Career Opportunities

Thank you for your interest in joining the Media Impact Team.  Please check back periodically to see about available positions and please register for our e-newsletter to stay in touch and learn about additional employment opportunities.

Currently, we are seeking to fill the following position(s):

STEWARD Entertainment-Education Coordinator

JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title: Entertainment-Education Coordinator
Status: Full Time
Reports to: STEWARD Communications Manager
Office: Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Travel required: Approximately 40%
Length of Position: Until September, 2015

Project Background:
The United States Government, as represented by a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa and the United States Forest Service, International Programs (USFS/IP), is funding the regional Sustainable and Thriving Environments for West African Regional Development Program Phase III (STEWARD III). STEWARD III is a forest conservation, climate change and sustainable livelihoods program focusing on trans-boundary priority zones in the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. The USAID and USFS/IP partnership began conserving this ecosystem under STEWARD Phase I (October 2007 – June 2009). Work was expanded under a second phase of STEWARD (July 2009 – February 2011) to address regional threats to biodiversity and to capitalize on opportunities to support peace building, biodiversity conservation, knowledge dissemination and policy harmonization. The program is now transitioning into Phase III, a four-year program through September 2015.

About the Position:
Media Impact has been selected by USFS/IP, to lead the STEWARD III Communications Program. The STEWARD Entertainment-Education (E-E) Coordinator will be part of a three person Communications Team with specific responsibility to lead on an E-E Behavior Change Campaign through the successful development and production of 52 episodes (two seasons of 26 episodes) of a regionally produced Serial Radio Drama, complementary Interactive Radio Magazine Shows and Community Mobilization Campaigns in targeted communities. Working closely with Media Impact New York staff, the position will report to the Communications Manager, also based in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Duties and Responsibilities:
- Under the supervision of the Communications Manager and Media Impact NY support the development of a STEWARD Strategic Communications and Outreach Plan, including an Entertainment-Education component.
- Supervise or coordinate communications personnel (either staff or partners) in the three STEWARD priority zones.
- Support and work in close collaboration with the Communications Manager, and STEWARD partners in the STEWARD Priority Zones to successfully implement the agreed program. This includes participating in planning meetings, establishing work plans, communication and evaluation plans, and budgets.
- Support the Communications Manager in providing day-to-day project management, in consultation with Media Impact NY, of the Media Impact STEWARD grant, including completion of all project reports and work plans and budget preparation and management.
- Design, plan and deliver E-E workshops for relevant STEWARD partners and stakeholders.
- Ensure development of all the required material and documentation for the radio drama, including story synopsis, character profiles, final scripts, E-E planning tools, etc.
- Identify and select radio drama and magazine program production teams, including contracting scriptwriters, producers and directors, actors, hosts and recording/editing studios.
- Facilitate the script review process along with STEWARD partners and stakeholders.
- Ensure that all episodes of the E-E serial radio drama and the radio magazine programs follow the E-E methodology and are linked to the overall STEWARD objectives.
- Ensure that production is completed on-time and within budget for broadcast of all radio drama episodes and radio magazine programs.
- Ensure broadcast agreements are in place with radio partners and programs are broadcast as scheduled.
- Work with partners in each STEWARD Priority Zone to design and implement a Community Mobilization Campaign.
- Work as part of the STEWARD Communications Team and with other STEWARD partners to design and implement an M&E process to measure program impacts.
- Support other regional E-E training, as relevant for STEWARD.
- When appropriate, represent Media Impact at universities, Entertainment-Education and communication conferences, forums, etc.
- Additional tasks may be assigned from time to time.

Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge Requirements:
- Fluency in spoken and written English. Ability to communicate effectively (including training) in French.
- Education and/or experience equivalent to a Master’s Degree in communications for development (C4D), branding, international development, journalism, Entertainment-Education, social marketing or a field relevant to media/communications and development.
- Strong understanding of issues impacting developing countries, particularly around, biodiversity conservation, climate change, natural resource management, sustainable livelihoods, water and sanitation, and sustainable development.
- Minimum of 3 years of work experience in Entertainment-Education, development/conservation education/outreach, communications for social change, journalism, public relations.
- Experience conducting training workshops and mentoring.
- Project management, planning and report writing experience.
- Ability to work and communicate with a range of stakeholders including policymakers and government officials, NGOs, the media, community representatives.
- Ability to thrive in team environments, with a strong understanding of diversity and other cultures.
- Immediately available to work in Sierra Leone; able to travel without restrictions to the other 3 countries in the STEWARD program and the US.

