Job Summary

HarvestPlus seeks a communications firm or individual consultant with a specialty in digital media to build a compelling online presence that engages our global audiences. The consultant will help HarvestPlus technical and country staff share their research and project impacts with our stakeholders and bring engagement with our online communities through the coordination of posts and dialogue on various social media platforms. The consultant will also provide communications support for events led or attended by senior HarvestPlus staff and to showcase the work contributed by the global, regional and country teams. The candidate firm or individual will operate remotely from the city of residence.

Background

At HarvestPlus, we believe that hidden hunger should not be inevitable for the people most at risk. We break down silos between agriculture and nutrition to develop creative solutions to combat hidden hunger. Our food-based approach targets some of the most vulnerable populations around the world. HarvestPlus, and its CGIAR partners, breed crops with naturally higher levels of key micronutrients, using a process called biofortification, as well as other beneficial agricultural traits, such as climate resilience, higher yields, disease resistance, and pest tolerance. This approach complements other nutrition interventions, and is evidence-based, cost-effective, and sustainable. We work across the entire value chain to develop and deliver nutrient-enriched seeds, grains, and foods to the people who need it most, via a large collection of innovative and traditional supply chain activities. HarvestPlus works across CGIAR as part of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). To learn more about HarvestPlus, visit our home page here.

The Communications team at HarvestPlus focuses on reaching and engaging audiences globally and supporting resource mobilization. Our priority audiences include funders, research communities, policymakers and influencers, private companies in the food value chain, farming families, media, and our numerous partner organizations. 

Essential Duties

Drawing on the global work of HarvestPlus, our country programs, and our many partners and stakeholders, the communications firm or individual consultant will identify and coordinate visual, and written content for maintaining a regular and professional online presence under the supervision of the Head of Communications. The firm or individual consultant will develop an annual social media plan for proactive storytelling aligned with organizational priorities and themes. The consultant will collect monthly metrics to track online engagement and identify opportunities for greater effectiveness. 

The firm or individual consultant will also promote and drive engagement before, during, and after events by strategically developing and adapting material (including photos, written content, and videos) for online posts and through the provision of online technical assistance during events, where needed. Through regular collaboration with the global “functional team” of HarvestPlus communications staff, the firm or individual consultant will support our country offices to develop compelling short stories and coordinate communications needs for major events and activities.

Specific deliverables include but are not limited to:

• Create short- and long-term social media schedule for content creation
• Compose professional and engaging material that will be adapted specifically for different types of audiences and online platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and our website
• Coordinate an editorial calendar (for example, in AirTable or another online tool) that the communications team can utilize in team meetings
• Develop and disseminate promotional material related to 20-25 events led or attended by HarvestPlus senior staff to drive participation and raise event profiles
• Produce 6 short videos including development of script, incorporation of communications team feedback, editing of content, and production of 1 to 5 minutes' duration of finished products
• Prepare 1 brief per month on web and social media data to inform content strategy decisions
• Provide rapid response and be prepared to react quickly to breaking news or developments related to nutrition in general, and biofortification in particular
• Engage with digital media follower comments, queries, and questions related to HarvestPlus social media posts
• Develop and upload videos, infographics, GIFs on HarvestPlus' social media accounts including tagging and integration of the content
• If advised by HarvestPlus, manage paid media content and track performance record of each post to incorporate lessons learnt for future posts
• Develop and deliver innovative and sustainable strategies to increase engagement and reach of the digital media to key target audiences and stakeholders
• Review HarvestPlus social media pages operated by country teams; recommend how country teams can align content with global and country priorities and better comply with country laws, regulations, and legal requirements; prepare country team trainings if needed
• Develop and submit monthly monitoring and analytical reports on all digital media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and our website

Required Qualifications

• Track record of managing digital media campaigns in the public health, nutrition, and agriculture sector
  
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, International Relations, Nutrition, or a related field, plus five years of relevant professional experience; or, Master's degree plus three years of relevant professional experience
• Demonstrated storytelling skills; ability to manage social media profiles and grow audiences
• Demonstrated ability to communicate research and/or other technical information in a concise and engaging fashion
• Ability to work on Adobe Creative Cloud (particularly InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and desktop publishing tools
• Ability to work on deadline in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to create content trends, notably in digital formats, that can engage audiences
• Solid project management skills, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing priorities
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills; proven ability to be flexible in a team-oriented environment with diverse groups of people
• Professional level of attention to detail
• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours to accomodate global time zones

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a globally-oriented organization, ideally in a related field (nutrition, health, agriculture) and interacting with global/multinational colleagues
  
• Experience working in Asia or Africa
• Proficiency in a language other than English (particularly French, Spanish, and/or a South Asian language)
• Working knowledge of content management systems, particularly Drupal
• Familiarity with online tools for project tracking (such as Airtable)

To Apply

Kindly submit a brief technical proposal and financial proposal/daily rate on the IFPRI website.