Communications Officer, Nairobi

Bridge has done what many people thought was impossible. We have given families living in poverty access to the high-quality education that will allow their children to have a better life. Our success is greatly due to our customer-centric approach, which informs our policies as much as it does our marketing and communications – which are growing greater and greater as we scale. We need your help to ensure that all of our communications are consistent: straightforward but empathetic, warm but professional, and aspirational, but inclusive.

This is an incredibly exciting position for someone interested in social impact, communications, and helping the “fastest growing company in Kenya” grow even faster! Your work will focus on parent communications – helping with copy for advertising, developing talking points and scripts for Parent Meetings, writing mass SMSs, Robocall scripts, Customer Care surveys and scripts, parent newsletters, and more. You will also write for academy staff, collaborating with our Academics, Operations, and HR teams on daily messages to staff; letters, SMS, and Robocalls; and talking points for Academy Managers and regional managers for difficult conversations as well as new news. You will own the calendar for all of the messaging going out to our key stakeholders, ensuring everyone is informed without bombarding them with messaging. You will also report on news stories related to Bridge/education, help with social media as well as occasional press events, work on the company newsletter, and participate in communications trainings for Operations staff, as needed.

This is an entry-level position; recent graduates welcome! A love of the customers we serve – families living on less than $2 a day per person as well as our academy staff, which come from the same communities – is required. Likewise, you must have impeccable writing and editing skills. Native Kiswahili speakers are preferred; additional Kenyan languages are a major plus. Kindly include links to your social media accounts plus 2-3 writing samples (up to 500 words each) along with your cover letter. This position will report to the Marketing Director, Kenya, also working closely with the Operations team. It is based in Nairobi.

Who should apply

• Detailed doers – You have a track record of getting things done. You're organized and responsive. You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done. You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details. Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company.
• Creative problem-solvers – Bridge is still a start-up: hands-on and scrappy. You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand, which may be less than you're used to. Every dollar you spend is a dollar our customers, who live on less than $2 a day, will have to pay for.
• Customer advocates – Our customers – these families living on less than $2 a day per person – never leave your mind. You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future). You would never shrink back from shaking a parent's hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like. Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• Life-long learners – You believe you can always do better. You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others. You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you've missed things or failed today.

Who shouldn't apply

• 9-to-5ers – If you like the comforts of an office job – be it short and consistent hours, you won't like it here. Hours are long, there are no freebies, and you're going to spend most of your time in the field.
• Narcissists – If you've ever finished the statement, “I didn't go to university to ______,” you won't like it here. Your degree, age, lineage, and past experience don't matter. Only your current output, and how it benefits our customers, does.
• Hand-holders – We love teamwork, but sometimes we get busy. You need to work well independently and have the self-motivation to never slow down. Of course, you'll be very responsive and constantly update us on your status.

About Bridge

Bridge International Academies is the world's largest chain of primary and pre-primary schools. We democratize the right to succeed by giving families living in poverty accesss to the high-quality education that will allow their children to live a very different life. We leverage experts, data, and technology in order to standardize and scale every aspect of quality education delivery, from how and where academies are built to how teachers are selected and trained, and how lessons are delivered and monitored for improvement. We are vertically-integrated, tech-enabled, and on our way to profitability.