Together to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Options Consultancy Services Limited was established in 1992 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stopes International. We are a consultancy organisation providing technical and management expertise in the health and social sectors to governments and international development partners to transform the health of women and children. We provide information, expertise and influence to governments, health workers, NGOs and businesses to catalyse change so that health services can be accessed by the people who need them most.
The Girl Generation (www.thegirlgeneration.org) is looking for an energetic and creative Social Change Communications Manager to work to develop impactful and tailored social change communications products. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting grassroots and national organisations and activists to develop more effective and more relevant communications to support efforts to end FGM – which ultimately transforms the lives of millions of girls across the African continent and beyond.

Main purpose of job
The purpose of the post is to lead on the development of social change communication products and resources which support grassroots and national organisations to develop more effective communications to end FGM.
The ideal candidate will possess excellent social change communications development skills. They will hold a high level of insight into how communications can change attitudes, social norms and behaviours, a deep understanding of how different resources and multimedia campaigns can contribute to change and have the ability to oversee a creative team to design and produce relevant materials. She or he will have experience researching and writing communications resources for successful large-scale social or behaviour change campaigns, ideally, but not necessarily, on the African continent and/or on sensitive issues He/ She will also be comfortable designing and leading capacity building programmes, to pass on valuable skills in social change communication to others. They will be a team player and will take a participatory approach to planning, facilitating the identification of shared goals among diverse groups of stakeholders. Ideally, they will have experience of applying their skills to issues that demand a high degree of cultural and personal sensitivity and working creatively through a range of channels (both modern and traditional) to reach hard-to-reach populations – especially in working with a wide variety of organisations at a national and grassroots level.

Main duties:
• Social Change Communication Product Development
• Oversee the development of effective communications resources that reflect The Girl Generation brand vision and overall personality, tailored to individual country, including:
• Concept development founded in insight and local priorities within our focal countries
• Leading insight gathering and review of existing resources
• Developing and writing content against a specific brief
• Liaising with the Senior Brand and Communications Strategist in briefing and management of designers and production specialists
*Field testing with relevant and diverse audiences in focal countries
• Supporting the Senior Brand and Communications Strategist in overseeing printing and final production of resources and products
• Developing dissemination plans and overseeing product launch and roll-out
*Social Change Communication Capacity Building
*Manage the development and maintenance of the Social Change Communications to End FGM online resource centre
*Led by local priorities and insight, develop Social Change Communications capacity building plan for The Girl Generation focal countries
*Deliver capacity building on Social Change Communications Toolkit to priority groups in focal countries
*Engage in national level FGM forum’s as a Social Change Communications Advisor where relevant.
*Work with the Regional Coordinators and the Program Officers to identify and engage potential partners for development of social change communications – including youth networks, media agencies, local artists and musicians and other communications platforms.
*Work with Regional Coordinators and the Country Programme Officers to plan and host Social Change Communication development workshops with priority partners and communications agencies, overseeing development of agreed outputs.
Other areas of programming:
As an active member of the communications team contribute to:
• Sourcing positive stories of change from The Girl Generation members and partners at a national and grassroots level.
• Development of The Girl Generation amplification platforms – including writing and contributing to The Girl Generation blog, website and social media channels.
• Identification of relevant events, conferences and activities for The Girl Generation to attend, and act as a representative of The Girl Generation where relevant.
• Optimising the relationship between The Girl Generation and the other two components of the DfID Programme to End FGM/C (UNICEF-UNFPA Joint Programme, Research) to ensure complementarity.

Other
Ensure that all work supported by The Girl Generation is aligned with the programme’s Do No Harm guidance.
Note: this job description reflects the present requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the job holder.

Signed by:*Date:
Person specification
Criteria Essential Desirable Qualifications
Professional qualification or degree in a relevant subject – Essential

Experience
Significant experience in multimedia communications product development – Essential
Proven success in influencing social values and behaviour through the development of such products – Essential
Experience in the use of and understanding of social media in the African context – Essential
Experience in leading complex insight gathering projects across multiple countries and diverse audiences – Essential
Experience in working with creative teams for the development of resources and communications products. Experience working with videographers and radio production particularly valued. – Essential

Skills and attributes
Specific understanding and experience in the role of brands in campaigning and behaviour change – Essential
Excellent writer and editor with an ability to communicate complex ideas through simple messages and formats – Essential
Rich understanding of media landscape across the African continent, with proven success in engaging a range of media platforms for targeted social change campaign – Essential
Capacity building skills of grassroots organisations – Essential
French and / or Arabic language skills – Desirable
Ability to work across multiple countries with high sensitivity to cultural and social diversity – Essential

Other requirements
Commitment to Equal Opportunities – Essential
A commitment to The Girl Generation’s founding principles, including the Do No Harm guidelines. – Essential
Understanding of, and personal commitment to international human rights, particularly women’s and children’s rights. – Essential
Willing and able to travel internationally – Essential
The right to live and work in Kenya
Fluency in written and spoken English

HOW TO APPLY:
• To apply, please send your CV with a summary note of your skills and experience to The Girl Generation opportunities@options.co.uk. Candidates should state the role in the subject header
• Closing date for applications is: 12th of October, 2015 (NB no need to state a time, jobs on the company website close and are removed at 23.59)
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview. Interviews will be held week commencing19th of October, 2015

Other information
• Options is an equal opportunities employer
• Candidates are required to hold a right to live and work in Kenya