Ndifuna Ukwazi is an activist organisation and law centre that promotes the realisation of constitutional rights and social justice through providing organising, research and legal support and representation to poor and working class people, communities and social movements. We work to advance urban land justice in Cape Town through the protection and expansion of access to affordable housing; supporting tenants’ rights and security of tenure in both private and public housing; towards building a more just and equal city.
Ndifuna Ukwazi seeks to appoint a communications and engagement officer to be based in Cape Town.
We are looking for a passionate, enthusiastic and innovative individual with strong communication skills to contribute to our research, advocacy and media work to commence in March 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. and working in our forward-thinking, welcoming team, you will be responsible for communications, managing social and online media, content creation, advocacy work, and liaising with the media.
Salary: A salary commensurate with experience and with Ndifuna Ukwazi’s designated salary bands will be offered.
Reporting to the Head of Research and Advocac
Key responsibilities:
Developing, shaping and managing Ndifuna Ukwazi’s communications, including media relations, social media, website, and newsletters.
Assist with content production for a range of different audiences, including writing compelling press statements, advocacy materials, collecting and writing stories about our work, developing content for our website, and other forms of digital and print communications.
Building and strengthening Ndifuna Ukwazi’s media relations by writing compelling press statements, engagement with journalists and news/media agencies, and growing our reach.
Identifying and developing communication channels for reaching target audiences.
Managing Ndifuna Ukwazi’s social media channels by (together with a team) developing content for social media, sharing relevant stories and engaging with audiences on a variety of social media platforms.
Enhancing Ndifuna Ukwazi’s digital presence, including building our online audience, increasing engagement and reach, maximising our overall impact, and creating a more structured brand across our digital communication channels.
Working with our research and advocacy team to repackage our research, popular education, litigation and advocacy materials for communication, including coming up with fresh ideas for how to share our work in an engaging way.
Analysing the engagement of our communication methods over a range of platforms on an ongoing basis.
Requirements:
Between 2-5 years of experience working in a non-profit organisation in a communications-related role or other relevant field such as campaigning, digital mobilisation or journalism. This should include a strong focus on managing online and/or social media content;
Degree-level education (preferably a degree in communications, humanities, social sciences or related field);
Excellent verbal and written English communications skills (additional language skills in isiXhosa and/or Afrikaans would be an advantage);
Proven ability to work well under pressure, independently and as a team member;
Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to easily relate to, and work with people across race, class, gender and age;
Self-motivated and productive;
Attentive to detail; and
A commitment to social justice and our mission.
How to apply:
Interested applicants must email their application to [email protected] with the subject “NU Vacancy: Communications and Engagement Officer”. Please include the following in your application:
A CV;
A letter of motivation (giving a detailed explanation of why you would like to work at Ndifuna Ukwazi and what qualities and experience you would bring to the post. Generalised cover letters that do not engage with Ndifuna Ukwazi and our work will not be considered); and
An unedited sample of written work.
Only complete applications will be considered, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. Ndifuna Ukwazi is committed to transformation and equity in its recruitment processes.