Please send cover letter and CV to jobs@mediaimpact.org

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STEWARD Communications Coordinator

JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title: STEWARD Communications Coordinator
Status:  Full Time
Reports to:  STEWARD Communications Manager
Office: Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Travel required: Approximately 40%
Length of Position: Until September, 2015

Project Background:
The United States Government, as represented by a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa and the United States Forest Service, International Programs (USFS/IP), is funding the regional Sustainable and Thriving Environments for West African Regional Development Program Phase III (STEWARD III). STEWARD III is a forest conservation, climate change and sustainable livelihoods program focusing on trans-boundary priority zones in the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. The USAID and USFS/IP partnership began conserving this ecosystem under STEWARD Phase I (October 2007 – June 2009). Work was expanded under a second phase of STEWARD (July 2009 – February 2011) to address regional threats to biodiversity and to capitalize on opportunities to support peace building, biodiversity conservation, knowledge dissemination and policy harmonization.  The program is now transitioning into Phase III, a four-year program through September 2015.

About the Position:
Media Impact has been selected by USFS/IP, to lead the STEWARD III Communications Program.    The STEWARD Communications Coordinator will be part of a three person Communications Team with specific responsibility to support implementation of a STEWARD Communications and Outreach Strategy.  The position will report to the Communications Manager, also based in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Duties and Responsibilities:
- Under the supervision of the Communications Manager support the development of a STEWARD Strategic Communications and Outreach Plan, including an Entertainment-Education component.
- Support and work in close collaboration with the Communications Manager, and STEWARD partners in the STEWARD Priority Zones to successfully implement the agreed program.  This includes participating in planning meetings, establishing work plans, communication and evaluation plans, and budgets.
- Support the Communications Manager in providing day-to-day project management, in consultation with Media Impact NY, of the Media Impact STEWARD grant, including completion of all project reports and work plans and budget preparation and management.
- Support the Communications Manager to build and deepen the audience and “footprint” for STEWARD communications; grow awareness and trust of the STEWARD brand, the program’s activities, objectives etc.; support knowledge, attitude and behavior change objectives; and optimize internal and external learning around project success and failure.
- Contribute to the drafting, editing, and management of creative and impactful written work and digital products targeted at multiple audiences and across multiple platforms.
- Support the Communications Manager in the day-to-day management of the (proposed) STEWARD Communications Coordinating Group.
- Where appropriate represent the STEWARD Program to the media.
- Support and lead other communications/outreach activities as needed, including event planning and management, publicity, social media, and graphic design.
- Work with the STEWARD Communications Team to plan and organize communications related training activities.  Support other regional training, as relevant for STEWARD.
- Work with STEWARD partners to design and produce training materials for a variety of audiences.
- Design and coordinate implementation of Learning Exchanges for stakeholders within and between STEWARD Priority Zones, as well as decision-makers from regional centers.
- Work as part of the STEWARD Communications Team and with other STEWARD partners to design and implement an M&E process to measure program impacts.
- Support other regional E-E training, as relevant for STEWARD.
- Additional tasks may be assigned from time to time.

Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge Requirements:
- Fluency in English and at least one local language relevant to STEWARD target audiences.  Ability to communicate in French is an advantage.
- Education and/or experience equivalent to a University Diploma in communications for development (C4D), natural resource management, rural development, journalism, Entertainment-Education, social marketing or a field relevant to media/communications and development.
|- Good understanding of issues impacting rural communities in the region, particularly around, biodiversity conservation, climate change, natural resource management, sustainable livelihoods, water and sanitation, and sustainable development.
- 2 years of work experience in a communications role for a project or organization, with some project management experience.
- Experience using and/or organizing media relations, web/mobile/social media, print and events.
- Ability to work and communicate with a range of stakeholders including policymakers and government officials, NGOs, the media, community representatives.
- Strong ability to engage with communities and capability in being proactive to organise community outreach activities.
- Strong writing, editing, and communications skills in English (in French also will be an advantage) in a variety of formats (i.e. web, print publications, briefing papers, press releases).
- Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email and internet usage.
- Ability to thrive in team environments, with a strong understanding of diversity and other cultures.
- Immediately available to work in Sierra Leone; able to travel without restrictions to the other 3 countries in the STEWARD program.

Please send cover letter and CV to jobs@mediaimpact.org

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About Media Impact:

PCI-Media Impact’s mission is to empower communities worldwide to inspire enduring change through creative story-telling. Media Impact is a leader in Entertainment- Education and social change communications. As an independent, non-profit organization, for 27 years Media Impact has worked with local partners to produce programs that address the most pressing social and environmental issues. Using our unique My Community methodology, we engage and empower audiences around the world to improve their own lives. Together, we have produced more than 3,000 episodes of 80 TV and radio serial productions reaching more than 1 billion people in over 40 countries. Media Impact’s head office is in New York, USA, with staff in Sierra Leone, Bolivia, Peru and St. Lucia. Programs are currently operating in 31 countries.