Spark MicroGrants believes in a world where everyone lives with dignity and determines their own positive future. Decades of prescriptive aid have sidelined the poor from the very programs meant to uplift them. For nearly a decade, Spark MicroGrants has been pioneering a new approach to international aid. We believe in local solutions and catalyzing rural villages facing poverty into action. After years of refining a community organizing and seed funding model for rural village action we are garnering demand from emerging nations and leading civil society organizations to train and support them to adapt and deploy the approach at scale.
At the heart of Spark’s model, the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), are ‘town-hall’ style weekly meetings, in which women and men, young and old, plan together for their community’s future. Each village democratically elects a leadership committee, establishes a village savings account, and launches a project of their choice. Members receive weekly trainings on financial management and transparency, leadership, village planning, and advocacy. Each village then receives US$8,000 in seed funds to turn project ideas into reality and receives an additional two years of management support.
In our first decade we reached 320+ villages who have collectively launched more than 300 local impact projects, benefiting over 230,000 lives. In the next three years, we seek to accelerate the growth of this approach, through establishing a national program to reach 12,000 villages in Rwanda, lead cutting edge research on the benefits of facilitation and curate a global community of practice for organizations across the continent and beyond actively using the FCAP.
Our team of 50+ people is spread across 4 countries in East Africa and the US, sharing a common vision and value system. These are:
- Facilitators. We don’t impose; we enable others to generate impact.
- Community-driven. We are motivated by what is best for the community.
- Process-centered. The how of what we do is just as important as the what.
- Authentic. Our vision and values live in everything we do.
- Dynamic. We seek opportunities and are willing to take risks to serve our community partners better.
ABOUT THE ROLE
As Spark pivots from a traditional implementation NGO to a training and service provider for governments and civil societies, our growth strategy demands top-notch communication about our work with partners. We are seeking a Communications Officer to promote Spark’s work in Rwanda and beyond!
You will play an integral role in developing and implementing Spark MicroGrants’ communications strategy in Rwanda. This will come at a critical moment within the organization as we embark on the rollout of the Advancement in Citizen Engagement (ACE) Project and prepare for a national scale rollout in partnership with the World Bank and the Rwandan Government. In addition to developing the communications strategy, this role will be responsible for the promotion of Spark’s work by establishing and utilizing relationships with local media. They will also play a role in supporting the Growth department in gathering and sharing material to be used for external audiences, including current and prospective donors.
The Communications Officer will work closely with the Rwanda and Growth departments to develop and implement a detailed communications strategy in Rwanda and report to the Rwanda Country Director. We are looking for candidates with exceptional communication skills in multiple languages, ability to develop content of various forms, and connections to local media channels.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:
Developing ACE Project Communications Strategy
- Collaborate with ACE management to develop and implement effective communication strategy;
- Ensure communications strategy is tailored to specific audiences;
- Increase organization’s visibility via flyers, banners, and quality photographs.
Media and Government Outreach
- Establish and maintain relationships with local media in Rwanda;
- Respond to media inquiries and organize interviews with different audiences;
- Organize and attend District open days and other possible exhibitions.
Supporting Growth Team
- Work with the Growth team to ensure strong content used for donor facing audiences;
- Write and distribute content on organizational activities (sharing best practices, attending open days, etc.) through publications, press releases, and website updates;
- Support NYC-based Development Associate on cultivation of content for Spark social media.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
Passion for rural communities owning their future
- You are driven by a world with strong civil society where communities are in the driving seat of local change.
- You are passionate about improving aid delivery and governance.
Communications, Journalism, and/or Marketing Skills
- You hold a university degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or a related field;
- You have excellent written communication skills;
- You produce materials (fliers, banners, photographs, reports) that are visually appealing and professional;
- You have confidence and skills for public speaking, if needed to represent the organization at a public event.
Strategic Communications &/or Marketing Experience
- You have at least three years of experience in communications &/or marketing;
- You have successfully developed and implemented either a communications strategy for a non-profit organization, or a marketing strategy for a company or other institution;
- You work well with others and are able to build buy in of key stakeholders within and outside of the organization;
- You have proven ability to establish and maintain media relationships, organize audience events, and respond to any queries.
Language & Specialty Skills
- You are fluent in English, French, and Kinyarwanda;
- You communicate clearly and professionally in both written and spoken English;
- It’s a plus if you have photography, videography, and/or graphic design skills!
You have the cultural fit to work with us here at Spark if
- You are dynamic, self-driven, and proactively seek out feedback.
- You keep yourself organized, yet lift your head up to think strategically on the regular and relish the challenge of applying a range of approaches to answer complex questions.
- You are a leader with a passion for transforming bold ideas into actionable strategies. You drive new initiatives, embrace and push for change and aren’t afraid to try something new.
- You are a facilitator, you listen intently, integrate feedback and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable to speak up and develop ideas together.
- You drive thoughtful processes to make strategic decisions and problem solve. You collaborate and prioritize an inclusive process that can be replicated in the future.
- You are authentic. You speak your mind and you live your values.
WHY WORK WITH US ?
- Spark has grown every year since founding. You will join as part of senior leadership with immense opportunity to shape the future of the organization and grow as a leader.
- Spark has been recognized by the Government of Rwanda, NYTimes, Obama Foundation, Draper Richards Kaplan, Forbes and beyond as a leader in community-driven change.
- You will be joining a team that hails from ten countries around the world and is committed to a new world where every village and every neighborhood has the power to drive local change.
- You will have the freedom and autonomy to make your role your own. We want to hear your innovative ideas, your vision for the future and your critical questions.
- You’ll never be bored – but we also respect and value work life balance and your need for down time, vacation and reflection.
OTHER INFORMATION
Location will be Kigali, Rwanda with potential travel for site visits.
During Covid: Currently our field operations are on hold to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Our teams are supporting our communities virtually and we expect that once things open up demand for development solutions will be high in the communities we serve. We are working on refining our growth and virtual support models at this time.
We envision a start date of early-mid June. Onboarding will likely take place partially or completely remotely, depending on Covid-19 restrictions in place with the Government of Rwanda.
We will agree on a three month probation period with learning and performance objectives. We are looking for someone who is committed to this role for at least 2 years.
WANT TO APPLY?
Submit your application directly here; include a CV that shows your relevant experience, and a writing sample.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND APPLY
