Here is an ad for a communications officer position with the Gates Foundation. How do you think tobacco control could/should be part of this job? What could/should be a global communication strategy to promote tobacco control in Africa? How could tobacco control be part of the African Media Initiative who just got a new CEO, Eric Chinje?
Communications Officer, Strategic Media Partnerships Job
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA United States
| Division | Communications |
| Department | N/A |
| Location | Seattle |
| Foundation Overview | Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. |
| Group Summary | Communications staff contribute to advocacy efforts, raise awareness of the issues the foundation addresses, work to protect and advance the foundation's reputation, and oversee all internal and external communications functions. |
| Responsibilities | The Communications Officer (CO) reports to the Deputy Director of Strategic Partnerships and is a key member of the Strategic Media Partnerships team responsible for developing and managing the media and communications grant portfolio at the Foundation. The CO is responsible for identifying, developing and managing media partnership opportunities (grants) to help advance the foundation's mission. A key interface will be external media partners (e.g., International Center for Journalists, NPR, TEDx, Viacom, African Media Initiative, etc.) as well as communications, program and advocacy teams across the foundation to implement the Strategic Media Partnerships strategy. This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field. Strategy Development and Innovation: - Collaborates with communications, advocacy and program leads in all program areas to ensure close coordination and alignment between communications and program strategies on media partnerships. - Identifies new grant opportunities and manages a portfolio of grants. - Works with the Media Partnerships team to develop, refine, and to reflect the changing media landscape, including traditional and digital media, both in the U.S. and abroad. - Works with outside experts and media organizations and partners to identify and develop potential strategic partners and projects. - Determines methods and procedures to identify and develop new assignments and manage existing partnerships. - Independently identifies issues, formulates and designs plans, and executes ideas for a major strategic initiative or area. Execution: - Identifies and develops media partnerships that reflect innovative and transformative approaches to content development, distribution, engagement and measurement. - Implements, monitors and evaluates an extensive grant making portfolio and budgets. - Identifies new investment opportunities, develops concepts with internal and external stakeholder input, determining key outcomes, outputs, measures, budgets and overall approach to align interests. - Serve as a partner and resource as well as point of contact to grantees to facilitate and accomplish strategic objectives. - Helps partners design and develop ways to facilitate deeper engagement and participation through their media content, platforms, off-line events and external partnerships. - Collaborates with communications team and partners in planning, researching and measuring the effectiveness of grants and initiatives. - Establishes, sustains and supports effective relationships with legacy and digital media leaders to ensure we are identifying and exploring the latest developments and innovations in the media space to advance the foundation's objectives. - Writes, edits proposals and provides updates and evaluations for existing and new partnerships. - Determines most effective and efficient approach when communicating directly with leadership from media partners. |
| Qualifications | - Master's/MBA degree with six to ten years of relevant experience, preferred. - Strong experience in and understanding of the media business, including digital and traditional media, as well as mobile technology and all new and evolving mass communications technologies. - Strong background in international media, audience segmentation, online and offline engagement through media, and the impact of media on social change. - Experience within or related to Africa is highly preferred. - Experience using digital tools to help facilitate engagement and participation. - Understanding of marketing and product development. - Ability to work with multiple stakeholders across organizations and deliver successful outcomes. - Exceptional written and oral communications skills. - Exceptional project management skills. - Exceptional and interpersonal and relationship management skills: ability to maintain a high quality of interaction particularly with partners/grantees which require a different level of interaction. - Exceptional listening skills. - Experience and ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and execute on tight deadlines in a demanding, fast-paced and complex environment. As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check. |
| Requisition Number | 4742BR |
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