Communication Officer, Dzanga Sangha

Posted on 20 December 2018_

The World Wide Fund for Nature seeks a Communication Officer for its Dzanga Sangha Programme

WWF (The World Wide Fund for Nature) is an International Non-Governmental Organization that deals with conservation of nature. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

The Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas are located in the rainforest in the south-western part of the Central African Republic and the northern edge of the Congo basin forest. The area is well known for its impressive biodiversity and is the biggest intact forest remaining in the country. It comprises a total area of more than 6 000 km2. The long-term goals for WWF in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas are to protect the forest ecosystem and to promote sustainable development in the region. The development of eco-tourism is a very important part for the sustainable development trajectory of Dzanga-Sangha.

WWF Central African Republic Country Office seeks to hire an experienced and motivated individual for the position of
**Communications Officer for its Dzanga Sangha programme**.

To join our team you need to be passionate, be a self-starter with an outgoing personality, have a positive attitude and be willing to spend large amounts of time out of the office engaging with people. You also need to be prepared to spend your time in a logístically challenging yet magnificent and secured environment in Southwestern CAR.

**Location**:
Bayanga
**, Central African Republic**

**Main responsibilities**:

- Together with Technical Advisors and other staffs, develop and implement a communications plan for the Dzanga-Sangha programme;
- Creates and develops close and continuing relations with journalists, editor and other media producers in the project area for the purpose of communications for conservation;
- Acts as a spokesperson for the Dzanga-Sangha programme
- Trains key programme people in communicating to the press effectively.
- Provides appealing stories to the WWF Network and donors on a regular basis
- Contributes to market Dzanga-Sangha in relevant international tourism fairs by producing compelling communications assets.
- Designs quality promotional material for partners in the project area, donors, the WWF Network and external stakeholders
- Regularly updates and improves the Dzanga-Sangha website, Facebook page and other social media with interesting stories, compelling facts and practical advice for visitors
- Participates in bi-weekly Africa community of communicator’s communications calls.

**What you need**:
**_Required Qualifications_**
- Relevant tertiary qualification in the field of Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, International Relations and Development. An advanced degree (Masters) would be an advantage.
- A minimum of 2-year relevant experience as a Communications and Media lead preferably in the NGO sector in Africa
- A successful track record in the development and implementation of medium and long-term Media and Communication strategies across diverse markets in Africa (or equivalent emerging markets).

**_Required Skills and Competencies_**
- The position requires a person who is a self-starter with the ability to work quickly and efficiently to meet tight deadlines in and out of office hours and who can accomplish the tasks with little supervision
- Managing diverse internal communication initiatives, working with colleagues and service providers.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Written, verbal and non-verbal communication, in both French and English is an important requirement. Additional local languages would be an advantage.
- Flexibility and change orientation with ability to balance competing priorities.
- Understanding of the wider strategic context, both internally and externally.
- Able to demonstrate a range of communication and influencing styles to suit a wide range of stakeholders.
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and manage a number of conflicting and frequently changing priorities.
- Self-confident and well rounded, with the capacity to understand multiple perspectives and cultural diversity and deal with those differences diplomatically.
- Energetic and enthusiastic; passionate about biodiversity conservation an working with local communities;
- Ability to work in a remote environment with regular missions offering logístical challenges
- Adhere to WWF’s values: Knowledgeable, Optimistic, Determined and Engaging.

Please consult the attached job description for more information on the position.
**How to apply?**

Female and African nationals applicants are encouraged.
- WWF is an equal opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce_