Request for Proposals (RFP) - Senior Communications Advisor

Who we are
Open Capital aims to transform Africa by advancing African economies and building future generations of business leaders. We are advisors to the most innovative businesses, investors, and donors to drive growth on the continent, structure and invest capital, and enable inclusive, market-based solutions.

We’re proud of what we’ve built – since we founded Open Capital in 2010, we have completed 1,600+ engagements across 30 countries in Africa. Our clients have transformed local industries in agribusiness, energy access, financial services, healthcare, and water & sanitation, among others. We have closed > $1.5 billion in capital raises in Africa and are now leading design for a new generation of market-building mechanisms, including new investment vehicles, market accelerators, and more.

Today, our team is a diverse, global mix of 170+ talented individuals from 15+ nationalities and we are proud to have strong gender representation across levels from Analyst to Partner. We are a top employer that seeks excellence in everything we do; we have built a platform to drive change through African markets and are seeking exceptional team members to join us in Nairobi, Kampala, Accra, Abidjan, Dakar, Lagos, and Lusaka.

What we need
The world needs to understand the exciting, positive change happening in Africa and our team is on the front lines of this. We want to get this message out in a more powerful, intentional way, reaching new global audiences and helping our team elevate the hundreds of stories of our impact.
To do this, we require an experienced professional that can bring a strategic lens to communicating our work, has strong editorial experience, and a proven track record in influencing business audiences.

What you’ll do
You will serve as our Senior Communications Advisor, leading our communications function, with full access to our team and the support of our full-time Communications Associate. You will conduct consultations with our team and partners to understand the current situation and gaps, form a strategic plan with clear outcomes, and drive results through your own efforts and those you direct of our team. You will have responsibility to develop content independently and will have regular touch points directly with Andreas Zeller, our co-CEO, who will oversee this project.

Key responsibilities: Conduct a series of consultations with senior leadership team members and representatives from across the organisation to develop a robust understanding of our work, our audience, key messages, strategic direction and ecosystem opportunities. Develop a 12 month communications strategy based on outcomes and desired end-state, with clear & measurable objectives, milestones, and expectations for input/action. Lead execution of the strategy, with bi-weekly check-in calls with the co-CEO. This will include, among others: Analyze and advise on the external communications environment for trends and opportunities to tell our story.Oversee all distributed communications to ensure consistent brand identity and coordinated organisational messaging.Work with a range of project teams to identify communications and storytelling opportunities, including case studies and thought leadership pieces.Coach and support team members to engage with communications opportunities.Provide editorial oversight for external and internal communications collateral to ensure a consistent, thoughtful and strategic point of view and voice.Develop strategic & compelling content for our website, client reports, and social media platforms.Drive our social media strategy, communications plan, and liaise across departments and senior management to respond to emerging needs.Use analytics to assess the effectiveness of social media posts, website performance, and external articles, adjusting approach based on insights.Provide oversight of our website including articles, pictures/videos, and case studies.Assess and analyze the external communications environment for new opportunities and placements.Engage with external stakeholders to produce & publish compelling reports. Who you are Strong track record of similar work to develop and execute marketing and communications strategies ideally in the impact investing or social enterprise field Demonstrated editorial experience and management of content development processes at a senior level, where you were in charge of owning outcomes on behalf of organizations, with limited/no oversight from others Confident and experienced in working with senior management teams to quickly develop understanding of strategic aims and ambitions, and to advise on best options for implementation. Fluency in English and excellent communication skills, specifically on technical topics Strong interviewing, writing, and editing skills, including the ability to write a compelling story given basic information Ability to manage priorities appropriately and multi-task as needed. Meticulous attention to detail, proactivity, and ownership Interest in economic development issues, SME development, and financing. Master’s Degree in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Communication or a related field, or equivalent experience. We anticipate the role will require 8-10 days per month, with an initial contract period of 6 months, extendable to a longer-term consultancy relationship that can shape the communications function over coming years. We understand that our contract may be one of a few in a portfolio and that the consultant will need to be flexible in their availability.

Reach out to us!
If you’re passionate about telling stories of innovation and impact, please submit a CV and brief proposal including background on your experience and how it fits this role, how you would approach this assignment with specific details for your engagement approach, links to writing examples and/or multi-media outputs, and your availability and expected budget to . We greatly appreciate your interest, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted due to the high volume of applications.