Background

The CBR Africa Network (CAN) is an African-led continental network that connects organisations, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, development partners, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), persons with disabilities and their families to advance Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID). CAN generates and shares knowledge, strengthens capacity and networks, documents African practice and promotes evidence-informed policy and systems change.

With funding, CAN will strengthen its role as Africa’s CBR/CBID knowledge and networking backbone and lay practical foundations for the future CBR/CBID Centre of Excellence for Africa. The project will establish a continuous multilingual learning cycle, document and validate African good practices, strengthen national and sub-regional networks, build functional membership and communication systems, and advance concrete CAN–ADF knowledge-to-policy collaboration.

Purpose of the Position

The Knowledge and Communications Officer will lead the conversion of CAN’s programme evidence, member experience and documented good practice into accurate, accessible and engaging knowledge and communication products. The Officer will ensure that knowledge travels across countries, languages, stakeholder groups and digital platforms, while building a coherent CAN brand and an active communication system that supports learning, membership engagement, policy influence and Centre of Excellence readiness.

This is both a strategic and hands-on role. It requires strong editorial judgement, disciplined content production, coordination with contributors across five African sub-regions, and routine use of analytics and audience feedback to improve reach, accessibility and engagement. The aim is improved knowledge and communications

Key Responsibilities

4.1 Communication strategy, brand and editorial management

• Develop, operationalise and periodically update CAN’s multilingual Communication and Knowledge Dissemination Strategy, aligned with the project workplan and the future Centre of Excellence vision.
• Develop and maintain a 12-month editorial and content calendar covering dialogues, webinars, newsletters, good-practice products, network activities, campaigns and key continental or global events.
• Establish and enforce clear brand, editorial, consent, accessibility and quality-assurance standards across CAN communication channels and products.
• Provide timely communication advice to the Secretariat and IAB, including key messages, speaking points, media materials, advocacy content and reputation-risk management.

4.2 Knowledge capture, packaging and dissemination

• Coordinate the knowledge-content pipeline with the Project and M&E Officer and Sub-regional Focal Persons: identify promising practices, commission contributions, track submissions, verify facts and consent, edit content and publish approved outputs.
• Support two documentation skills Workshops and the good-practice documentation and validation process, including contributor guidance, peer-review coordination, copy-editing and accessible packaging.
• Lead or support production and dissemination of at least four validated case studies/practice briefs, one accessible good-practice compendium, event summaries and other approved knowledge products.
• Coordinate communication and dissemination for four CAN–ADF knowledge-to-policy briefs, a joint policy dialogue, a joint Congress session and a joint position paper, ensuring joint branding and approval.

4.3 Multilingual learning and member engagement

• Promote and document four Africa Regional Online Dialogues and four thematic webinars, and publish timely summaries and learning messages after each event.
• Coordinate four quarterly multilingual CAN newsletters and maintain regular engagement between events through mailing lists, social media and other low-bandwidth channels.
• Work with focal persons to ensure balanced content and visibility across Central, East, Northern, Southern and Western Africa and across English and French, with selected Arabic and Portuguese content where prioritised.
• Intentionally feature OPD-led, women-led and youth-led perspectives and make participation and content accessible to persons with diverse disabilities.

4.4 Website, repository, CRM and digital channels

• Coordinate content requirements, user testing and quality assurance for the CAN website upgrade and the online good-practice repository; ensure approved content is current, searchable and accessible.
• Manage CAN’s social media and digital presence, including content scheduling, moderation, timely responses and referral of technical or safeguarding concerns.
• Work with the Project and M&E Officer and CRM service provider to ensure communication lists are verified, consent-based, segmented and used appropriately for member engagement.
• Monitor website, newsletter, event and social-media analytics and use the findings to improve reach, language balance, accessibility, engagement and conversion to active membership.

4.5 Quality, safeguarding and coordination

• Secure and document informed consent before publishing identifiable stories, quotations, images or videos
• Ensure products use respectful, rights-based and non-stereotyping language and meet agreed accessibility standards, including captions, alt text, accessible document structure and plain-language versions where required.
• Maintain an organised digital archive and output register containing source files, approvals, consent records, final products, translations, publication dates and dissemination data.
• Participate in Secretariat planning, monthly focal-person coordination, quarterly reflection and donor-reporting processes, and promptly report delivery, quality or reputational risks.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Digital Media, Knowledge Management, Graphic Design, Linguistics, Development Studies or a related field. A postgraduate qualification is an added advantage.
• At least 3–4 years of relevant professional experience in strategic communications, knowledge management, editorial work, public relations, digital engagement or brand management.
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality newsletters, case studies, briefs, web content, social-media content and multimedia products for diverse audiences.
• Strong English writing, editing and storytelling skills, with proven ability to translate complex evidence and technical concepts into clear and compelling content.
• Practical experience with websites/content-management systems, mailing platforms, social-media management, analytics, content calendars, knowledge and experience working with AI and basic visual design tools.
• Experience working with OPDs, persons with disabilities or disability-inclusive development programmes; knowledge of CBR/CBID is a strong advantage.
• Experience coordinating contributors, designers, translators, consultants and approval processes across multiple countries and tight deadlines.
• Understanding of informed consent, safeguarding, ethical storytelling, data protection and digital accessibility.

