Communications Fellow | ReliefWeb

Communications Fellow

Position Overview

Educate! is seeking an enthusiastic and driven Communications Fellow to support the Director of External Relations and External Relations Fellow and liaise between our Uganda-based team and our U.S.-based fundraising team. This position is ideal for someone eager to gain exposure and experience in many different organizational areas. Educate!’s Communications Fellow will be a passionate person who excels at managing a variety of tasks at any given time. The person in this role will help to build communications pathways and systems to ensure that the right information gets to the right people and that stakeholders many thousands of miles away can experience the amazing work Educate! does every day in Uganda. The Communications Fellow is a key component to the Educate! team as we scale our programs to impact 100,000 African students within 10 years!

The Fellow will be a self-motivated individual who is able to multi-task effectively and gather the various information Educate! needs to share with funders, stakeholders and our international team. Working closely with, and providing support to, Educate!’s External Relations Fellow and the US-based Director of External Relations, the Communications Fellow will also work alongside a vibrant and entrepreneurial team in Uganda.

Educate! Overview

Educate! works to transform the education system in Uganda to prepare youth to be leaders and entrepreneurs who take leadership initiative, create small businesses, and improve livelihoods for themselves and their communities. Watch a short video about Educate! at http://bit.ly/PuRp41.

Educate! currently directly impacts 10,000 youth, has seen 56% of its graduates start businesses and make up to $40 a month, has backing from Ashoka and Echoing Green, and our curriculum has been incorporated into Uganda’s national entrepreneurship curriculum, reaching over 25,000 students annually.

Performance Objectives

• Grant writing, Reporting & Communications:Support with collecting necessary information and drafting content for letters of interest, donor reports, the annual report, newsletters, e-newsletters, the Educate! blog, student stories for a database, and other communications while ensuring fulfillment of all commitments made in grant proposals. Assist External Relations Fellow in tracking progress, maintaining up-to-date information, communicating gaps, and supporting program staff in gathering information to ensure all deadlines and expectations are met.

• Engagement: Develop and coordinate strategies to deepen Educate!’s regular communication with funders and supporters. This may include but is not limited to the following:

1. Research to maintain working knowledge of significant developments and trends concerning Africa’s Youth Bulge and the Education-to-Work space relating Educate!’s programming to current research.


2. Support entire Educate! team in executing on communications strategy and brand messaging utilizing consistent messaging.


3. Facilitate donor visits in Uganda.

• Educate! Team Support:Support Educate! managers and the leadership team in Uganda and the US with ad-hoc projects as they arise. These may be related to human resource development, program research, monitoring and evaluation, development of organizational systems or other areas of strategic growth. Manage Educate!’s Communications Calendar to ensure timely submission of reports and proposals.

• Fundraising Prospecting and Support:Provide support for Educate!’s fundraising efforts in the following ways:

1. Collaborate with US development team to identify, research, pursue and cultivate funding opportunities including individual and foundation research.


2. Conduct background research for meetings and conferences.


3. Manage and update Educate!’s Communications Standards for internal and external communications.

Cultural Fit

In order to thrive at Educate!, a candidate must:

1. Excel in an entrepreneurial, rapidly-growing and independent environment with minimal supervision.


2. Eagerly jump on opportunities to exceed expectations and solve new challenges autonomously.


3. Exhibit endless commitment to learning, both for personal development and acquiring best practices from others.


4. Be flexible, open-minded and excited by new responsibilities, listening to others and adjusting for the greatest impact.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• BA or equivalent degree from a top tier university.

• Excellent writing, research and editing skills.

• Experience managing multiple projects at once and ability to multitask.

• Willingness to support staff in Uganda and US on small and large projects.

• Superb organization and time management skills with well-developed attention to details and deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with all levels of Educate! staff.

• Developed cultural sensitivity through experience living internationally.

• Ability to live in Uganda.

• Interest in international development and fundraising.

How to apply:

Terms and Compensation

The Communications Fellow will receive a $550 monthly living stipend, accommodation in Educate!’s house in Kampala, travel health insurance, and one round trip flight for a one-year commitment in Uganda. This position reports to the Director of External Relations and works closely with and assists the External Relations Fellow in Uganda. The application deadline will be rolling, with the goal to fill the position ASAP. To apply, please submit all of the following materials with your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please email us with: 1.) Your resume; 2.) A list of three references (current or former employers or, if necessary, former professors); 3.) One-half page telling us why you are interested in and excited about Educate! and this role with us; and 4.) A full page written update for Educate! donor the Segal Family Foundation about Educate!’s success (use content from our website and our 2013 annual report, also available on our website: experienceeducate.org).

Please title the subject of your email: “Communications Fellow –Where you found the position – Your Name” and send to jobs@experienceeducate.org. If someone referred you for this position, please include his/her name in the subject as “Referral: Name.”