Head of Communications Job The Science for Africa Foundation Nairobi, Kenya

Job description

Role purpose

• The Head of Communications is a senior strategic role that will lead Science for Africa (SFA) Foundation’s integrated communications function. This role serves as the Foundation’s principal communications advisor, working closely with the Executive Leadership Team and senior management to strengthen SFA Foundation’s reputation, visibility, influence, and impact by bringing together corporate communications, science communications, executive visibility, media engagement, digital presence, and strategic campaigns under one coherent institutional voice.
• As the Foundation’s communications steward, the role will advise senior leadership, shape institutional positioning, uphold communications governance and quality, and ensure that SFA Foundation’s scientific, programmatic, and ecosystem contributions are communicated with clarity and strategic purpose. The role will translate scientific progress, investment priorities, programme outcomes, and institutional ambitions into compelling narratives that build trust, strengthen partnerships, inform decision-making, and elevate SFA Foundation’s leadership in Africa’s science and innovation ecosystem.
• The ideal candidate is a strategic communication leader with the judgement, creativity, and discipline needed to protect and grow the Foundation’s reputation, amplify its thought leadership, and position SFA Foundation as a credible, influential voice in advancing African science for global impact.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Communications Leadership and Institutional Positioning

• Lead the development and delivery of an integrated communications strategy that advances SFA Foundation’s mission, organisational strategy, reputation, visibility, influence, and impact. 
• Strengthen the Foundation’s position as a credible and influential voice in Africa-led science, innovation, research systems strengthening, and evidence-informed development. 
• Serve as a trusted strategic adviser to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and senior management on high-impact communications opportunities, reputation management, thought leadership, institutional positioning, and external engagement. 
• Ensure communications contributes meaningfully to organisational visibility, partnership development, resource mobilisation, policy influence, stakeholder trust, and institutional impact. 
• Contribute to organisational risk management processes by identifying, assessing, monitoring, and mitigating communications and reputational risks.
• Develop and maintain frameworks and protocols for issues management, crisis preparedness, and reputational risk response to safeguard stakeholder trust and organisational credibility. 

Communications Governance and Integration

• Lead a coordinated and integrated communications function that aligns science communications and corporate communications with the Foundation’s strategic priorities and positioning.
• Establish communications planning, governance, editorial, and brand management frameworks to ensure consistency, quality, accountability, and strategic alignment across the Foundation.
• Ensure communications strategies and activities are developed in close collaboration with programmes and relevant institutional functions to support organisational priorities, strengthen coherence of messaging, and maximise the visibility and influence of the Foundation’s work.
• Oversee communications planning, prioritisation, monitoring, and reporting processes to ensure effective delivery of communications priorities and clear demonstration of value.

Executive Communications, Thought Leadership and Public Engagement

• Lead executive communications and thought leadership strategies that strengthen the visibility, credibility, and influence of the Foundation and its leadership. 
• Oversee the development and delivery of executive communications strategies, narratives, key messages, speeches, talking points, opinion pieces, and other leadership communications that articulate the Foundation’s contribution to science, innovation, research systems strengthening, and societal impact.
• Identify and prepare strategic opportunities for public engagement, speaking platforms, media participation, regional and global events, and stakeholder engagement. 
• Advise leadership on communications approaches related to sensitive, complex, or high-profile issues that may affect organisational reputation and stakeholder trust. 

Science Communications, Impact Storytelling and Funder Engagement

• Provide strategic leadership for science communications, ensuring SFA Foundation’s investments, research outcomes, grantee achievements, scientific contributions, and ecosystem-building work are communicated with accuracy, relevance, and impact. 
• Oversee the translation of complex scientific and technical issues into compelling narratives for target audiences, ensuring SFA Foundation’s investments, research outcomes, grantee achievements, and scientific contributions are communicated accurately and accessibly. 
• Strengthen the Foundation’s ability to communicate the value of Africa-led science by highlighting scientific excellence, research translation, capacity strengthening, innovation, policy influence, and societal impact.
• Oversee the development of evidence-based impact stories, case studies, briefs, multi-media products, funder-facing materials, visual assets, and strategic communications products that demonstrate SFA Foundation’s value proposition and contribution to change. 
• Strengthen communications for programme outcomes, policy engagement, funder reporting, scientific convenings, public engagement, and knowledge translation.
• Oversee the monitoring and reporting on the quality, volume, reach, and influence of science communications outputs across scientific, policy, funder, and public audiences.
• Promote ethical and responsible science communication by ensuring scientific claims are accurate, contextualised, respectful of partners and communities, and aligned with the Foundation’s values. 