Languages and Core Competencies

• Excellent written and spoken English is required. Professional French is strongly preferred; Arabic or Portuguese is an added advantage.
• Strategic communication and editorial judgement; excellent planning and follow-through; accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation and cross-cultural communication skills; ability to work collaboratively in a distributed African network.
• Initiative, creativity, responsiveness and ability to manage competing priorities within a part-time role.
• Commitment to disability rights, meaningful participation, accessibility and respectful representation.

• Develop, operationalise and periodically update CAN’s multilingual Communication and Knowledge Dissemination Strategy, aligned with the project workplan and the future Centre of Excellence vision.
• Develop and maintain a 12-month editorial and content calendar covering dialogues, webinars, newsletters, good-practice products, network activities, campaigns and key continental or global events.
• Establish and enforce clear brand, editorial, consent, accessibility and quality-assurance standards across CAN communication channels and products.
• Provide timely communication advice to the Secretariat and IAB, including key messages, speaking points, media materials, advocacy content and reputation-risk management.
• Coordinate the knowledge-content pipeline with the Project and M&E Officer and Sub-regional Focal Persons: identify promising practices, commission contributions, track submissions, verify facts and consent, edit content and publish approved outputs.
• Support two documentation skills Workshops and the good-practice documentation and validation process, including contributor guidance, peer-review coordination, copy-editing and accessible packaging.
• Lead or support production and dissemination of at least four validated case studies/practice briefs, one accessible good-practice compendium, event summaries and other approved knowledge products.
• Coordinate communication and dissemination for four CAN–ADF knowledge-to-policy briefs, a joint policy dialogue, a joint Congress session and a joint position paper, ensuring joint branding and approval.
• Promote and document four Africa Regional Online Dialogues and four thematic webinars, and publish timely summaries and learning messages after each event.
• Coordinate four quarterly multilingual CAN newsletters and maintain regular engagement between events through mailing lists, social media and other low-bandwidth channels.
• Work with focal persons to ensure balanced content and visibility across Central, East, Northern, Southern and Western Africa and across English and French, with selected Arabic and Portuguese content where prioritised.
• Intentionally feature OPD-led, women-led and youth-led perspectives and make participation and content accessible to persons with diverse disabilities.
• Coordinate content requirements, user testing and quality assurance for the CAN website upgrade and the online good-practice repository; ensure approved content is current, searchable and accessible.
• Manage CAN’s social media and digital presence, including content scheduling, moderation, timely responses and referral of technical or safeguarding concerns.
• Work with the Project and M&E Officer and CRM service provider to ensure communication lists are verified, consent-based, segmented and used appropriately for member engagement.
• Monitor website, newsletter, event and social-media analytics and use the findings to improve reach, language balance, accessibility, engagement and conversion to active membership.
• Secure and document informed consent before publishing identifiable stories, quotations, images or videos
• Ensure products use respectful, rights-based and non-stereotyping language and meet agreed accessibility standards, including captions, alt text, accessible document structure and plain-language versions where required.
• Maintain an organised digital archive and output register containing source files, approvals, consent records, final products, translations, publication dates and dissemination data.
• Participate in Secretariat planning, monthly focal-person coordination, quarterly reflection and donor-reporting processes, and promptly report delivery, quality or reputational risks.

• Strong English writing, editing and storytelling skills
• Practical experience with websites/content-management systems, mailing platforms, social-media management, analytics, content calendars, knowledge and experience working with AI and basic visual design tools.
• Understanding of informed consent, safeguarding, ethical storytelling, data protection and digital accessibility.
• Strategic communication and editorial judgement
• Excellent planning and follow-through
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation and cross-cultural communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a distributed African network.
• Initiative, creativity, responsiveness and ability to manage competing priorities within a part-time role.

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Digital Media, Knowledge Management, Graphic Design, Linguistics, Development Studies or a related field. A postgraduate qualification is an added advantage.
• At least 3–4 years of relevant professional experience in strategic communications, knowledge management, editorial work, public relations, digital engagement or brand management.
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality newsletters, case studies, briefs, web content, social-media content and multimedia products for diverse audiences.
• Experience working with OPDs, persons with disabilities or disability-inclusive development programmes; knowledge of CBR/CBID is a strong advantage.
• Experience coordinating contributors, designers, translators, consultants and approval processes across multiple countries and tight deadlines.