Director, Communications & Advocacy

ABOUT SALIENT ADVISORY

Health markets are shifting rapidly. We help clients accelerate transformational change.

Salient Advisory is a boutique healthcare consulting firm founded in 2020, with staff in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, and Canada. We seek to reconstruct systems and approaches that are no longer fit for purpose in today’s global health environment. We conduct analyses and support partnerships to drive technology and innovations, adapt policy and financing, and elevate unheard voices to change global conversations and transform access to care.

Our work has been featured in TechCrunch, CNN, Al Jazeera, Quartz, Bloomberg, CNBC, Devex, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Center for Global Development, the Brookings Institution, and more. We pride ourselves on excellence in our thinking and execution. We tackle complex challenges, operate with trust and accountability, embrace diversity and equality, and pursue growth.

OUR EVOLUTION

We are on a mission to build a leading healthcare advisory team focused on Africa, anchored in Kenya and Nigeria. We have grown in our first 4 years since we launched into a consulting team of 16, who provide advisory and strategy support to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, The Global Fund and more. We have also established innovative partnerships with leading industry actors such MSD, Cencora, and more.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Director of Communications & Advocacy is a part-time role (50% time) that will start with a 1-year contract. This role will be the driving force behind demonstrating the impact of our clients’ work and building the Salient brand and our global presence.  Success for this role will be to help change the global narrative on the power of African health tech and the future of African innovators.

We are looking for a strategic, creative, and versatile Communications & Advocacy professional who will advance our mission through strategic messaging and advocacy, media relations, and stakeholder engagement.  A core element of this role will be to partner with our consultant teams and clients to showcase their research and findings.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic communications and advocacy planning: Develop and implement comprehensive communication and advocacy strategies aligned with organizational goals and client priorities.    Define advocacy goals and asks of our targeted audiences. Partner with program teams to develop communications plans.
2. Lead the development and execution of comprehensive communications and advocacy plans for Salient client engagements: Translate research findings into a set of powerful messages targeted at various external audiences (Africa, US and EU based), including donors, forward-thinking governments, global health agencies and individual change-makers. Support activations for key advocacy and programmatic milestones, including during high-profile events such as UN General Assembly and the World Health Assembly. Partner with program teams to execute communications plans.
3. Manage external communications resources, including existing relationships with agencies: Partner with and manage the work of our current agencies, source and manage new resources as needed.
4. Corporate communications: Drive initiatives to enhance Salient’s brand visibility, reputation, and thought leadership in the public health sector in Africa.
5. Media relations and outreach: Cultivate and maintain relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and influencers to secure placements and coverage for our clients and Salient. Proactively pitch stories, draft press releases, and thought leadership articles to relevant media channels.  Coach Salient team members on media appearances during research dissemination campaigns.
6. Content development and management: Oversee the creation of compelling content for various platforms including website, social media, press materials, and publications. Lead the development and execution of a digital and social media strategy to amplify key messages and engage diverse audiences.
7. Budget management and reporting: Manage the communications budget effectively, allocating resources to maximize impact and achieve strategic objectives. Prepare regular reports on communication activities, outcomes, and ROI for Senior Leadership.

REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).

• Proven experience with 10+ years in a senior Communications and/or Advocacy role, preferably within the global public health or healthcare sector.

• Strong understanding of global health issues, policies, and stakeholders.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives for diverse audiences.

• Outstanding interpersonal skills to advance work in a cross-cultural, multi-stakeholder setting

• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and thrive in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment

• Demonstrated experience in manage PR and communication agencies

• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate strategies into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.

• Proficiency in digital and social media platforms, analytics tools, and content management systems.

The diversity of our team is a core driver of the depth, nuance, and quality of our work. We recognize the historical exclusion of African leaders and women in the arena of global health and are working to develop systems, processes, and approaches to consistently advance equity within our company, partnerships, and our client work. Highly qualified candidates of all races, ethnicities, cultures, ages, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, languages, social class, marital status, religions, veteran status, and disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are a fully distributed global team. We do not have a head office, and most staff work remotely. This role is a remote position.   Travel up to 10% of the time may be required.

All Salient staff, regardless of location, have salaries benchmarked against role categories equivalently.  This is a part-time role.  Compensation will be linked to experience and time.