Introduction
The Brand and Creative Department supports WaterAid both in the UK and globally to raise awareness of the global water and sanitation crisis and WaterAid’s work to change this. The Brand and Creative Department develops creative communications that have impact and deliver change: ensuring WaterAid leads the way with innovative and engaging storytelling content. The team works across the organization to identify and develop critical strategic communications activities around key moments. This includes the creation of thematic messages and shared content, as well as developing the processes and procedures to support delivery of these essential communications.
Voices from the Field is an integral part of the global team bringing our work to life by gathering stories and case studies through interviews, film and photography and sharing the collected materials via an online multimedia library for use across the organization.
Job purpose
The position focuses on gathering stories and case studies via interviews, film and photography and sharing them on a digital multimedia library (Asset Bank) for use across the organization. The role includes film and photography post-production and writing up case studies.
The role also focuses on training and supporting staff in Ethiopia to collect relevant materials; and to establish links with other filmmakers, photographers and journalists who can support this work.
The position is line managed by and works closely with the UK Brand and Creative department, in particular the film and photography teams. Supervision on a day-to-day basis is provided by the People and Organizational Development Manager in Ethiopia.
Responsibilities
Strategic contribution
· Work collaboratively with the Programmes team in Ethiopia and the Voices from the Field Client team in the UK to develop, strengthen and sustain donor and supporter relationships.
· Bring potential and current donors and supporters closer to WaterAid’s programme work to increase their understanding and commitment.
· Contribute to the development and implementation of the country programme strategy.
Leadership and management
· Contribute to raising the profile of WaterAid Ethiopia by sharing and promoting the country programme’s work with a range of internal and external stakeholders through a variety of communications channels.
· Lead on key supporter and donor visits to project intervention sites.
· Encourage collaboration and the need for WaterAid to operate as one global organization.
· Share updates on WaterAid global communications and fundraising activities and initiatives with WaterAid Ethiopia staff.
· Share feedback from regular field visits to support the effective implementation of the country programme strategy.
Delivery / responsibilities
· Collect and share regular, timely and interesting stories about WaterAid’s fieldwork, as briefed by the International Communications Manager, illustrating in film, photography, audio and written text how people’s lives are changing through the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene education and the problems they face without these services.
· Collect photographs and footage for short films and audio pieces giving detailed personal accounts and stories from community members, project staff and other key spokespeople that can be used to communicate WaterAid’s work in an engaging way to a number of different audiences including supporters, decision-makers, donors etc.
· Identify key spokespeople within WaterAid’s projects, and build and maintain strong relationships with community members and partner staff.
· Recognize key milestones in WaterAid’s programme work that can be easily documented, followed and built upon for storytelling.
· Manage and edit all gathered materials, writing up transcripts and interviews in English.
· Upload all content to WaterAid’s digital multimedia library (Asset Bank) attaching all relevant written-up information in English including keywords, transcripts and case studies.
· Lead on media, film, photo and supporter trips from member countries (America, Australia, Canada, Sweden and the UK) as required.
· Work closely with the UK Brand and Creative department, in particular the film and photo teams.
· Work closely with the Learning and Communications Officer in Ethiopia to ensure joint team and country objectives are met and understood.
· Provide training and support for the team in Ethiopia and the partners that we work with to gather case studies, film, photography and audio from the communities that they work with and projects they visit.
· Develop a good understanding of the needs and requirements of WaterAid’s key stakeholders and audiences as well as the global and local context in which the organization operates.
· Provide regular updates on the development of the Voices from the Field programme, enabling the UK Brand and Creative team to successfully monitor and evaluate progress.
· Undertake any reasonable tasks as requested by the International Communications Manager and country programme supervisor.
Interaction
· Represent WaterAid Ethiopia during donor and supporter visits to project implementation sites.
· Represent WaterAid Ethiopia during key supporter/donor meetings and events in Member countries through presentations and face to face meetings.
· Liaise with country programme staff to create a database of key project information and milestones in WaterAid’s programme work for use in selecting and planning project visits and keeping the UK team up to date.
Complexity
· Manage the complex dynamic of being based and supervised in WaterAid Ethiopia but reporting to the UK Brand and Creative team with accountability to a variety of teams around the global WaterAid family.
· Managing and balancing time and resources to meet Voices from the Field and country programme requests.
· Working to frequent, tight deadlines.
Education
Experience and technical skills
1. Minimum of three years’ experience as a competent storyteller, photographer and filmmaker.
2. Previous experience in the international development sector, particularly in water, sanitation and hygiene programmes.
3. Previous experience working in a communications and fundraising role.
4. Experience of conducting interviews with a wide variety of people for film and/or photography.
Skills and abilities
1. Commitment to WaterAid’s values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, and a working style that reflects these.
2. Proven ability to create, develop and maintain strong relationships with donors and communities and to bridge the gap between the two.
3. Ability to represent WaterAid and act as an ambassador to help raise the profile of the organization.
4. A team player with a positive and flexible approach, able to work with a range of people from different backgrounds.
5. Possesses entrepreneurial qualities such as risk taking, innovation, and creativity as well as strong analytical skills.
6. Excellent communication, organization, project and time management skills.
7. Enthusiastic and able to use own initiative, meet deadlines and work independently.
8. Excellent, accurate written and verbal communication skills in English
9. Good IT skills including practical use of editing packages such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop or similar.
10. Good administrative skills including word-processing, writing updates and information management.
11. Ability to travel long distances and spend extended periods of time in the field.
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