MEDA invites applications for a Public Engagement Regional Lead to join our dedicated and talented team in our mission to create business solutions to poverty! 

MEDA believes that business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.  

ROLE 

The Public Engagement Lead for West and Central Africa will provide strategic leadership and hands-on support for communications and stakeholder engagement initiatives across the region. Reporting to the Regional Director, this role will serve as the primary public engagement expert in the region, acting as a liaison between MEDA, government officials, and local partners while driving the implementation of the organization's regional engagement strategy. 

MEDA is advancing a decentralized structure that prioritizes responsive, contextual support to projects at the regional level. This approach emphasizes local decision-making, regional ownership, and proximity to the communities we serve while maintaining alignment with our global mission. Our regional teams provide tailored technical assistance, relationship management, and knowledge sharing that address the unique challenges and opportunities across diverse contexts. 

The Public Engagement Lead is instrumental in this decentralized model, providing on-the-ground communications and stakeholder engagement support directly to projects, while ensuring these efforts collectively strengthen MEDA's regional presence and advance our corporate objectives. This balance between localized project support and organizational coherence is central to MEDA's strategy for sustainable impact and growth in the region.

This position requires exceptional presentation, oral and writing skills with meticulous attention to detail, the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, and excellent interpersonal skills with adaptability to change.  The role demands bilingual fluency in English and French, both written and spoken. The ideal candidate will be innovative, organized, and self-motivated with a passion for strategic messaging and relationship building that amplifies our organization's impact across West and Central Africa. Traveling across the region is required. 

 

Location: Senegal, Ghana, and locations within West Africa

Reports
To: Regional Director - West and Central Africa
 

Status:  Full-time, ideal start date to be in July 2025

 

KEY FUNCTIONS 

Strategic Communications Leadership (30%)

•    Serve as the critical bridge between regional stakeholders and corporate communications team, maintaining a dual accountability to both local project needs and organizational brand integrity 
•    Translate corporate communications directives into contextually relevant approaches while elevating regional priorities, narratives, and insights to headquarters
•    Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive communications strategies for West and Central Africa
•    Provide strategic counsel to regional leadership on positioning, messaging, and engagement approaches
•    Ensure alignment between regional communications activities and MEDA corporate communications objectivesglobal communications objectives
•    Monitor regional communications landscape and recommend adjustments to strategy as needed
•    Build and maintain productive relationships with key media contacts across the region

Content Development and Brand Management (25%)
•    Oversee the creation of compelling, culturally relevant content for diverse regional audiences
•    Ensure all communications materials adhere to organizational brand guidelines while respecting regional contexts
•    Manage the development of bilingual content for multiple channels including website, social media, newsletters, publications, and presentations
•    Lead the production of high-quality multimedia content including videos, podcasts, and infographics
•    Coordinate translation services to ensure accurate and culturally appropriate messaging in both English and French

Stakeholder Engagement and Media Relations (20%)
•    Build and maintain strong relationships with regional partners, clients, governments, and other stakeholders
•    Serve as primary media contact for regional initiatives and manage media inquiries
•    Develop and implement stakeholder engagement plans for key regional programs
•    Coordinate with country offices to amplify stories of impact and success
•    Represent the organization at relevant regional forums, conferences, and events

Team Leadership and Project Management (15%)
•    Supervise communications staff and consultants working on regional initiatives
•    Manage communications budgets and resources for the region
•    Establish workflow processes that ensure timely delivery of communications outputs
•    Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communications activities using appropriate metrics
•    Prepare detailed performance reports summarizing regional communications impact and outcomes
•    Support the development of junior communications staff, interns, or consultants across the region by providing mentoring, knowledge sharing, and opportunities for professional growth

Cross-Functional Collaboration (10%)
•    Work closely with program teams to capture and communicate impact stories
•    Collaborate with monitoring and evaluation specialists to incorporate data into communications
•    Coordinate with MEDA’s corporateglobal communications team to ensure regional initiatives receive appropriate visibility
•    Support knowledge management efforts by documenting lessons learned and best practices
•    Provide communications support for regional events, workshops, and learning initiatives
•    Provide communications support to projects or initiatives across the West and Central Africa region as needed, in alignment with organizational priorities

Any other duties and/or requirements as assigned
  

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

Education: Master's degree in communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, or related field.

Experience: 
•    Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in communications, with at least 3 years working in West and/or Central Africa
•    Demonstrated experience developing and implementing communications strategies in multicultural environments
•    Track record of successful media relations in Francophone and Anglophone African contexts
•    Experience working with international development organizations, NGOs, or foundations
•    Fluency in Portuguese is an added advantage

Additional qualifications:  

Appreciation and support of MEDA’s mission, vision and values.   Understanding and appreciation of business principles, international development and MEDA’s approach of creating business solutions to poverty.   Excellent computer skills in using MS Office and Dynamics   Excellent skills in using Power Bi, Kobo Collect and other interactive tools.    Demonstrated experience of using online survey platforms for data gathering   Certification or deep experience in PowerBI or other data analysis or visualization tool is highly desirable   Excellent qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills   Demonstrated aptitude at integrating information technology and automated data collection systems into programming.   Written and verbal presentation as well as interpersonal communication skills.   Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fluid and dynamic environment and to adapt to new challenges.   Efficiency in organizing and prioritizing several tasks at once. Strong attention to detail and quality.   

Candidates must submit their CV and a cover letter including a summary of their work experience related to this opportunity, highlighting their experience and language proficiency.

 

MEDA is an equal opportunity employer, and accommodations are available during all phases of the recruitment process. We ask that any applicants requiring accommodation make their needs known in advance. 

This job description may be reviewed, revised and updated as required to meet department and/or organizational objectives. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a qualified candidate is selected.