African Centre for Biodiversity New Job Vacancies [2 Positions]

The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) is a registered NPO based in South Africa and working throughout the African continent. The ACB is committed to dismantling inequalities in the food and agriculture systems in Africa and to promoting agro-ecology and food sovereignty as feasible alternatives.

The African Centre for Biodiversity seeks to fill two new exciting and challenging positions: Communications Officer and Research and Advocacy Officer. If you are passionate about working towards dismantling inequalities and resisting corporate-industrial expansion in Africa’s food and agriculture systems then one of these posts may be right for you!

Job Title: Communications Officer
Job Location: Johannesburg

The Communications Officer will take care of the front end of ACB’s communications work, and will be involved in assisting with the development and implementation of an organisational communications strategy.

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Recording and documenting ACB’s work and activities in multiple formats (e.g. video, written)
• Proactively identifying audiences for ACB’s work, developing the appropriate channels to reach these audiences
• Developing key messages from ACB’s work for communication and advocacy, and package ACB content to suit various channels of communication to diverse audiences
• Facilitating the dissemination of ACB’s work and advocacy across all forms of media at local, national, regional and Pan-African, and international levels
• Developing and increasing online and social and other media presence and interest in ACB’s areas of work
• Improving the visibility and image of the ACB, increasing public awareness on current issues

The Communications Officer must possess and be able to demonstrate:

• A recognised media or journalism qualification, minimum Bachelors’ degree
• A minimum of 4 years of experience in media or journalism
• Proven English writing skills (based on writing samples)
• Ability to work independently and to tight deadlines with minimal supervision;
• Ability to work well in teams
• Good computer skills (writing, web research, video editing)
• A valid drivers’ license

Experience in any of the following will be an advantage:

• A history of social/environmental activism
• Work with a diversity of social actors, including smallholder farmers

 

Job Title: Research and Advocacy Officer
Job Location: Johannesburg

The ACB seeks to employ a self-motivated, independent, critical and analytical thinker to join our dynamic team to support research and advocacy focusing on our three programmes: Biosafety and genetically modified organisms (GMOs); seed sovereignty; and resisting corporate power in the agro-food system.
This position will involve South and East African work on the following:

• Desktop and field research
• Monitoring and analysing trends in the three programme areas
• Producing high quality research materials for use in communication and advocacy in ACB’s fields of work
• Working closely in ACB teams on tasks defined by ACB’s organisational plans on research, advocacy and communications
• Contributing to seminars, workshops, meetings, campaigns and network building
• Informing, supporting and contributing to organisational communications and advocacy strategies and activities

The Research and Advocacy Officer must be able to demonstrate:

• A recognised social science Masters’ degree
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant and related research and advocacy experience in some combination of the following areas: biosafety, GMOs, seed, seed law and policy, smallholder farmers, agroecology, political ecology
• Proven analytical and English writing skills (based on writing samples)
• Ability to work independently and to tight deadlines with minimal supervision
• Ability to work well in teams
• Good computer skills including word documents and web research
• A valid drivers’ licence

Experience in any of the following will be an advantage:

• A history of social/environmental activism
• Work with a diversity of social actors, including smallholder farmers
• Policy engagement at national or regional levels
• Participatory action research methodologies
• Ability to speak another language in SADC apart from English

The successful candidates must be a good fit with ACB’s organisational culture. ACB is interested in individuals who are decisive, self-motivated, critical thinkers. They need to be flexible with the ability to take initiative, learn quickly and work well in a team. They must also be able to work under pressure in a dynamic environment.

If you are interested in joining the dedicated team at ACB please send your CV and a motivation letter stating why you want to work there and why you believe you are a perfect match by Friday 26^th October 2018 to [email protected]