Corporate Communications and Brand

• Lead the development and stewardship of a compelling institutional narrative that communicates SFA Foundation’s mission, strategic priorities, achievements, partnerships, and contribution to Africa’s science and innovation ecosystem. 
• Strengthen the Foundation’s brand presence across Africa and globally through coherent, credible, and high-quality institutional communications. 
• Lead the development and delivery of targeted and consistent stakeholder communications that align with institutional priorities, strengthen engagement across key partner groups, and build understanding, trust, visibility, and support for SFA Foundation’s work.
• Safeguard and strengthen organisational reputation through proactive positioning, stakeholder communications, media strategy, issues management, and crisis preparedness. 
• Establish and uphold communications policies, editorial standards, brand guidelines, approval protocols, and quality assurance processes that protect institutional credibility and ensure consistency. 
• Strengthen communications capacity across the Foundation by promoting best practices, strategic communications planning, and effective engagement between communications teams and organisational functions.

Internal and Change Communications

• Lead the development and delivery of internal communications strategies that strengthen staff engagement, alignment, clarity, and trust across the Foundation.
• Keep staff informed about organisational priorities, leadership decisions, strategic changes, and developments affecting their work.
• Partner with the CEO, Executive Leadership, Human Capital, and departmental leaders to deliver effective change communications during organisational transitions and major initiatives.
• Translate complex organisational decisions into clear, timely, and accessible messages that help staff understand the rationale, implications, timelines, and expectations. 
• Strengthen internal communication channels, leadership messaging, manager toolkits, FAQs, and staff feedback mechanisms.
• Ensure internal communications reinforce SFA Foundation’s values, culture, institutional identity, and One SFA way of working.

Media, Digital and Editorial Communications

• Provide strategic oversight of media relations, public affairs, editorial, digital and content platforms to ensure alignment with organisational priorities and communications objectives. 
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with journalists, editors, media platforms, science communicators, policy influencers, and sector commentators across Africa and globally. 
• Set editorial direction and quality standards for high-impact content across institutional, science, digital, media, multimedia, and campaign platforms. 
• Strengthen the use of audience insights, data, analytics, social listening, and other emerging communication intelligence technologies to improve targeting, reach, engagement, and communications effectiveness. 
• Oversee the measurement and continuous improvement of communications performance to ensure the Foundation’s communications investments deliver strategic value and impact.

Communications Function Oversight, Team Leadership and Performance

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of an integrated communications function that brings together corporate communications and science communications around shared institutional priorities, clear standards, and coordinated delivery. 
• Oversee the implementation of integrated communications plans and campaigns, governance, editorial, brand management, monitoring, and reporting frameworks that support programme objectives while reinforcing institutional coherence, quality, accountability, and strategic alignment. 
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing communications team, strengthening capability, collaboration, creativity, accountability, and professional growth. 
• Oversee communications budgets, work plans, resource allocation, procurement, consultants, agencies, and performance management processes. 
• Monitor, evaluate, and report on communications performance, using insights and learning to demonstrate the contribution of communications to organisational objectives and continuously improve impact.

Profile 

This is a communications leadership role responsible for shaping the organisation’s voice, reputation, influence, and institutional positioning. The postholder will be expected to provide strategic counsel, build systems, lead teams, strengthen executive visibility, and ensure communications serves as a driver of organisational strategy and impact. Relevant experience: 

