Associate Director, Communications- Food & Nutrition Program

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supports civil society organizations advocating for public health policies that reduce death and disease. We bring a proven advocacy approach and a global network of local partners, built on a 25-year track record of success across multiple issues in more than 60 countries. GHAI is an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

GHAI draws on lessons learned from tobacco control and its growing experience on other public health issues to support advocacy campaigns around the globe. To date, that work includes food policy and cardiovascular health, road safety, immunization, drowning prevention, preventing epidemics, and vital statistics.

Through its Food and Nutrition work, GHAI advocates for the reduction in consumption of ultra-processed products to decrease non-communicable diseases. GHAI supports civil society organizations to pass and implement key policies to develop healthier food environments, including:

• Taxes on unhealthy food and beverage products
• Mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels
• Restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to children
• Regulating the supply of unhealthy products in public sector environments, particularly schools
• Regulating industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA)
• Sodium reduction policies.

Position Overview

The Associate Director of Communications leads efforts to support the strategic communication, media, and digital advocacy work of GHAI’s civil society organization partners in a select portfolio of countries advocating for food and nutrition policies. This position reports to the Director of Communications, Food and Nutrition Policy and works closely with the Cardiovascular Heath and Food Policy leadership and programs. The Associate Director, Communications serves as a thought partner and resource for the food and nutrition team, GHAI staff, international NGOs, and the media. The Associate Director will have a deep understanding of and a strong track record of using traditional, digital, and paid media as critical components to advance policy change. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with strong project management skills; passion, curiosity, and comfort working in a cross-cultural setting; and a demonstrated commitment to capacity strengthening in a global context.

This position is based in Washington, DC and is open to U.S. citizens and other applicants who already possess U.S. work authorization. GHAI will be operating under a hybrid (partial remote and partial in-person/in-office) work environment. Full vaccination (including booster shots) against Covid-19 is required.

WHAT YOU’LL ACCOMPLISH:

As the communications lead for a select portfolio of Food and Nutrition countries, the Associate Director will partner closely with in-country civil society organizations to develop communications strategies and campaigns to advance policy objectives and program goals. This role will also collaborate closely with the Food and Nutrition global partners and funders.

Key areas of focus for the position include:

• Develop, implement, and support advocacy communications strategies that include earned media and digital advocacy strategies in partnership with NGOs and NGO networks in selected low-and middle-income countries of focus.
• Enhance the capacity of civil society organizations in focus countries to conduct effective communications, in part by providing training and capacity-building programs.
• In partnership with in-country civil society organizations, develop and implement methods to increase the capacity of the media to report on public health issues, including journalism workshops, and other programs.
• Collaborate with GHAI and other relevant partners to efficiently and creatively craft and implement media strategies in support of GHAI’s and local NGO’s objectives.
• Collaborate with country-focused communications staff from other organizations.
• Oversee production of communication materials.
• Oversee relationships with and output of communications agencies and consultants, including PR agencies and media monitoring vendors in countries.
• Evaluate the country-specific communications and media advocacy programs.
• Highlight the CVH work and local partners’ advances through regular contributions to the GHAI blog and social media channels and development of case studies and other publications.

SKILLS YOU’LL BRING TO THE ROLE:

• Broad client-services experience in the field of public relations, and/or particular experience serving NGO clients in the public health arena.
• Demonstrated experience using social media, digital advocacy tools and platforms as well as traditional media as a critical tool for policy change.
• Advocacy campaign development and implementation experience.
• Understanding of how communications strategies can support policy change and implementation in low-and middle-income countries.
• Impeccable project management skills and the ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement trainings.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Comfort working on multi-country programs and/or in cross-cultural settings; experience working or living overseas a plus.
• Flexibility, strong organizational skills, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Meet timely and detailed project goals that support larger strategy.
• Bachelor’s degree and minimum 5-7 years’ relevant experience in media relations, public relations, consulting, and/or advocacy campaigns.
• Ability and desire to travel overseas.

Why Join The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids?

• 100% company paid health, vision, and dental for you; 70-80% contribution to these coverages for your dependents.
• Paid parental leave benefits (4 weeks paid maternity/paternity leave), in addition to federal and local leave provisions.
• 403b plan participation (with 9% company contribution)
• 10 paid company holidays, 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 5 personal days (on an accrual basis each calendar year);

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make The Campaign’s work more inclusive. We encourage qualified applicants of all ages, racial, economic, social, cultural, sexual orientation, ability and gender expressions, national origins and veteran statuses to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and its Global Health Advocacy Incubator program represent our collective efforts to strengthen public policies that reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and around the world, as well as other public health threats contributing to death and disease. Our organization has a singular focus: to make the world a safer, healthier place for everyone. Candidates are encouraged to review our website at https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/.

Learn more here