Position: LEAD Communications Officer
Location: Tunis
Application Deadline: 28th of March 2019
Duration: 12 months with possibility of extension subject to funding
Start Date: ASAP

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship, so that young ambitious people are empowered to lead their conflict affected society into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing not-for-profit development organization with 80 staff members which supports young entrepreneurs to start or grow their own businesses. SPARK provides displaced youth with access to higher education in fragile areas. Moreover, SPARK assists post-secondary education institutions to reform their curricula to better meet the needs of the labour markets. Based in Amsterdam, SPARK has offices in among others Abidjan, Amman, Beirut, Belgrade, Bujumbura, Gaziantep, Erbil, Hargeisa, Juba, Kigali, Mitrovica, Monrovia, Ramallah, Sanaa and Tunis.

SPARK and its partners have implemented the LEAD programme since January 2016. The overarching objective is to contribute to the reduction of irregular economic migration and radicalization by improving the socio-economic position of young people in Libya, Somalia and Tunisia. As such the programme strives to create sustainable youth employment in growth sectors with special attention to young women, by assisting existing - (70%) and new entrepreneurs (30%) with coaching & training and facilitating SMEs access to finance and markets. An integral part for achieving these goals is the promotion of entrepreneurship among young people by integrating entrepreneurship education in secondary and higher education; and additionally by providing a platform for successful young entrepreneurs.

Programme activities are aimed at young people in Tunisia, Libya and Somalia/Land between 15 and 35 years old, with an emphasis on people between 15 and 24 years old (60%) and women (40%).

SPARK is looking for Communications Officer to support in the publications and outreach of its programme activities.

Under the supervision and guidance of the LEAD Deputy Regional PM, the Communications Officer will focus on producing and editing quality content for a range of SPARK communication channels, including the SPARK website, social media presence and newsletter. The candidate must have excellent writing skills in English, Arabic and French, and have the ability to write for different audiences. S/he must have the ability to edit content quickly and to a high standard. The Communications Officer will be responsible for:

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:
• Assist in planning and executing communications and digital media strategies;
• Produce and edit up-to-date written content for the SPARK website;
• Produce and edit up-to-date content for the SPARK LEAD newsletter;
• Liaise with local partners to produce success stories for publishing
• Manage the LEAD social media channels;
• Design promotion materials, such as posters, banners, flyers, brochures;
• Assist in promotional video production;
• Provide communication, PR and organisational support for the LEAD programme
• Manage communications for all LEAD activities other upcoming events, conferences, seminars;
• Assist with internal communication deliverables;
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements and Skills

• Bachelor or Master’s degree, preferably in English, Media, Communications, Journalism or a field relevant to SPARK’s work;
• Fluency in Arabic, French and English;
• Proven graphic design skills in Adobe Creative Suite;
• Journalistic skills: not afraid of picking up the phone and giving someone a call;
• Social media knowledge and experience are essential;
• Familiarity with Google Drive/Docs/Analytics/SEO/Adwords etc.;
• Experience with WordPress and MailChimp;
• Good communication and social skills and the ability to work in a multicultural setting;
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise;
• Ability to work independently;
• Eligible to work in Tunisia.

SPARK Offers

• A challenging and exciting position in an international environment;
• A change to improve the higher studies standards of the country;
• Remuneration based on experience and full time contract (40h/per week)
• Dynamic team to work with.

How to apply?

If you are interested, please apply with motivation letter including salary expectations and CV (both in English) on https://vacancy.spark-online.org until 28th of March 2019 with reference: LEAD Communications Officer.

If you have any questions regarding SPARK or the position, please visit our website www.spark-online.org or contact Majdalene Bentaher - m.bentaher@spark-online.org. Applications sent to this email address will not be considered.

All applications will be assessed on rolling basis; interviews can therefore take place before the application deadline. However, due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every applicant individually. There may be a delay between the deadline and the moment we contact selected applicants.

If you have not received a reply we regret to inform that we have continued with other candidates.

About SPARK

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing, international not-for-profit development organisation with 80+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world. SPARK supports refugees in the Middle-East by providing them with scholarships in universities and higher education institutions in the region. SPARK also supports young entrepreneurs in fragile states, to start or grow their own businesses.