is to be run out of Nairobi.
Key Responsibilities
Manages the creation of an overall strategic plan for community engagement, including raising awareness about the organization and development of engagement pathways.
Manages the execution of all community engagement strategies and sets the goals and metrics to ensure effective implementation of these strategies.
Ensuring that all Company activities and as well as community engagement strategies are in line with the existing MOU between the Company and County as well as National and County legislative requirements.
Create mechanisms for internal and external evaluation of engagement initiatives, monitor the success of community engagement strategies, and makes course corrections in order to meet the established goals.
To identify, initiate, and deepen relationships with various community stakeholders.
To develop innovative ways of working in the community through digital transformation and the use of technology while maintaining various databases of groups of stakeholders.
To develop effective internal relationships with peers and cross-functional teams in order to optimise the Company’s efficiency, effectiveness and productivity in community engagement initiatives.
To develop appropriate systems for recording and clearly demonstrating outcomes, impact and reach of the community engagement initiatives.
To operate within the financial constraints within the services and be ultimately responsible for the management of the overall unit budget(s)
To adhere to policies and procedures in relation to confidentiality and data protection
Schedule, implement, and periodically suggest new community-based programs, partnerships, and other engagement initiatives.
Implement meetings, surveys, and other ways for communicating with, and receiving feedback from, the community about the Company and its initiatives
Attend community meetings on behalf of the Company to hear community concerns, provide information about community engagement, and advocate for participation.
Attend non-Company programs and events relevant to better understand community interests and activities.
Distribute information to Company staff regarding engagement activities as well as preparing all reports (monthly, quarterly and annual) for the unit together with the Project Manager.
Compile collected information for the Project Manager to regularly present to the Commercial Director, company leadership and the Board.
The Candidate Profile
Key Competencies
Experience and success working in partnership with local residents and community organizations.
Intimate familiarity of Turkana County and its communities is preferred.
Success at managing a wide array of tasks and projects and an ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment.
To have experience of managing a range of community-based initiatives /projects and working familiarity with effective engagement strategies.
To have experience of leading teams of staff across a range of locations as well as the ability to liaise with project stakeholders and manage expectations as needed.
To have experience of managing budgets and operating within fixed budgets.
Demonstrate excellent leadership and management skills and demonstrated experience interfacing with the public and stakeholder groups.
To be able to train, coach, motivate and develop staff.
To have excellent interpersonal skills, able to communicate effectively with people at all levels and teams working skills at all levels.
Able to work unsupervised, under own initiative within role boundaries and as an effective team member being able to prioritise own and team’s workload, delegating work and prioritising activities as required.
To have an understanding of data protection and information governance, be discreet and able to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to manage large projects and facilitate complex interactions that involve stakeholders from across the system.
Ability to build and manage positive relationships with committees and networks (both internal and external), community partnerships, Government organizations and other stakeholders.
Highly developed change management skills to identify support needed to achieve objectives.
To have experience in basic accounting skills be able to put together rudimentary budgets.
Qualifications
This position requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology or other related human science field of study.
A minimum of five (5) years hands on experience working with communities in a leadership role. Experience working with communities in Turkana County will be preferred.
Language Proficiency: Fluent in both written and spoken English and Swahili. Proficiency in Ngi-Turkana is also preferred.
Proficiency in computer software as well as project management software.