Global Health Advocacy Incubator/Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Position description

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), a program of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, draws on lessons learned from tobacco control and its growing experience on other public health issues to support policy change campaigns around the globe to improve health. To date, that work includes healthy food policy, cardiovascular health, maternal and child health, road safety, drowning prevention, preventing epidemics, and vital statistics.

GHAI is seeking communications consultants with media advocacy expertise to support healthy food policy campaigns in multiple geographies. As part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Food Policy Program (FPP), GHAI supports civil society organizations to pass key policies that contribute to healthier food environments, including: taxes on unhealthy food and beverage products; mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels; restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to children; and regulating the supply of unhealthy products in public sector environments, particularly schools.

GHAI works with and supports civil society organizations, providing technical assistance and capacity building in advocacy, communications and legal analysis. GHAI now seeks consultants to help provide media advocacy expertise to country-level advocacy efforts.

Depending on programmatic needs and consultants’ availability and expertise, communications consultants may be hired to limited-term work in a specific country, or to provide communications support across multiple countries. Please note that this call is for consultant advisors; GHAI will contract for support through individual consultant agreements. Contracted communications consultants will report directly to the FPP Communications Director, or their designee, and will collaborate closely with the FPP team, consultants, and partners on the FPP, at GHAI headquarters in Washington, DC and in the countries where we work.

The communications consultants will support civil society organizations in the design and execution of media advocacy strategies that support public health policy campaigns aimed at improving the food environment. The goal will be to create a media environment conducive to policy change by reaching the public, but especially influencers and key decision makers, through strategic communications support. Knowledge of/background in food policy would be an important asset. Although the countries in which GHAI currently works continues to grow, at this time, prior experience working in the following countries/regions or in-depth knowledge of the media environment, and relevant language skills, would be particularly helpful: Latin America and the Caribbean, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, and Vietnam.

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate development of a communications strategy to support policy advocacy campaigns with partners and assist in the implementation of the strategy.
• Develop communications materials (template press releases, op-eds, letters to the editor, digital resources) for partners and coalition members (as applicable) to participate and engage in the public debate.
• Track media monitoring reports and, when needed, engage in rapid response to counter negative stories.
• Help organize and facilitate workshops and training sessions to help build partner communications capacity and spokespeople.
• Provide ongoing updates to GHAI on communications activities, including developing written reports and participating in planning/update calls with GHAI on an ongoing basis.
• Attend meetings with partners and GHAI as requested.

Qualifications

Ideal Qualifications:

• Proven experience utilizing traditional and social media as a tool for policy change with a deep understanding of the elements of both campaign development and implementation paired with the ability to leverage the power of civil society to achieve policy change goals;
• A broad client-service centered approach gained from experience in media strategy, public relations, and/or particular experience serving civil society clients in a consulting relationship;
• Experience in advising coalitions or networks on development coordinated communications strategies;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement media (including social media) and communications strategies in support of policy change;
• Keen ability to assess and identify areas for increased capacity and provide technical assistance and/or training, as needed;
• Strong program or project management experience. Fine attention to details, and ability to deliver project goals in a timely fashion;
• Flexibility, focused organizational skills, and good humor required to handle multiple tasks in fast-paced environment;
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required; country-specific work will also require proficiency in relevant languages, as appropriate.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in communications or related field;

Application instructions

TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please email a cover letter, salary requirement, and attach your resume to:   [email protected].

Please reference the position code: GHAI-FPP-Comms in the subject line of your email.  No Phone calls please.