| Closing Date | 2023/01/13 |
| Reference Number | RAS221202-1 |
| Job Title | COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME |
| Job Type | fulltime |
| Experience Level | Middle to Senior Level |
| Workplace Type | Hybrid |
| Town / City | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Country | South Africa |
| Job Category | PR |
| Description | (This is a permanent position based in WWF South Africa’s head office in Newlands, Cape Town)WWF is the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisation, with over 6 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.WWF South Africa is a national office that is part of the WWF network. We are a local NGO that has worked for over 50 years with the aim of inspiring all South Africans to live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of our country and the well-being of all our people. WWF’s work is for nature, for you.Our work is challenging and exciting and we love what we do. To join our team, you need to be brilliant at what you do, passionate, results-orientated and have a positive attitude.Background:If creating good content is your thing and simplifying complex info excites you, this role could be for you.The work of the Environmental Programme covers the topics of food systems, freshwater, climate and energy, circular plastic economy and a just transition, as well as land and biodiversity, wildlife and marine.The communications team is one of the best places to work in WWF. This role offers an all-access pass to WWF’s cross-cutting environmental work as it will be your job to connect with inspiring colleagues and ask insightful questions; to find the golden comms nuggets; to showcase the best stories; to structure and shape long-form content and create powerful on-brand publications!We are looking for a delightful individual who can write and edit excellently, plus conceptualise and package long- and short-form content effortlessly, as well as spotting comms opportunities with ease.“For Nature. For You.” is the ethos behind everything we do. We tell human stories in context of the wider environmental impact. The Communications Coordinator needs to be authentic and able to engage with a range of people, from senior managers to rural community members. We want a well-rounded, competent communications professional who is proactive and enthusiastic, ever curious and often creative. A solution seeker. Someone sharp and driven who can move things along swiftly. This role is for the type of person who wants to be relevant in the world and add value to one of the most exciting brands on the planet. |
| Minimum Requirements | A degree in media, communication, PR or another relevant field. An additional qualification in environment or social sciences would be an advantage.Minimum 8–10 years of communications experience, preferably in the conservation or environmental sector.The successful candidate MUST have a proven track-record of working with deep technical content and conveying complex topics in long and short format.Articulate, confident with communicating verbally. and able to engage and interact at various levels.Able to structure information logically to make content simpler and easier to understand.Excellent English writing skills. Similar skills in other South African languages would be an advantage, especially the ability to interview and gather information in isiXhosa/isiZulu/seSotho.Keen for occasional travel to engage project teams in remote parts of South Africa.Exceptionally strong editing and proofreading skills (in English).Exposure to annual planning cycles and managing project budgets.Solid publication portfolio with proven experience in managing the full editorial and design production process.A natural flair and curiosity for engaging with technical content and turning it into relatable outputs.Experience of working within brand and editorial guidelines amongst other policies and processes.Proven ability of working effectively across a range of channels, with a defined audience in focus.Good understanding of the main issues and ambitions in relation to WWF and Strategy 2025.A strong interest in – and commitment to – environmental and conservation issues, as well as an understanding of the connection between social issues and the environment.Must work well on your own, be able to contribute clearly, positively and proactively in a small team, and have experience in a diverse and complex multi-location organisation.A positive solution-seeking attitude and the desire to proactively share ideas and learnings.Confident to guide others on comms best practice and desire to maximise comms opportunities.Capable of managing high content volumes, diverse projects and many requests at any one time.Computer literacy in MS Office; knowledge of InDesign and Photoshop would be an advantage.Driver’s licence. |
| Duties and Responsibilities | 1. Engage with a range of individuals and teams within the Environmental Programme to understand their work in order to provide communication guidance and content direction in support of their environmental engagements towards delivering on WWF South Africa’s Strategy 2025.2. Create effective communications products and implement appropriate communication tactics to assist WWF in achieving its environmental outcomes, as well as increasing engagement. These include:Reviewing rough drafts of research, concepts and strategic frameworks to propose how best to shape a specific comms output, whether requiring sharp edits or fresh rewrites that decode science speak and remove unnecessary jargon, as well as structuring and formatting content so that it is on brand, accurate and clear for relevant audiences.Packaging content in many formats: from writing blogs to news articles, producing high-quality reports and practical factsheets, shaping speeches and video scripts, developing strong infographics and simple diagrams, as well as creating clear messaging for campaigns.Developing various niche communication materials: from scoping the need and defining a project brief to shaping and editing dense content, to sourcing images and overseeing the design process, while managing all supplier relationships in the process.Taking photographs and interviewing stakeholders to draft strong people and nature stories.Identifying media opportunities and developing appropriate media releases and news articles.Creating compelling WWF web content and building simple web pages within WWF’s CMS.Ensuring that all opportunities to communicate WWF’s work are maximised, as well as pitching and initiating innovative ways to achieve awareness and strong engagement with supporters.3. Report into and support the Communications Manager: Environmental Programme in analysing and identifying key environmental leverage points, and success stories, within the scope of WWF’s work.4. Proactively contribute to the annual and monthly planning of communications activities and content, as well as creating and managing individual projects within budget to ensure that all deliverables are high quality and well-planned with clear expectations and deadlines to achieve impact and maximise comms opportunities.5. Monitor media reports and outreach activities monthly and evaluate both quantitatively and qualitatively, as well as regularly sharing this with the appropriate teams and interested parties. |
Communications Coordinator: Environmental Programme
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦
