Vacancy: Marketing and Communications Officer GROW2 - Tamale, Ghana

Company Profile

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) is a faith based International Development Organization based in Canada and operating since 1953. 

Job Description

• Job Status:  Full-time Contract


• Anticipated Start Date: July 2022


• Location: Tamale, Ghana

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for a Marketing and Communications Officer to join our dedicated and talented team in Ghana on our mission to create business solutions to poverty!

MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Greater Rural for Opportunities for Women 2 (GROW2) project is a women-focused project driven by a strong market system approach that fully integrates Nutrition, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Environmental Sustainability, and Innovation in its implementation. The Project will increase the economic and social empowerment of women farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses in the Northern, Savannah, and Upper West Regions of Ghana through increased productivity, and an improved business environment. 

The Marketing and Communications Officer position works closely with technical experts, GROW2 management, and local implementing partners to enhance, implement and regularly evaluate strategic marketing and communications plans/strategies which support the project’s goal of economic and social empowerment of smallholder women farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses in Northern Ghana.

The role holder will also be responsible for the implementation of the project’s communications strategy, collection of multimedia content, and development of client stories that demonstrate the impact of the project on local and international audiences. Reporting to the Monitoring and Impact Measurement Manager, the Communications Officer will capture client stories and other content for the project’s communications purposes. This position will involve travel to project sites, client, and partner locations in the Northern, Upper West, and Savannah Regions.  

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Accountabilities  

• Implement the project’s communications and marketing strategy.  


• Develop communications content for project reports, website, Facebook, and other print materials including writing client stories, quarterly newsletters, blogs, and articles, and house these in an organized database for the use of the project. 


• Support the efficient utilization of social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website, blogs), SMS ‘text-messaging’, graphic/multi-media software (Adobe Suite), and other technology-based communications solutions.  


• Plan and execute events and campaigns that promote the successes of Women Smallholder Farmers (WSHF) and agribusinesses. 


• Assist the MIM Manager with research and evaluation of the most effective approaches to reach WSHFs and agribusinesses and continue building communications and marketing linkages that will strengthen clients’ access to a full range of information on an ongoing basis. 


• Routinely collect information (such as news articles) on agriculture, economic development, and gender-related issues in the Zone of Influence (ZOI) and beyond to share with staff and partners.  


• Assist the MIM manager to monitor and genuinely contribute to realizing results-based project targets 


• Contribute to project annual work plans, progress reports, and other MIM, reporting, and communications activities, in collaboration with project staff 


• Support, plan and execute events and campaigns that promote the successes of GROW2 clients 


• Assist with evaluating the most effective approaches to reach GROW2 partners and clients and continue building communications and marketing linkages that will strengthen their access to a full range of information on an ongoing basis 


• Collect data, analyze data, and write compelling official reports on all organizational interventions and activities for both the local and international public.   


• Any other duties and/or requirements as assigned

Required Skills or Experience

• Education: Minimum of bachelor’s degree (preferably master’s degree) in a relevant field such as development communications, marketing, journalism, community development, ICT, or international development 


• Experience: At least 5 years of relevant experience in the design, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of marketing and/or development programs (required) – with relevant marketing portfolio samples upon request.  


• Previous experience working with an international non-governmental organization (INGO) (highly desired)  

Additional Qualifications: 

• Appreciation and support of MEDA’s faith, vision, and values  


• Understanding and appreciation of business principles, international development, and MEDA’s approach to creating business solutions to poverty  


• Solid experience in the design and implementation of either commercial market research agendas, small to medium anthropological research studies, or other social science research applications. Likewise, experience in the design and implementation of FGDs, interviewing, PRA, or other participatory methodologies (desired) 


• Previous experience in print, video, television, or radio production (desired)  


• Comfortable utilizing information technology and various social media platforms, as well as managing web-CMS, SMS campaigns, and technology-based communications solutions (highly desired) 


• Sector experience: agriculture/agribusiness, and/or extractive sectors plus some rural experience (desired) 


• Fluent in written and spoken English and local language