This position will be hybrid requiring a few days per week in office. You can be based at a WRI Africa office in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

World Resources Institute has worked in Africa for over 30 years on forest protection, landscape restoration and more recently, sustainable cities, energy access, and climate action. WRI Africa has built a reputation as a trusted partner on the continent. Since 2017, these operations have crystallized under the helm of African leadership and formalized as WRI Africa. Today, WRI Africa is a team of over 125 scientists and experts from across the continent. Our vision for Africa is an inclusive transformation so Africa’s people and landscapes flourish. WRI Africa generates actionable knowledge across four strategic pillars: vital landscapes, thriving and resilient cities, energy, and institutional and economic transformation. Our work in the Congo Basin contributes to the creation of a political and regulatory environment that promotes sustainable forest management and the conservation of biodiversity. We support national and local actors to produce, manage, and use spatial data to guide sustainable forest management, including artisanal concessions, restoration of degraded areas, governance of the wood-energy supply chain, and sustainable agriculture practices.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Senior Communications Manager for Africa and the Congo Basin Strategy and Engagement Lead, you will design and implement communications and engagement strategies, lead media relations, and manage communication services for events. You will curate communications products for various channels, such as websites, social media, blogs, and publications, and work with program staff to develop relevant messaging to promote program activities to increase overall visibility. You will be supported by program and communications staff working in Africa. You will work with WRI’s Core Communications Team to coordinate outreach and identify opportunities. You will proactively collaborate with WRI’s Congo Basin country teams, as well as the WRI-African Communications Department on all aspects of your work.

What will you do:

Communications and Engagement (60%):

• Develop and implement communications and engagement strategies
• Coordinate and support the development of audience-specific knowledge products
• Translate WRI’s analysis and policy recommendations on forests into compelling stories through high-quality presentations, publications, blogs, photographs, videos, testimonials, webinars, social media etc
• Enhance WRI’s visibility in the Congo Basin by promoting WRI and partner research, analysis, and activities through online communications, media outreach, events, and other venues as appropriate
• Ensure that program websites are updated

Events (15%):

• Coordinate the production of webinars with relevant program teams
• Coordinate communication support for program events, including social promotion and coverage, photography, media outreach, production of communication products and post-event communication reports
• Contribute to WRI Africa’s list of events to ensure effective and efficient coordination of communication support

Institutional Communications (15%):

• Contribute to WRI’s communication initiatives such as compiling content for international days, blogs, release of flagship reports, internal newsletters and translating materials

Media Relations (10%):

• Draft press releases and coordinate the release of media advisories to promote research
• Work directly with WRI’s Forest Program communications team to pitch and inform media stories related to forest management, and related topics
• Coordinate program media relations including identifying opportunities for media. coverage, responding to media requests, and arranging interviews as appropriate
• Maintain a list of media coverage of your program/projects
• Maintain a list of media contacts with your program.

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, international affairs, political science, business management, international development, environmental sciences, or other social sciences
• Experience: You have 3+ years of experience relevant full-time work experience
• Demonstrable writing, editing, and oral communication skills in both French and English
• Experience designing and organizing events
• Demonstrated interest in areas related to WRI’s work
• Willingness and ability to travel within the region andinternationally
• Experience managing multiple workstreams
• Experience working collaboratively and with knowledge sharing
• Experience working with national and pan-African organizations and with international institutions is desirable
• Experience working on climate, water, cities, forests, or other development topics is desirable
• Languages: You are proficient in English and French
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

Potential Salary:

Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of 24 April 2024. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission drivenorganizationwith access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure.

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation,

Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.