Farm Radio International is a Canadian organization that has been working since 1979 to harness the power of radio to meet the needs of rural people across Africa. We work with more than 1,300 radio organizations located in more than 38 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity using interactive radio. With the benefit of Farm Radio resources and training, our broadcasting partners deliver practical, relevant, and timely information to tens of millions of rural Africans, including women. We also work with a range of funding partners to implement radio projects that address specific development challenges and community needs delivering results for rural communities.
We think our work is exciting and we’re looking for someone to help us communicate what it is we do, and who looks forward to getting other people involved in our work. The Communications Specialist role will help tell Farm Radio’s story and the stories of the people we work with and for. This role is for you if you are a communicator and a story-teller at heart. We’re looking for someone who is a strong writer, who is detail-oriented, who can contribute to our communication strategies, who will think creatively about how to tell Farm Radio’s story and who has a keen eye for a good story — or even someone who has a strong opinion about the uses of em-dashes and Oxford commas (and how long this sentence was).
Responsibilities
This position puts you at the center of our stories and content creation. We’re looking for someone to help inspire our audience to take action — whether to donate to us, help fund our projects, or take action on our behalf. You’ll also be the steward of the newsletters that our supporters love. You’ll guide the process for developing our annual report and you’ll work with our teams to determine what communications materials are needed — and you’ll lead the process of writing those materials. We are looking for someone who has strong content and writing skills and who can dedicate time to thinking through how to get in front of new audiences: donors, funders and new supporters.
These are some of the things you’ll be working on a regular basis:
- Lead in the writing of the Annual Report
- Responsible for writing and assembling content for digital newsletters, including:
- Our physical and e-newsletter for supporters
- Our e-newsletter for institutional partners
- Contribute to our communications strategies, including leading campaigns designed to reach potential funders and potential donors.
- Responsible for writing, collecting and publishing blog posts and stories about our work
- Project manage and write other strategic communication pieces such as:
- Brochures
- Web pages
- Thematic briefs
- Project pages
- Social media
- Responsible for maintaining and updating our photo database
- Maintaining brand consistency and quality
- Assist teams, including country offices, with story creation, story pitching and media outreach
- Coordinate with digital marketing specialist to support the distribution of content through social channels
- Work with HR and other staff to develop and execute an internal communications strategy
- Work with global and country teams to create pieces that demonstrate thought leadership
- Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning team to share knowledge products, including stories of success, reports and lessons learned with our audiences
- Assist with public-facing engagement activities like campaigns or events
- Assist fundraising team with fundraising campaigns, updating fundraising pages on our website, editing fundraising emails and supporting other needs.
Generally, you’ll spend approximately 50% of your time working on Canada-facing communications, about 40% on strategic communications, especially targeting international audiences and institutional partners, and 10% on internal communications.
Qualifications
This position is ideally for someone with a minimum of 5 years experience, whether professional, volunteer or unpaid, or through formal education. If you’re excited about this role but aren’t sure you meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway.
Required
- Bilingual with strong written and communication skills in both English and French
- Clear, strong, and persuasive written and oral communication skills
- Experience writing stories, articles or social media posts
- Experience in media-relations, writing for, or pitching media publications
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Strong organizational skills
- Proofreading/editing skills
- An openness and desire to grow with the role
Desirable
- A degree in communications, journalism or relevant experience, preferably working in a non profit
- Experience creating or editing video and audio
- Experience with design software including Canva etc.
- Experience with persuasive or fundraising writing, including eye-catching captions and calls-to-action
- Familiarity with best practices in knowledge translation
- Familiarity with best practices in newsletter writing, website management, and SEO principles
- Familiarity with current discussions about and within the field of international development and cooperation
Applications
FRI values diversity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from all candidates that meet the qualifications. Women, people with disabilities and members of other equity-seeking or marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request in all aspects of the recruitment process.
FRI also participates in the inter-agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (). As such, upon hire, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation at the time of departure. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
To submit your application, send your application (CV and cover letter) to [email protected] and indicate “Communications Coordinator” in the subject line. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $53,000.00-$58,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Extended health care
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree (required)
Experience:
- Communication skills: 5 years (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ottawa, ON K1Y 2N2
Application deadline: 2025-06-30
