Senior Communications Officer - Digital Communications and Engagement, Africa Regional Office at Gates Foundation

The Senior Communications Officer - Digital Communications and Engagement, Africa Regional Office will lead the development and implementation of a digital-first communications strategy for the Gates Foundation’s work across Africa.

You will provide strategic leadership and coordination across all regional offices - including Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, and Ethiopia - ensuring the foundation’s digital presence and engagement efforts are locally relevant, globally aligned, and effective in advancing programmatic, advocacy, and reputation goals. You will also play a key role in strengthening coordination between the Africa Regional Communications team, the Global Communications Division, and Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA), ensuring cohesive storytelling and a unified voice across platforms and regions.

The postholder will be responsible for building a strong digital culture across regional offices, leading innovative and data-driven social channel and content strategies, managing digital partnerships, and using insights and analytics to reach and engage key audiences.

We seek a creative, digitally fluent communications leader who brings both strategic vision and executional excellence, with deep familiarity with Africa’s digital ecosystems and audience trends.

The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and report to the Deputy Director, Content, Campaigns and Digital - Africa.

What You’ll Do

1. Digital Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and lead a comprehensive digital channel and engagement strategy for the Africa Regional Office, aligned with the foundation’s global digital and communications principles.

• Build a digital-first culture across Africa regional and country offices by embedding digital thinking, tools, and storytelling into all communications planning.

• Coordinate and harmonize digital strategies across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, and Ethiopia, ensuring unified quality, consistency, and local resonance.

• Partner with the Global Communications Division and GPA to ensure Africa’s digital storytelling and campaigns align with global priorities and advocacy goals.

• Amplify local and regional stories through global channels, connecting Africa’s progress and partnerships to global audiences.

2. Digital Engagement and Campaign Execution

• Manage the foundation’s digital presence across Africa, including owned social media channels, content calendars, and engagement strategies.

• Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM), analytics, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and paid media to grow reach, engagement, and positive sentiment among target audiences.

• Partner with country office communications teams to adapt and execute global and regional campaigns for local audiences.

• Support the digital amplification of leadership trips, reports, and events across Africa.

3. Digital Insights, Analytics, and Measurement

• Lead implementation of social listening and digital analytics tools to monitor sentiment, engagement, and emerging narratives.

• Use data-driven insights to refine strategy, inform content decisions, and improve the reach and impact of digital campaigns.

• Establish clear KPIs and performance frameworks for digital activity and track progress across regional offices.

• Collaborate with communications and advocacy teams to align digital measurement with broader campaign objectives.

4. Partnerships and Capacity Building

• Identify and manage digital partnerships, including agencies, influencers, and creative producers, to expand the foundation’s reach across Africa.

• Strengthen digital storytelling capacity across country offices through training, shared frameworks, and knowledge exchange.

• Partner with GPA and program advocacy colleagues to co-develop campaigns that amplify advocacy outcomes through digital channels.

• Foster collaboration between regional offices to promote learning, efficiency, and creative innovation.

Your Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, digital marketing, journalism, or related field.

• 8-10 years of senior-level experience leading digital communications or marketing in a global, regional, or multi-country context, in dynamic and fast-paced environment.

• Proven expertise in designing and implementing digital marketing strategies (end-to-end), social media management and growth across platforms, and brand storytelling.

• Strong understanding of Africa’s digital and media landscapes, including audience trends, influencer ecosystems, and emerging technologies.

• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-market digital strategies and campaigns that deliver measurable engagement and impact.

• Skilled in SEO/SEM, paid media, social listening, analytics, and CRM tools to inform audience strategy and optimize performance.

• Experience designing and executing data-driven digital engagement strategies across diverse markets.

• Experience translating complex issues into accessible, creative, and audience-driven digital content.

• Political acumen, stakeholder engagement and advisory capability, including the ability to provide strategic advice to Foundation leadership.

• Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to coordinate across multiple geographies and teams.

• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills; comfortable working across global and regional communications networks.

• Proven record managing agencies, vendors, and digital campaigns with measurable success.

• Familiarity with social listening and analytics platforms, and strong analytical ability to translate data into actionable insights.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; French proficiency preferred.

Other Attributes

• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behaviour with a diverse range of people and a deep commitment to development issues and high standards of personal integrity.

• Be able to travel up to 25-30% domestic and internationally