• At least 10 years of progressive experience in strategic communications, corporate communications, public affairs, external relations, or a related field, with at least seven years in a senior leadership role shaping institutional communications strategy, reputation, influence, and engagement. 
• Proven ability to provide strategic communications leadership that aligns communications with organisational strategy, strengthens institutional positioning, and advances organisational influence, visibility, and credibility. 
• Demonstrated experience leading, coordinating and integrating corporate communications and science/research communications, with the ability to distinguish their different audiences, outputs, standards, workflows, and measures of success while aligning them under a coherent institutional strategy.
• Demonstrated experience setting and leading an integrated communications vision across corporate communications, science communications, media engagement, stakeholder communications, internal communications, executive communications, and digital platforms. 
• Strong track record of advising executive leadership and senior management on strategic positioning, reputation, messaging, public engagement, thought leadership, and high-stakes communications. 
• Demonstrated ability to translate organisational priorities into compelling narratives, influence strategies, and communications platforms that position the organisation as a credible and trusted voice in its field. 
• Proven experience building, protecting, and strengthening organisational reputation through proactive positioning, media strategy, stakeholder engagement, issues management, crisis communications, and reputational risk management. 
• Demonstrated leadership in building and managing high-performing multidisciplinary communications teams, including setting direction, strengthening capability, fostering collaboration, and ensuring accountability for quality and impact. 
• Experience establishing communications governance, systems, standards, planning processes, editorial controls, approval protocols, and quality assurance mechanisms that improve coherence and consistency across a complex organisation. 
• Proven ability to lead communications as an enabling strategic function, working across programmes, partnerships, policy, fundraising, executive leadership, and operations to ensure communications supports institutional goals. 
• Experience shaping and delivering executive visibility, institutional thought leadership, public engagement, and influence strategies for senior leaders and organisational priorities. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex scientific, technical, policy, or development issues in ways that are accessible, accurate, compelling, and relevant to policymakers, funders, partners, media, researchers, practitioners, and the public. 
• Strong understanding of research, science, innovation, policy, and development ecosystems, preferably in Africa, and the role of communications in strengthening institutional credibility, research uptake, public trust, and policy influence.
• Proven experience managing communications budgets, annual work planning, external agencies, consultants, creative partners, media relationships, and organisational resources to deliver high-quality and high-impact outcomes. 
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and manage strategic relationships with key organisational partners, communication networks, institutions, media, and external stakeholders to build equitable partnerships, co-create high-value initiatives, strengthen the practice of communication, and position SFA Foundation as a thought leader in African science communication
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in multicultural, regional, and international environments, with the confidence and credibility to engage diverse stakeholders across sectors, geographies, and levels of seniority. 
• Strong judgement, political acuity, discretion, and reputational awareness, with the ability to anticipate communications risks, identify opportunities, and guide the organisation through complex internal and external environments.

Academic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Communications, Strategic Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Science Communications, Development Communications, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, International Relations, Development Studies, Public Policy, or a related discipline.
• A qualification, formal training, or substantial professional experience in science communication, research communication, health communication, innovation, technology, or research-for-development contexts would be strongly preferred.
• Additional training or certification in strategic communications, media relations, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, leadership, or executive communications will be an added advantage.

Professional Qualifications

• Member of a relevant reputable professional institution. 

Knowledge, skills and attributes

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with fluency in English; French is an added advantage.
• Strong strategic thinking and planning skills.
• Ability to align communications with organisational priorities and positioning.
• Ability to advise and influence senior leaders on communications, reputation, and thought leadership.
• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills.
• Ability to translate complex scientific, technical, and policy issues into compelling narratives.
• Sound judgement in managing sensitive and high-profile communications issues.
• Strong understanding of brand, media, digital communications, and reputation management.
• Ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multicultural and international environments.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and personal credibility.
• Commitment to the Foundation’s values of respect, accountability, excellence, diversity, and inclusion.
• Ability to foster alignment across programmes and functions to ensure coherent communications and consistent organisational positioning.

Leadership Competencies

• Proven ability to lead through vision, values, and organisational purpose.
• Proven ability to delegate responsibilities, develop others, and build high-performing teams.
• Proven ability to facilitate change and lead through complexity.
• Strong ability to build alignment, collaboration, and trust across teams and functions.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Sound judgement, accountability, and decision-making ability.

Key Results Areas

• Effective development and implementation of the Foundation’s communications strategy and organisational positioning.
• Strengthened organisational visibility, reputation, thought leadership, and influence across priority audiences.
• Effective integration, coordination, and performance of the Science Communications and Corporate Communications functions.
• Strong communications governance, planning, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement systems.
• Effective management of communications resources, budgets, procurement, and operational plans.

How to Apply