Organisation overview

Tostan is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Dakar, Senegal, currently operating in five West African countries. At the strategic level, the organization is committed to continuing to develop its core competency of empowering education, and to document and scale the sustainable impact it creates on a range of issues. Tostan’s flagship model, the three-year Community Capacity Building Programme (CCBP), has already reached thousands of communities in West and East Africa since 1991. Results in governance, education, health, economic empowerment and the environment are currently being monitored, and Tostan is particularly proud to have played an important role in the large-scale empowerment of women and girls and in community abandonment of harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage. As part of its strategic engagement plan 2023-2030, Tostan focuses on strategic scaling. The organization is developing new implementation strategies to support community leadership by unlocking broader systemic changes at the regional level. It also creates new models for sharing and replicating its programs with other development partners and expands its capacity to share Tostan’s global approach to support and influence a range of local and global audiences. For more information, please visit : www.tostan.org

Role overview

Reporting to the Head of Communications and working closely within the Partnership teams, the Communications Officer is responsible for overviewing and implementing Tostan’s communications strategies with a particular focus on specific stakeholders (philanthropy, institutional partners, etc.). With a focus on digital communications and email marketing, She/He will have a lot of creative ideas to build Tostan’s presence and reputation through our digital platforms. The person in this role will be responsible for identifying opportunities to amplify Tostan’s messages to key audiences in innovative ways that align with our organizational goals, while always keeping the communities we work with at the center.

Roles and responsibilities

Under supervision of Head of Communications, the Communications Officer will be in charge of Tostan’s resource mobilization and Digital Communication
Resource Mobilisation Communications 40%

In close collaboration with the Resource Mobilization team (Philanthropy and Institutional Partnerships), the Communications Officer will:
Develop and produce donor-friendly communication materials that ensure consistent messaging and branding across all platforms.
Implement email marketing campaigns to foster donor engagement and enhance visibility with Tostan’s partners.
Develop and execute communication plans for resource development events and fundraising campaigns.
Ensure the timely delivery of communication materials and donor visibility products in line with commitments made to donors within funded projects.
Monitor news and external developments to identify opportunities for strategic communication and donor engagement.
Digital Communications 60%

The Communications Officer will:

Lead the implementation of Tostan’s digital communication strategy, with a strong focus on social media management to increase engagement with Tostan’s online community.
Oversee the production and distribution of Tostan’s quarterly newsletters, ensuring engaging and donor-relevant content.
Create compelling and impactful digital content tailored to diverse audiences, including donors, institutional partners, and the general public.
Regularly update and maintain the Tostan website, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with organizational priorities.
Produce a variety of external communication materials including blog posts, press releases, official statements, and other content aimed at strengthening Tostan’s engagement with donors, institutional partners, and key stakeholders.
Key relationships

Direct line Manager: Head of Communications
Peer (within the Partnerships department) : Institutional Partnerships Officer, Project Officer
Localisation : Thiès. Senegal

Key Qualifications Skills, Education, and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Master’s degree, or similar advanced degree in relevant discipline preferred
More than five years communications experience;
Experience working in a development context and/or social sector organization
Professional experience using and leading others on key communications technology tools such as web-based project and content management systems, social media tools as well as search engine optimization
Characteristics

Ability to build relationships and work effectively within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
Expertise using and overseeing the production of websites, online communities, videos, webinars, infographics and other multimedia web content
Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication and presentation skills
Ability to quickly distill complex concepts into interesting and digestible pieces
Passionate belief in and commitment to Tostan’s mission to empower African communities to bring about sustainable development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights
Ability to work in a collaborative, co-creative team, bringing value to the team’s outcomes
Language

High levels of English
French as a minimum
Other languages that Tostan works in would be an advantage – especially Wolof or Portuguese
Start date: August 1st 2025

Our team is made up of people who strongly believe in Tostan’s mission to empower communities to develop and realize their vision for the future and inspire large-scale movements towards dignity for all.

How to apply

Send your resume, cover letter, and scans of your diploma and certificate of education and training by email.

Please send an email with » CO2025 » quoted in the subject line. We will accept applications until June 15th, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered.