Strategic Communications and Knowledge Manager, Food Basket Activity - Nigeria 

**Contingent upon Donor Funding**

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every member feels they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.

The Program / Department / Team

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and its influence spreads across the continent. Yet, inequality and insecurity have consistently undermined Nigeria's development. Mercy Corps Nigeria was established in 2012 to respond to these challenges. The Nigeria team is headquartered in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with programming across 16 states of Nigeria. Mercy Corps works with communities to build economic opportunities, enhance water security, drive peace and good governance, and ensure food security. Our activities aim to build resilience through an integrated approach, helping communities– and the most marginalized within them– cope, adapt, and thrive in the context of numerous shocks and stresses. With a strong and growing team, Mercy Corps works to achieve the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient, and secure.

The Position

Mercy Corps is seeking candidates for a Strategic Communications and Knowledge Manager (SCKM) which will support the implementation of the anticipated five-year USAID/Feed the Future-funded Food Basket Activity. The Food Basket Activity will increase the productivity and competitiveness of selected value chains (rice, maize, and horticulture) and market systems in targeted areas of Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Plateau states of Nigeria.

Essential Responsibilities

●        Provide leadership in the development of a communications and knowledge management strategy and operationally plan and oversee the implementation of the communications and knowledge management plan.

●        Establish and strengthen program systems and team and partner capacity to achieve knowledge management and communication objectives.

●        Effectively identify and use program evidence to represent program learning in strategic communications and collaborate with MEL staff to identify and address evidence needs.  

●        Strengthen collaboration and cross-learning within the Activity team and within Mercy Corps Nigeria, as well as with local partners, private sector, government counterparts, and other programs/organizations to contribute to the knowledge sharing and community of practice.

●        Lead the development of and author program reports and updates including overseeing quarterly donor reports. 

●        Proactively identify stories and communications to share Activity results with various audiences.

●        Manage and share relevant Activity reports and publications.

●        Lead or actively contribute to the organization of external events and fora focused on enhancing program visibility, cross-partner collaboration, and peer learning. 

●        Play a central role in program facilitating a culture of collaboration, learning, and adaptation within the Activity Team and Mercy Corps Nigeria through documenting and sharing Activity learning.

●        Manage internal document storage, adhering to Mercy Corps’ policies and data security standards.

●        Collect and disseminate learnings from the Activity internally and externally.

●        Train, mentor, and build the capacity of others on the Activity team in communications and knowledge management practices.

Supervisory Responsibility

TBD

Accountability

Reports Directly To: COP, Food Basket Activity

Works Directly With The Activity Team

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

●        BA/S degree in communication, public relations, development studies, or relevant field, master’s degree preferred.

●        5+ years of progressive work experience in communications and knowledge management for donor-funded development programs.

●        Exceptional writing, editing, and public speaking skills in English are required.

●        Ability to summarize and simplify complex information and communicate it to targeted groups.

●        Graphic design, photo editing, and video editing experience strongly preferred. [NG1]

●        Experience in agriculture or economic development donor-funded programming preferred.

●        Demonstrated experience in training and capacity building across diverse teams and partners.

●        Excellent stakeholder and relationship management skills.

●        Previous experience in Nigeria or similar contexts is essential.

●        Familiarity with USAID is required.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving. This position requires an ability to think creatively to achieve sustainable impact and enhance long-term resilience. They will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results. They will understand the larger picture while remaining focused on problem-solving and effectively navigating complex and sensitive political, conflict, and security dynamics. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The SCKM is based in Abuja. This position requires 40% of time of travel by flight or road to field offices in with varying degrees of insecurity.

This position requires obtaining medical clearance through the successful completion of a medical assessment by an external third party prior to deployment and following any medical evacuation if applicable. If you are not medically cleared and Mercy Corps cannot reasonably accommodate a medical condition if required, you may not be able to deploy for/return to this position

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, and other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal-opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status, or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants, or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.