Communications and Research Officer , AKDN

The Aga Khan Foundation (UK) is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of ten private, international, non-denominational agencies including two universities founded by His Highness the Aga Khan. The Network’s agencies have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education programmes and service provision, to culture, integrated area and rural development as well as a range of private enterprises. Active in Central and South Asia, and Eastern and Western Africa, AKDN is dedicated to improving living conditions and opportunities for the poor, without regard to faith, origin or gender.

The unit works closely with all agencies of the Network and is responsible for brokering European and multilateral strategic dialogues, partnerships, and financing. A small, dynamic, and fast-paced office with a highly committed and driven core team, AKF is recruiting a self-starting, results-oriented individual to support the Programme team in London.

Senior Communications Officer
This new position will develop a creative, versatile and tailored communications toolkit encompassing visual, print and interactive media drawing on external references to aimed at strengthening AKDN special and structured relationships ranging from major bilateral agencies, like DFID, BMZ and JICA to Multilateral Development Banks (ADB, AfDB, and the WBG), and DFIs (KfW, Norfund and Swedfund).

In short, the role will help AKDN communicate its story better to a variety of audiences – its vision and philosophy, its demonstrated experience, its proven results and the contextual relevance of its work. Specific attention will be needed to develop tools suitable to long-term conversations and relationships.

Main Results Required

• Produce a suite of templates for: PowerPoint presentations; caselets; visual frameworks; data sheets; external reference summaries, including data points and denominators; video clips; human stories; photo story boards and presentations; to more effectively convey AKDN issues, programmes and regions of concern - especially bringing PowerPoint presentations alive and more three-dimensional (video clips embedded, flash content, interactive storyboarding etc);
• Deliver a robust communications toolkit for each major agenda area being pursued by the unit, ranging from: two regional centres of excellence (Universities); cross-border sub-regional area and multi-sector development; three-pronged strategy for financial services and micro-finance; and various multi-sector backward linkages for economic development (eg, agribusiness, energy, secondary airports)
• Regularly updated bank of contemporary external reference papers, data, and analytical constructs; Assemble critical facts and figures, core global reference data and analysis, quotes, etc.
• Produce a bank of storyboards and presentations for regular IPAD demonstrations;

Required Qualifications, personal attributes and skills

• Masters Degree in a relevant field;
• Self-starter with proven professional competencies in delivering such a toolkit;
• Proven advanced creative, visual, and interactive IT skills, specifically around story boarding, use of maps, embedding short video clips, demonstrating pop-up data, drawing on contemporary external analysis and data;
• Strong editing, writing and synthesis skills;
• Proven ability to develop professional relationships that result in stable, consistent, reliable and courteous communication when dealing with AKDN cross cultural settings, as well as with high-level individuals. Understanding of communicating to a variety of target audiences and proven ability to customize such conversation tools.
• Ability to problem solve and work independently in a changing and simultaneous multi-tasking environment with numerous and competing deadlines.
• Knowledge of Relationship Management tools, such as Daylite a plus.

Qualified candidates should apply by sending a CV (no more than two pages) and cover letter (no more than one page) via the following links. Please indicate where you saw the job advertised: www.akdn.org/careers/2609405

Closing date 14 April 2011.