Regional Director, Communications (Nigeria)

 Job Description:

Bridge Academy is on a mission to ensure that each child has access to an education that develops their full potential and creates the foundation for nation building. They actively collaborate with governments, donors and parents to help them facilitate their goal.
They leverage data,experts and technology to support teachers and empower school leaders in the process of quality education delivery. They support each of their country teams by utilizing the inputs from their other offices around the world to ensure world class expertise with a mixture of local resident leadership and execution.
Bridge’s model involves them using technology and thoroughly researched customized learning materials to ensure learning outcomes and positive development for children. This model allows them to be able to deliver significant learning outcomes on a large scale. This model is strongly powered by the belief that innovation and technology can transform learning.  
Their  mission is to provide pupils with a life-changing education and they believe that every child should have a right to world-class education regardless of her family’s income. 
They relish the challenge posed by this mission and are inviting you to join them in ensuring that children are able to learn better across the world.

About The Role
Bridge Academy is looking to hire a Regional Director for communications in Nigeria who will assist in managing their image and integrity and provide crucial support in the formulation of internal/external communication and engagement strategies.  You will drive the development and management of relationships with key advocates for the organization and leverage their influence for the benefit of the organization.
You will be responsible for developing platforms for critical stakeholder engagement, corporate communication & information dissemination. You will be at the forefront of expectation management whilst eliciting public support for the organization. You will develop corporate content and manage information for relevance and resonance.

What Do you need to be considered successful?
The role hinges on your penchant at identifying opportunities to build the image of Bridge Academies in Nigeria and your ability to effectively engage the public while coordinating and building relationships with key advocates and critical stakeholders. You will also be running point on the following:
  • Utilizing cross functional approach to align corporate and marketing messaging, and engagement
  • Influence organization’s brand positioning and engagement through cross functional coordination and cooperation
  • Allocate importance to organization’s business wide content from time to time and derive maximum exposure from finite internal & external media space/platforms
  • Lead advocacy relationships from multilateral organisations to Nigerian corporations.
  • Manage and develop communications strategies for multiple government programmes.
  • Be the go–to person for the media and develop strong relationships with key Technology, Education, Development and Business media
  • Lead production of media and relevant content.
  • Assist with strategic direction, and oversight for internal & external communications planning, media management, media advocacy, specific issue & crisis management.
  • Develop strong cross functional relationships and influence in all external facing Departments/Groups to ensure consistency of communication and information.
  • Co-own internal /external communication & engagement with critical stakeholders across the organization.
  • Proactively identify critical opportunities to direct/own organization’s narrative thereby averting Communication crises and building goodwill for the organization.
  • Suggest alteration of strategy & tactical actions when relevant.
  • Maximize efficiency of Corporate Communications budgets and media influence.
  • Provide local context and input to shared services team’s development of the overall organization’s Corporate Communication strategy.

How Important are you to the bottomline
You have a pivotal role to play in the perception of Bridge Academies in Nigeria. The quality of partnerships you build with key advocates determines the level of influence the organization can benefit from and also the number of opportunities the organization can leverage upon to engage the public and relevant stakeholders.

The Biggest Problem Solving Duties On The Job
You have the exciting challenge of managing the expectations of the organization while soliciting public support and also your mastery of the role determines the quality of engagement the organization has with critical stakeholders.  

What You Should have done in your career?
  • Masters' degree with superior academic performance
  • Experience in Nigeria of working at a senior level for political, campaigning, non-profit, or social enterprise. Experience with a multinational organization is a plus.
  • Experience working within a matrixed global organization.
  • Experience of working with or for government in a communications capacity.
  • Experience developing communication for a campaign or movement, rather than a product
  • Experience developing and delivering comprehensive media strategies and complex media campaigns across a range of platforms for a range of audiences
  • High profile crisis communications experience
  • Experience successfully developing and managing effective working relationships with internal and external senior stakeholders including senior journalists and broadcasters and editors
  • Highly developed and proven creative skills to lead a significant communications team with flair, innovation and new ideas;
  • Able to present in person, as a organization spokesperson, to large audiences in a highly engaging way;
  • Highly developed verbal, written, and oral skills to promote and represent the organization;
  • Experience of offering media advice and guidance to colleagues at a senior level;
  • Experience building relationships and managing external partnerships from a communications
  • Knowledge of local, state and federal government issues related to the provision of primary education.
  • Broad grasp of Nigerian media and political context and full understanding of all media disciplines and external media environment and experience in crisis communications
  • Excellent project management and organisational skills in a communications context;
  • Experience of successfully managing budgets
  • Prior experience within a fast-paced, disruptor, metric driven consulting or educational organization is a bonus
  • An extremely proactive and determined attitude.

What Do you stand to gain
  • Work with diverse, multicultural teams.
  • Competitive Remuneration.
  Required Skills:

Positioning Corporate Communications Formulation Oversight Bonus Remuneration Programmes Partnerships Budgets Provision Cooperation Campaigns Problem Solving Consulting Government Strategy Education Materials Leadership Project Management Communication Planning Marketing Business Management