Village Enterprise is hiring a
Employer: Village Enterprise
Industry: Nonprofit/International Development/Social Entrepreneurship/Philanthropy
Job Title: Senior Communications Manager
Reports to: VP of Marketing and Communications
Position Type: Full Time
Function: Marketing and Communications
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Start Date: Immediate
Travel: Occasional travel to visit programs in the field in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Organization Overview:
Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship,
innovation, and collective action. We work with vulnerable women, refugees, and youth who are most
impacted by climate change, conflict, and displacement, and equip them with skills and resources to
launch climate-smart businesses, build savings, and put themselves and their families onto a sustainable
path out of extreme poverty. Village Enterprise has started over 74,000 businesses, trained over 264,000
first-time entrepreneurs, and positively transformed the lives of over 1,565,000 people in Uganda, Kenya,
Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Mozambique. Our
goal is to impact the lives of 20 million people by 2030.
Position overview:
Village Enterprise seeks an experienced Senior Communications Manager to lead our communications
efforts in East Africa. This role will work closely with and report to the Vice President of Marketing and
Communications and will also work closely with the Chief Government Relations Officer as well as the
Development and Partnership teams. The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of experience in
communications, public relations, marketing, or journalism, be a strong writer, have a keen eye for
newsworthy stories, and be skilled at networking and developing relationships to further our
communication goals among key audiences. This is an ideal role for someone who is passionate about
ending extreme poverty in rural Africa, takes initiative and is a self-starter, and works well individually
and collaborating across teams, departments, and time zones. The position is open to nationals of Ethiopia, Kenya , Rwanda & Uganda .
Primary Responsibilities:
● Lead the organization's media relations efforts in East Africa, including: assisting the VP of
Marketing and Communications with managing a PR firm, building relationships with journalists,
responding to media inquiries, prepping staff and entrepreneurs for interviews, creating press
releases, talking points, and other materials
● Develop a speaking engagement strategy for the organization, mapping out key conferences and
webinars taking place throughout the year and securing spots for representatives from Village
Enterprise
● Working with the Chief Government Relations Officer, develop and implement communication
strategies targeting government officials in our countries of operation as a key audience,
including events, media opportunities, and more
● Assist team members in writing articles and/or other materials to build organizational thought
leadership
● Oversee Village Enterprise’s branding and visibility in our countries of operation, working
closely with our offices in East Africa to ensure they have the materials needed to successfully
communicate our impact and goals
● Regularly meet with Country Directors and project managers to stay up to date with the latest
news from our programs
● Work with staff and photographers to uncover transformative stories of Village Enterprise’s
impact in the lives of our entrepreneurs
● Ensure that all communication materials developed by our teams in East Africa meet brand
guidelines and standards
● Develop a monthly internal Village Enterprise newsletter to keep our staff of 400+ up to date on
the latest achievements and news
● Assist in writing and editing copy for eblasts, reports, blogs, webpages, and other materials as
needed
● Manage external contractors for video editing and photography
Qualifications/Requirements
● Passion for Village Enterprise’s work and mission
● Bachelor's degree
● 5-10 years of experience in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism,
international development, or related fields
● Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to collaborate with a
culturally and geographically diverse team
● Self-starter with demonstrated ability to initiate, plan, and execute projects
● Excellent project management skills, including a strong track record of delivering projects on
time and within budget
● Highly proficient in Google Suite, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint templates
● Highly organized and detail-oriented
● Takes initiative and is self-directed, enjoys working independently and collaboratively
● Flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor
Desired Qualifications
● Experience working or studying abroad and/or in a diverse, multi-cultural environment