Communications Manager, DREEM

Start date: ASAP

Supervisor: DREEM Project Director

Location: Nairobi, Abidjan, Accra, Kigali, or Addis Ababa

Note to applicants: This position is being re-advertised. Candidates who previously applied do not need to reapply, as their applications remain on file and may be considered. Full fluency in French and English is required , and you will be tested on both in the first interview.

Background:

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization driving positive education and economic change for young people around the world. Our vision is a world where every young person thrives and belongs. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations and create their own futures. To help achieve this goal, we develop initiatives that: deliver lasting, measurable impact; are powered by partnerships across the globe; stay true to our core programming principles; and respond to the priorities and aspirations of the people with whom we work.

WUSC is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and has offices across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our global team of development professionals bring deep expertise and open minds to identify new solutions to old problems and create a better world together. WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference for youth around the world. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in the communities they serve.

Project Description:

WUSC has launched the second phase (2026-2031) of an exciting initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, which aims to significantly expand efforts to help refugee, displaced, and host community (RDP) youth, particularly young women, secure dignified and fulfilling work and access education opportunities across Africa. Building on prior successes, this Phase II will deepen engagement in new geographies, strengthen local ecosystems, and equip partners with necessary knowledge and tools for lasting change. A core strategy is emphasizing the engagement and strengthening of Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) to provide sustainable, locally-led technical assistance.

Over the next five years, Phase II’s ambitious goals include indirectly enabling one million RDP youth to secure dignified work and 35,000 to access education through the provision of expert technical assistance to a broad ecosystem of actors. Key implementation strategies involve working closely with RLOs through three pathways: providing financial access via RLO Engagement , strengthening their capacity to provide technical assistance to partners, and embedding them across Phase II’s functional areas. WUSC will serve as a network orchestrator, facilitating connections for scale and training partners and other stakeholders on RDP inclusion. The initiative will achieve its targets by increasing knowledge among partners, enhancing capacity to develop innovative programming, improving collaboration and inclusive policies, and strengthening the institutional ability of RLOs to design, implement, and sustain RDP solutions.

Role Description:

The Communications Manager for DREEM 2030 is responsible for designing and delivering a high-impact, Pan-African communications strategy that elevates the profile of the DREEM program and Refugee and Displaced Persons (RDP) inclusion across the continent. The Manager will lead efforts to showcase the "business case" for including RDP youth, specifically young women (70% target) and youth with disabilities (10% target), in education and dignified, fulfilling work.

This role goes beyond traditional PR; it is a technical advisory position centered on network orchestration and knowledge exchange. You will support Mastercard Foundation teams and their diverse partners (across sectors like Education, Agriculture, and Digital) to mainstream inclusive messaging and evidence-based storytelling. A critical component of this role is providing technical assistance (TA) to Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) and the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to strengthen their independent communications and advocacy capacities, ensuring that RDP voices are central to the narrative.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Communications Leadership:

In close collaboration with the project’s leadership and WUSC’s Communications team in Canada, develop, implement, and periodically update a multi-country project communications and visibility strategy.

Lead the positioning of DREEM 2030 as a "Network Orchestrator" and a center of excellence for RDP inclusion across the continent.

Ensure all communication products and activities strictly adhere to Mastercard Foundation branding and WUSC corporate guidelines.

Advise senior leadership, technical teams, and country offices on strategic communication approaches to influence ecosystem actors.

Work in close collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation’’s communications lead to ensure both parties remain up to date on new opportunities, success stories, and goals and can synergize/amplify communications efforts.

Work in close collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation’’s regional and country communications leads to synergize efforts, ensuring success stories from the 80+ partner portfolio are amplified across Foundation channels.

Content Development & Storytelling:

Lead the production of high-quality "Business Case" materials that demonstrate the economic and social value of including RDP youth, specifically young women (70%) and youth with disabilities (10%), in education and employment.

Oversee field-based storytelling that centers the lived experiences of refugees and IDPs, moving beyond vulnerability-based narratives to focus on agency, resilience, and economic contribution.

Produce high-quality, complex communication products, including thematic briefs, case studies, and "Business Case" materials, that demonstrate the economic and social value of including RDP youth in sectors such as Education, Agriculture, and the Digital Economy.

Oversee the production of high-quality photography and graphic design, alongside the development of multi-lingual (English and French) video content. Ensure all visual assets are culturally appropriate and packaged for diverse linguistic audiences across Pan-African forums and global refugee summits.

Digital Communications & Knowledge Platforms:

Create, launch, and manage the DREEM project website, serving as the primary digital hub for the initiative.

Coordinate closely with WUSC HQ (Ottawa) and the Mastercard Foundation on website architecture, technical management, and brand alignment.

Manage and optimize the project’s digital presence, ensuring a robust flow of content for the DREEM online platform/knowledge hub.

Develop engaging digital campaigns tailored to diverse stakeholders across Africa, including in fragile contexts.

Collaborate with the Knowledge Management team to ensure research findings and technical toolkits are packaged for high digital engagement and accessibility.

Track performance metrics and recommend content improvements based on analytics.

Partner & Stakeholder Capacity Building:

Assess communications capacity needs among RLO partners and other stakeholders, and lead the delivery of communications Technical Assistance (TA) to RLOs and the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), empowering them to lead their own narratives and advocacy efforts.

In collaboration with the Training and Curriculum Development Specialist, develop and deliver tailored training packages, toolkits, and guidelines on topics such as:

storytelling and writing for development

branding and visibility requirements

digital communications and social media management

strategic communication planning

photography and ethical com