2 Jobs, Head of Communications and Head of Partnership Development, Girls Not Brides, London

There are currently two vacancies at Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage:

• Head of Communications
• Head of Partnership Development.

For full job descriptions and information on how to apply, see below.

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS - DEADLINE: 19 APRIL

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is seeking a Head of Communications to join its global secretariat.

Based in the Girls Not Brides office in London, the Head of Communications will provide strategic advice and leadership on all Girls Not Brides communications and media activities. S/he will lead efforts to increase awareness of child marriage and raise the global profile of Girls Not Brides. Driven by a belief in the power of partnership, s/he will also lead communications among our growing civil society partnership.

It is an exciting time to join the Girls Not Brides team. In just three years, Girls Not Brides has grown to more than 450 civil society organisations that are based in over 60 countries. Global attention to child marriage continues to build as Girls Not Bridesmembers raise awareness of the impact of child marriage and what it will take to end it.

At the Girls Not Brides secretariat we connect those working at grassroots, national and global levels as together we call for the laws, policies and programmes to be put in place that will make a difference in the life of millions of girls. We empower those seeking to end child marriage through peer learning and exchange of best practices as we work to end child marriage and ensure girls can fulfil their full potential.

Accountability: Executive Director

Manages: Communications Officer and Digital and Content Editor

Overview

• Provides strategic leadership and advice on all Girls Not Brides communications and media activities
• Develops and implements external and internal communications strategies for theGirls Not Brides Partnership that are effective, high-quality and delivered across platforms
• Raises the Girls Not Brides global profile and promotes its work to key audiences
• Oversees work of the Communications team, consultants and interns.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and advice on all Girls Not Brides communications and media activities.
• Develop effective communications strategies for the global partnership that further Girls Not Brides’ objectives and harness the expertise, talents and resources of Girls Not Brides partners to contribute to ending child marriage.
• Provide advice to members and partners developing communications strategies at local, national and regional levels
• Together with the Communications Officer, develop a media outreach strategy in support of Girls Not Brides’ strategic objectives. Work with international media, as well as national media in high prevalence and donor countries to highlight issues of child marriage and to promote strategies to end it.
• Manage communications strategy and outreach in relation to Girls Not Bridesevents and staff and Trustees’ trips.
• Oversee the development and implementation of effective tools to facilitate information sharing and communications among the members of the partnership, including newsletters, website, social media and other tools as required.
• Develop and ensure consistent messaging for Girls Not Brides secretariat and the collective efforts of the broader partnership.
• Draft, edit and supervise distribution of media releases and other materials for external communications.
• Oversee the Girls Not Brides/Filles, Pas Epouses websites, and support the Digital and Content Editor in website management, e-communications and content creation.
• Oversee the Girls Not Brides social media presence to build and support a global campaign to end child marriage and support the Digital and Content Editor in its implementation and digital community management.
• Commission relevant print and broadcast material to be used by partners across different geographies.
• Build a global network of lead spokespersons or ‘champions’ to speak on behalf ofGirls Not Brides across sectors (including politics, business, grassroots activists and NGOs). Respectfully guide spokespersons who may not have had prior experience speaking to the media.
• Contribute to the broader strategic, policy and programmatic work of Girls Not Brides.
• Provide support to members of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Committee and other champions for media and public appearances as required.
• Assist in preparation and editing of Annual Reports and other reporting materials.
• Direct and empower the communications team to deliver high quality, effective and timely messages using conventional and new media platforms.

Requirements

Expertise in communications strategy

• Demonstrated ability to create, develop and deliver a communications strategy for a global social issue campaign.
• Expertise in creating traditional media content, web content, managing online community engagement and online campaigning.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage internal communications.
• Excellent proven experience in working with media contacts interested in global social issues.
• Crisis and reputation management experience; maturity and discretion.
• Experience in amplifying the voices of a wide range of stakeholders, including grassroots activists and high-profile figures.

Communications skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to write engaging, clear and concise copy.
• A keen eye for accuracy and detail.
• Excellent written and spoken English; fluency in French is highly desirable; proficiency in another relevant language is desirable.

Management and interpersonal skills

• Strong management skills, including experience in managing contractors, such as web developers and photographers.
• Willingness to work in a collaborative team and with diverse alliances, including an ability to work in different cultural environments.
• Excellent managerial, interpersonal skills and ability to empower and inspire others.
• Ability to work with sensitivity and diplomacy with a range of stakeholders, including minors and people living in vulnerable situations or insecurity.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, meet tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities.
• Experience working in developing countries or with developing country partners strongly preferred.
• Willingness to travel internationally when necessary, sometimes at short notice.

Eligibility criteria and terms
A competitive salary and benefits package will be offered to the successful candidate.

How to apply

To apply, please send your CV and a brief cover letter demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this position to recruitment@GirlsNotBrides.org by 23:00 GMT on Sunday, 19 April 2015 clearly stating “Head of Communications” and your name in the subject line. We regret that due to the large number of applications anticipated, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

HEAD OF PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - DEADLINE: 19 APRIL

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is seeking a Head of Partnership Development to join its global secretariat.

