Do you want to help us pioneer data journalism across Africa? We’re seeking a programme manager to help run the new impactAFRICA data journalism contest.
impactAFRICA is designed to spur interactive, multimedia storytelling on development issues across six African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia) through a series of rolling contests alongside mentoring, crash-courses and micro-grant incentives, to spur hundreds of news reports that use new storytelling methods to engage audiences and get the attention of policymakers.
The goal is to develop ambitious projects that serve as new benchmarks and rolemodels for journalists across the continent.
impactAFRICA is an initiative of Code for Africa which is helping reinvent African journalism for the digital age. It is the continent’s largest civic technology and data journalism initiative with teams running news labs in four hub countries and affiliate programmes in an additional 20 African nations. impactAFRICA runs alongside the $1m/year innovateAFRICA technology experimentation fund for newsrooms and other civic watchdogs.
The position is full-time and is based in Cape Town from where the impactAFRICA programme manager will liaise with Code for Africa programme managers across the continent as well as with our partner, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), in Washington D.C. in the U.S.A.
The ideal candidate will have experience as a news media manager with extensive online and social media skills. The successful candidate will answer directly to the director of Code for Africa.
The position is available from December 15th 2015. The position is a fixed-term contract for 18 months. Renewal is dependent on recommitment to the initiative by donors.
If you are interested in being a candidate, please apply by emailing fellowships@code4kenya.org with a cover letter explaining your relevant experience, details of your availability and your CV.
Responsibilities include:
Implementing and managing storytelling contests:
- Create and maintain a management regime for impactAFRICA contests and related activities, tracking deadlines/resources/budgets/personnel and other commitments
- Design and champion an extensive awareness campaign, using digital channels, live events and other marketing strategies to target specific stakeholders
- Manage stakeholder engagement and editorial production for impactAFRICA’s two four-month topic-specific contests and two six-month investigative/in-depth reporting contests on development topics
- Work with a skills development team to organise pre-contest web-based and/or in-person trainings and mentoring, as well as to develop digital training resources
- Work with a technology team to help content grantees create data-driven multimedia story projects, tools and other resources
- Work with a logistics and administrative team to coordinate air and ground transportation, accommodations and meals, and coordinate speakers/consultants and monitor expenditures for such items to ensure they are cost-effective and within budget
Managing impactAFRICA programme:
- Ensuring that impactAFRICA has an appropriate programme management system for planning, assigning, managing and tracking contests
- Ensuring that projects/commitments are managed within impactAFRICA’s master budget
- Ensuring that all impactAFRICA projects and contests are properly contracted and adhere to stipulations from donors or other stakeholders
- In liaison with Code for Africa and ICFJ, manage production of narrative and financial reporting on projects and contests of impactAFRICA
Managing editorial systems
- Create and manage a syndication strategy for all projects under production by impactAFRICA
- Coordinate production of digital multimedia components for all projects under production by impactAFRICA
- Ensuring that all evidentiary source documents for impactAFRICA contest winners are properly annotated and uploaded to sourceAFRICA
- Ensuring that all research data for impactAFRICA contest winners is properly structured and uploaded to openAFRICA
- Ensuring that all software code for impactAFRICA contest winners is properly documented and uploaded to Code for Africa’s Github repository
- Track and report on publication and public engagement on all impactAFRICA supported content or projects
Digital and tech support
- Communications: In liaison with support teams, managing analytics tracking on impactAFRICA contests, including regular quantitative/qualitative feedback from contest winners
- Social media campaigns: In liaison with support teams, manage impactAFRICA’s social media profiles
- Website content: In liaison with support teams, manage regular content updates to impactAFRICA’s primary website
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following qualifications:
- Mid-level in their career, with five to ten years media manager or editor experience preferred
- Experience of working in African media or reporting on Africa
- Expert level digital and/or social media management skills
- Expert level written and verbal communication skills
- Knowledge of African media landscape/industry dynamics, with proven contacts/relationships with African media an advantage
- Strong organisational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
- Proactive approach to problem-solving and prioritising deadlines
- Familiarity with Google Drive, Slack, Skype, Twitter and other web-based programmes