Communications Manager

### Background

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supports civil society organizations and advocacy movements worldwide to pass lifesaving policies on a range of critical issues. These policies save lives, reduce death and disease, increase investments in public health, and create healthier, more equitable futures for all. GHAI is an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. For more information, visit [www.advocacyincubator.org].

The Health Systems Strengthening portfolio currently includes Prevent Epidemics, Immunization, Data for Health, and Primary Health Care programs. As part of the Prevent Epidemics work, we collaborate with local partners to engage policymakers in prioritizing epidemic preparedness. GHAI supports building government, civil society, and media capacity to advocate for and demonstrate demand for epidemic preparedness funding. We also develop political strategies to remove bottlenecks affecting the allocation and spending of preparedness funds. Our team is actively working in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia. In addition to the country-level work, GHAI is running a capacity-building program to support civil society advocacy on epidemic preparedness globally—an initiative dubbed the CSO Budget Advocacy Academy.

As part of the Data for Health program, GHAI provides legal reviews for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Data for Health Initiative to improve public health data collection. This ensures governments are better equipped with the tools, information, and systems necessary to make informed public health policy decisions. GHAI is also developing a budget advocacy module to increase government resources for strengthening civil registration systems.

For the Immunization work, GHAI supports governments in eight African countries and one in Asia to prioritize and strengthen domestic resource mobilization for routine childhood immunizations. This is achieved by supporting locally led civil society advocacy. As part of the Primary Health Care/Hypertension program, GHAI supports civil society advocacy aimed at preventing millions of deaths from hypertension. This is done through supporting budget advocacy and health system strengthening for the delivery of hypertension control services at the primary health care level. GHAI will also increasingly focus on prioritizing hypertension at the global level by increasing visibility for primary health care strengthening and the non-communicable disease agenda.

### Position Overview

GHAI seeks a Communications Manager, Health Systems Strengthening to support a range of strategic communications initiatives and media and digital advocacy work of GHAI’s partners. These initiatives are designed to advance policies and budget advocacy efforts. The Communications Manager will primarily work on Prevent Epidemics, Data for Health, and Primary Health Care/Hypertension programs, as well as other projects as directed by the Vice President of Health Systems Strengthening.

Working closely with the Healthy Systems Strengthening Associate Director of Communications, the Communications Manager will serve as a thought partner and resource for GHAI staff, international NGOs, and the media. The ideal candidate will have a good understanding of and a strong track record in using traditional, digital, and paid media as critical components to advance policy change. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with project management skills; passion, curiosity, and comfort working in cross-cultural settings; 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 is operating under a hybrid (partial remote and partial in-person/in-office) work environment. Full vaccination (including booster shots) against Covid-19 is required. The position reports to the Associate Director, Communications, HSS.

### What You’ll Accomplish

The Communications Manager will partner closely with in-country civil society organizations to develop communications strategies and campaigns to advance policy objectives and program goals.

Key areas of focus for the position include:

– Develop, implement, and support advocacy communications strategies that include media, influencer, 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 through earned media and digital media advocacy, 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, fellowships, digital media trainings, 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 NGOs’ objectives.
– Collaborate with country-focused communications staff from other organizations.
– Oversee the 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 Health System Strengthening work and local partners’ advances through regular contributions to the GHAI blog and social media channels and the development of case studies and other publications.
– Advise on the communications components of the budget advocacy curriculum and support, as needed, webinars and training sessions to promote budget advocacy toolkits and curricula.
– Develop and track content related to global health security.
– Raise the profile of GHAI’s work on Prevent Epidemics, Data for Health, and Primary Health Care/Hypertension Control, and position the program in the context of current global and regional health security discussions.

### Skills You’ll Bring to the Role

– Bachelor’s degree and minimum 3-5 years relevant experience in media relations, public relations, consulting, and/or advocacy campaigns.
– 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 critical tools 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.
– Good 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, especially in Africa (experience working or living overseas a plus).
– Flexibility, strong organizational skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
– Meet timely and detailed project goals that support a larger strategy.
– Ability and desire to travel overseas (up to 20 percent).
– Fluency in written and spoken languages in addition to English (ideally French), preferred.
– Experience working on health systems issues is a plus.

### 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).
– A hybrid work schedule (3 days in office; 2 days remote).

Learn more here