Based in the Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage’s secretariat in London, the Head of Partnership Development will work closely with the management team to oversee the member engagement team, to grow and strengthen the Partnership and empower members to deliver on the Girls Not Bridesmission. In particular, the Head of Partnership Development will focus on deepening and expanding our work and interactions with National Partnerships. The Head of Partnership Development will also be responsible for leading and developing best practice across the membership, including guidance on structures and systems, governance and leadership, training and a culture of respect, achievement, accountability and learning.

Since the launch of Girls Not Brides in 2011, member organisations in a number of countries have sought to deepen collaboration at the national level and develop country-specific strategies to address child marriage through the formation of national-level partnerships or networks. There are currently official Girls Not BridesNational Partnerships in four countries, and 11 additional national groups are in the process of developing their applications for affiliation. With the growth of the membership and strong interest from our members in National Partnerships, Girls Not Brides is expanding its capacity to effectively mobilise and empower members to end child marriage.

It is an exciting time to join the Girls Not Brides team. In just three years, Girls Not Brides has grown to more than 450 civil society organisations that are based in over 60 countries. Global attention to child marriage continues to build as Girls Not Bridesmembers raise awareness of the impact of child marriage and what it will take to end it.

At the Girls Not Brides secretariat we connect those working at grassroots, national and global levels as together we call for the laws, policies and programmes to be put in place that will make a difference in the life of millions of girls. We empower those seeking to end child marriage through peer learning and exchange of best practices as we work to end child marriage and ensure girls can fulfil their full potential.

Accountability: Deputy Executive Director

Manages: Member Relations Manager, Member Engagement Officer, Conference Coordinator

Overview

• Provide strategic advice and leadership on growth, engagement and empowerment of Girls Not Brides members.
• Deepen and expand work with National Partnerships; establish and implement support, training and oversight mechanisms.
• Manage the member engagement team, consultants and interns.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

CORE

• Oversee the work of the member engagement team to grow and strengthen the Partnership. Ensure that members feel ownership of Girls Not Brides and are engaged in the 3-year Girls Not Brides strategy.
• Develop a Girls Not Brides strategy and work plan for engaging at the national-level through National Partnerships, including reviewing best practices in the field and identifying with members any needed changes to the current partnership model.
• Review and refine internal procedures for working with and strengthening National Partnerships. Manage secretariat engagement and communication with National Partnerships, and foster appropriate ways of working between staff in the secretariat and National Partnerships that advance the mission of Girls Not Brides.
• Identify capacity-building needs of National Partnerships and develop practical ways to address these needs; oversee the provision of assistance, either by secretariat team members or through consultants.
• Facilitate learning and training in strategic planning, the development of organisational models, shared leadership, and governance across National Partnerships.
• Work closely with colleagues, National Partnerships and other partners to capture best practices, and to develop systems to share that knowledge across the National Partnerships, in particular about different strategies, activities and modes of operation.
• Identify any potential conflict within the membership or with National Partnerships, and work with the management team to resolve these.
• Develop (directly or through consultants) training modules for potential, new and existing members and partnerships.
• Provide in-person support and facilitation to existing and nascent National Partnerships as needed.

ADDITIONAL

• Assist with creating data collection tools, data sources, benchmarks, and performance targets for member activities and National Partnerships.
• Support organisation wide planning and strategy development, including support for the Executive Director and Management Team on the three-year Girls Not Brides strategy.
• Represent Girls Not Brides at events and meetings.

Requirements

• Successful senior-level organisational development professional with considerable strategic thinking and change management experience.
• Extensive proven experience working with national coalitions/alliances/partnerships, preferably in different cultural contexts.
• Experience in understanding needs of, and bringing together, a wide variety of organisations, including large international NGOs and grass-roots community groups.
• Experience in working with and developing governance structures.
• Excellent facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to empower and inspire others in personnel management; good understanding and direct experience of best practice, including performance management.
• A clear grasp of the principles and practice of organisational learning.
• Highly developed communication skills and demonstrable capability in relationship building at all levels. An inspiring senior-level presence, with the ability to empower others to greater effort, commitment and action.
• Proven ability to work within and strengthen teams, including teams in different national contexts.
• Ability to adjust to a changing external environment while keeping focus on delivering on objectives.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, meet tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities.
• Background and experience in issues related to child marriage or gender in development strongly preferred.
• Experience working in developing countries strongly preferred.
• Excellent written and spoken English and fluency in French is required. Additional language (Arabic or Spanish) is desirable.
• Willingness to travel internationally extensively and often, sometimes at short notice.

Eligibility criteria and terms

A competitive salary and benefits package will be offered to the successful candidate.

How to apply

To apply, please send your CV and a brief cover letter demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this position to recruitment@GirlsNotBrides.org by 23:00 GMT on Sunday, 19 April 2015 clearly stating “Head of Partnership Development” and your name in the subject line. We regret that due to the large number of applications anticipated, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER