As the reach and scope of our work continues to grow, we are recruiting a passionate, experienced and organised full-time Ghana-based Communications Manager to lead communications across our dynamic network. 

Summary

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-driven UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips voluntary community educators to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of a world where communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 300 local volunteers, who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. Read our model of change document here. 

Our Ghanaian-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for volunteers: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead DigiLit, EcoSTEM, EduKidz and Ignite Equity clubs, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 students of all ages annually. Read our 2023 Annual Report here. 

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last year. We have been recently selected for the Gratitude Network Fellowship and the Dovetail Impact Accelerator Portfolio, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model. 

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in UNESCO-backed The Varkey Foundation’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. Visit www.eduspots.org for further information.

About this role

As the reach and scope of our work continues to grow, we are recruiting a passionate, experienced and organised Ghana-based Communications Manager to lead communications across our dynamic network. 

We are looking for an exceptional individual with strong alignment with our philosophy of community-led education with an ability to capture the change being created across our network, and engage existing and new audiences in our work. The individual will hold the ability to work with both staff and our network of over 400 Catalysts to improve their communications skills, thus giving this role an exciting reach of impact.  

The candidate would be hands-on, able to lead our social media channels directly and create content for our website and newsletter, working with grassroots changemakers in this process. At the same time, you will have a high level of strategic thinking, enabling us to build and strengthen the key relationships needed to amplify our impact. 

 

The candidate will manage a small team comprising part-time peer mentors and interns, alongside managing our full-time Graphic Designer. 

Main duties and responsibilities 

Line Manager: CEO 

• Write, design, and manage the production of creative and compelling communication and marketing material –stories, photos, video, fact sheets, brochures, etc. – for various audiences. 
• Developing and overseeing a content gathering plan. 
• Directly managing our social media (across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and X), website, YouTube and newsletter. 
• Building strategic media relationships in Ghana and beyond serving as the main contact person for media outlets, writing press releases. 
• Leading on the training of all staff, peer mentors, interns and Catalysts on our communications and branding guidelines, advancing their skills in storytelling and content creation. 
• Supporting (or leading) the development of the evolving communications and branding strategy. 

• Supporting our book provision and elements of our resource procurement strategy, working with the literacy coordinators, local authors, and partners in this process.
• Supporting the development of partnerships within the Ghanaian context and beyond.  
• Developing a strategic and coherent plan for Ignite talks and Catalyse Workshops, building partnerships in the process, working closely with the Head of Programmes to identify key themes and speakers. 
• Leading the development of a communications curriculum for Catalysts which is integrated within our leadership programmes. 
• Working with the regional coordinators to ensure strong local Spot communications strategies are developed in line with our policies. 
• Proactively engaging the network and staff in our social media and communications strategy. 
• Overseeing our EduChamps network where we engage a wider group of interested stakeholders in our work, working with an intern to manage this WhatsApp feed. 
• Supporting the design of all major organisational publications. 
• Leading the communications for fundraising campaigns such as the Big Give campaign and 10th anniversary events. 
• Supporting the management of organisational events in Ghana, leading communications at all in-person events, including photography, video and copywriting. 
• Ensure compliance with donor-specific branding and marking requirements in all project communications.
• Line managing the Graphic Designer, Communications Peer Mentor and the Communications Interns and holding Communications Team Meetings. 

Personal Specification 

Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum 5 years of progressive marketing and communication experience, ideally for an NGO or another organisation in development and social impact programming.
• Experience of developing and managing a brand, including effective messaging and consistent look, feel and tone. 
• Extensive experience of managing social media and communication platforms and proficiency in digital communication, including digital marketing.
• Experience in working with others to build their capacity, confidence and skills to deliver effective communications.
• Experience in media relations, including building relationships and managing media inquiries.
• Experience of working across teams and with colleagues to coordinate communications activity and successfully improve the effectiveness of communications for different audiences.
• Experience working in the non-profit sector, ideally with an education or youth focus.
• Experience in managing a team effectively to drive high quality outcomes. 
• Experience in leading fundraising campaigns would be a particular advantage. 
• A deep understanding of the critical debates in international development and education would be an advantage, particularly in the field of community-led models of development. 
• A degree in a relevant field to communications would be an advantage but is not a requirement for this role. 

Personal qualities 

• A strategic thinker, with the ability to think critically about our communications decision-making, considering key audiences and desired outcomes. 
• Highly proactive and creative, with the ability to conceive new ways of communicating our work with limited guidance. 
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with a high level of attention to detail. 
• Highly digitally literate (e.g experience with design software,  video editing and using online digital tools more widely) 
• Playful – able to communicate in a playful and exciting tone, inspiring our audiences and Catalysts to engage with our work. 
• Hands-on – able to create content directly, and take on a wide-range of tasks across comms. 
• Flexible and adaptable – able to work in a fast-changing and fast-paced environment, and balance multiple priorities. 
• A deep commitment to driving greater educational equity and promoting community-led change. 
• A strong educational skill-set, understanding how to involve people in processes of change through resource and content creation. 
• You will be able and willing to travel to key conferences and training events within Ghana to cover events directly. 

Please send a tailored covering letter and CV addressed to the CEO, Miss Cat Davison, at recruitment@eduspots.org by Monday 2nd December with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates shortly afterwards for a start date in January. 

For further information please see www.eduspots.org  or contact us at recruitment@eduspots.org. Also follow us on social media – @eduspots on Twitter and Facebook

EduSpots is committed to the safeguarding of children. Appointment will be subject to child protection screening appropriate to the post.