Cultural Information Trust

Deadline: 16 April 2021

Location: Harare, Zimbabwe

Reports to: Chief of Party

Supervises: Project staff, as assigned.

Overview

The Cultural Information Trust seeks an experienced Senior Media Advisor for the anticipated Strengthening Media for Accountability in Zimbabwe Program (SMAZ). The activity aims to contribute to the advancement of a culture of accountability in Zimbabwe by enhancing the capacity of the media to hold state and non-state actors to account for their acts and omissions. This is anticipated to be a five-year activity. This position is contingent upon award.

The Senior Media Advisor will support the Chief of Party (COP) in all aspects of program management and implementation at a strategic level and also at an operational level. S/he will be responsible for oversight of program activities, reporting and sub-grants. S/he will be required to act as COP from time-to-time being the principal point of contact in Zimbabwe for procedural and substantive matters and will also take on delegated COP responsibilities as required. S/he will support the COP in liaison with the donor on technical issues and in programs management and operations in response to the donor technical direction. The position will also support the COP in ensuring timely delivery of activities, quality control and the overall responsiveness of technical assistance.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:

Develop and maintain a keen understanding of challenges and issues facing effective media and communications in Zimbabwe; Work with the Chief of Party (COP), local partners, and local staff to design innovative strategies and activities that build the capacity of individual Zimbabwean media outlets and media associations and strengthen the media sector holistically; Supervise a team of experienced media advisors, media trainers and consultants to deliver high quality media training and mentoring (online and offline) in strategic communications, campaign planning and delivery, and social media; Cultivate relationships with relevant local and international governmental actors, media, partners and agencies and represent CIT to the Zimbabwean government, the project funder, and other donors; Support clear internal and external communication for the project by drafting, reviewing, or contributing to regular success stories and social-media posts; Work in cooperation with program staff to identify the vulnerable people’s media needs (e.g., media literacy) and recommends strategies to address them; Promote programs that address barriers for youth in accessing news and information and proposes best news formats and platforms popular with youth; In partnership with the COP, provide leadership in the development and maintenance of professional relationships with donors through reporting, liaison, communications, and advocacy; Support the COP and senior administrative and finance staff to ensure compliance with organizational and donor rules and regulations; Analyze project results and the implementation of successes/failures; Develop plans for improvement/expansion of activities, as assigned; Additional assignments and initiatives as necessary, requested by the COP and/or senior management.

Qualification (qualified and experienced Zimbabwean female applicants are encouraged to apply)

Advanced degree (preferably master’s or higher) in media studies, journalism, communication, social sciences, international development, or a related field; 8-10 years of progressively media and /or journalism practice in Zimbabwe. Experience as an editor in a leading media house is preferred; Extensive media development experience in Zimbabwe and /or the SADC region, including working with media organizations, media associations, and providing senior program management (familiarity with media business management, or with media law) preferred; A successful track record in supervising, designing, managing, implementing technical assistance for donor-funded media projects and proven ability to develop, implement, and monitor work plans, training plans, monitoring and evaluation plans, and procurement plans; Experience as a manager or trainer with professional capacity-building programs for journalists and media outlets and strong knowledge of new media preferred; Demonstrated mentoring abilities and experience supporting senior managerial staff; Experience with USAID- and/or US government-funded programs strongly preferred; Strong interpersonal and communication skills, excellent written and spoken English; Sound knowledge of a range of audio-visual media, software, applications, and technologies; Extensive current experience of feature writing, investigative journalism, editing, and design; Proven management skills in an offline and online environment, incl. excellent time management skills; Solid experience with social media and analytic tools; Experience in starting up new media businesses, testing new media and news dissemination tools.