Sentinel Ghana Project for Communications and Liaison Officer

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the post of Communications and Liaison Officer at Sentinel Ghana project.

Background

The Sentinel Project (Social and Environmental Trade-offs in African Agriculture) (Ghana component) – www.sentinel-gcrf.org, hosted by the Department of Soil Science, University of Ghana, is seeking to recruit a Project Coordinator and Communications Officer. Sentinel is a collaborative research project under the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UK (www.iied.org). The project seeks to understand the extent, nature, drivers and impacts of agricultural expansion into natural habitats (forests, wetlands, savannah) in Ghana, Ethiopia and Zambia, in order to inform policy decisions on land use, ecosystem conservation and agricultural development.

POSITION: COMMUNICATIONS AND LIAISON OFFICER

REPORTING TO: CO-INVESTIGATOR, SENTINEL PROJECT

START DATE: 1 MAY 2019

Job Purpose

The full-time Project Coordinator and Communications Officer will provide administrative, project management and logistical support to the Ghana Sentinel project team (60-70% of the time) and lead the project’s communications and stakeholder engagement activities in Ghana (30-40% of the time). The job holder will report to and be supervised by the Co-Investigator at the Department of Soil Science, University of Ghana. The project started in October 2017 and will end in December 2021.

He/ She shall get himself/ herself acquainted with key project documents to understand the themes and scope of the Sentinel project, while performing administrative duties, communications and coordination roles. This is an opportunity to work with a dynamic international team on an exciting topic.

Duties and Responsibilities

These will include, but are not limited to:

Coordination and management of project activities, resources, equipment and information to ensure smooth and efficient day-to-day operations of research and other related project activities (60-70% of time) by:
- Handling daily project secretarial and administrative duties
- Organising and managing project data
- Preparing agenda, organising project meetings and taking minutes
- Organising project events such as workshops, side events, etc., with inputs from the project researchers (who would be in charge of the technical content)
- Sending reminders of meetings and responsibilities to Sentinel team members
- Managing and responding to project-related emails and letters
- Keeping records of costs and expenditure in order to prepare financial reports of the project budget
- Managing procurement of project materials
- Preparing requests for funds from the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID) and acquire project supplies under the guidance of the Team Leader
- Assisting the Team Leader to prepare progress reports for Sentinel Global Designing and drafting contracts and terms of reference for specific consultancy services
- Working with the project MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning) advisory to monitor and update the project work plan
- Making travel arrangements / flight bookings / visa etc for team members and organise accommodation and transport for project visitors.
Serving as a Communications Officer by performing the following roles (30-40% of time):
- Implement the project’s communications strategy in Ghana
- Participate in the Sentinel community of practice (this includes the communications officers in Ethiopia, Zambia and the UK) – some of this may involve international travel
- Gather contact details for key contacts for a Sentinel database of stakeholders
- Pro-actively manage Sentinel’s stakeholder engagement in Ghana by building relationships with key stakeholders and understanding their interests
- Lead in developing project-specific communication materials and ensure their dissemination to relevant stakeholders
- Manage general publicity of project content and goals in Ghana
- Develop and maintain strong media ties to confirm widespread outreach of project themes and content to stakeholders and the general public
- Develop and write creative content for the Sentinel website as required (with support from the Ghana Sentinel research team).
Undertake any other duties compatible with this role assigned by the Co-Investigator.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential (please do NOT apply if you do not meet these requirements)	Desirable / of advantage
A good Bachelor’s degree in a project-relevant field (social sciences, economics, agriculture, environmental sciences, forestry, geography or similar)	A post-graduate qualification in project management and / or communications
A minimum of two (2) years of working experience in a project coordination / project management / communications role (involving most of the duties and responsibilities outlined above)	5 or more years of experience in managing large, complex projects

A proven track record in effective project activity
Proven track record of communications experience – writing and developing copy, familiarity with online platforms, marketing and networking

Key skills and competencies

The following indicates what would typically be expected for this role at a competent level:

Ability to operate in an environment of uncertainty and incomplete information and make well-reasoned decisions
Project management – demonstrate knowledge and experience in working on and supporting project management to achieve various outcomes
Stakeholder management – ability to successfully manage a wide network of relationships
Communication – accurately and clearly convey timely information and ideas, using a style and manner of presentation appropriate to the target audience
Problem resolution – act on identified needs and expectations, and resolve issues and problems of stakeholders ensuring that actions and decisions address stakeholder needs & expectations
Excellent writing skills, particularly for policy audiences

Proficiency in using the Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Personal attributes

Attention to detail
Strong communication skills in English, including written and oral presentation skills
Sound judgement and initiative
Sound decision-making skills
Problem-solving skills
Effective time management
Self-motivated and able to work with little supervision
Negotiation skills with ability to resolve conflict situations
Desire to enhance knowledge and skills
Empathy for agriculture and environmental issues and a genuine desire to contribute to environment and development in Ghana
Energetic and able to play the desired roles.

Other requirements

Occasionally required to work outside of normal working hours.

This appointment is valid for one (1) year and will be extended subject to an assessment-based performance.

Method of Application

Interested applicants are requested to submit:

An application letter
A motivational statement
Curriculum vitae with names of referees who are familiar with their qualifications and experience
Copies of relevant educational certificates

The application should be addressed and submitted via email only to:

Professor SGK Adiku (s_adiku@ug.edu.gh), and copied to the Co-Investigator (dneina@ug.edu.gh), Sentinel Ghana Project, Department of Soil Science, P. O. Box LG 245, School of Agriculture, College of Applied and Basic Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon – Accra.

The application deadline is Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Recruitment timetable: