Public Relations Officer
Who we are
Komaza is revolutionizing African forestry by unlocking the potential for small farmers to serve booming wood markets. With roots in San Francisco and headquarters in coastal Kenya, we have planted over 2 million trees with more than 6,000 farmers, making us Kenya’s largest commercial tree planter. By leveraging farmers’ contribution of land and labor, Komaza can access effectively limitless land and establish a hectare of trees for far less than big plantations – a powerful disruption to the traditional forestry model. We have been recognized with numerous awards and investments, including Forbes, Ashoka, Mulago Foundation, and Novastar Ventures.
About the team
The Komaza Farmer Relations team is a marketing and communications center explicitly devoted to our farmer-facing activities. Our core focus is helping farmers to understand who we are, what a social enterprise is, and how they can benefit from joining Komaza. From farmer enrollment to farmer payment, we are there to listen to farmers’ wants and needs, and help them understand what to expect from our partnership.
About this role
At Komaza, we believe forming deep, long-lasting relationships with our farmer communities is critical to our ability to deliver impact. As our Public Relations Officer, you will be responsible for building strong connections with local government officials and other community opinion leaders over the decade-long lifecycle of our tree farms. The ideal candidate will be an extremely effective communicator, energized by social interaction and networking in rural communities. A deep desire for ownership, hard & fast work, as well as the ability to thrive under scrappy conditions are a must.
What you will do
- Build and manage informational, consultory and collaborative relationships with government officials throughout Kilifi County.
- Understand structures and roles of county and locally-based national government bodies, and provide advice on best engagement and collaborative opportunities.
- Engage and build relationships with diverse local opinion leaders, ranging from key village elders to school headmasters and prominent community leaders.
- Attend and represent Komaza at local government events and offices, and civil society or other community-based organizations events.
- Engage local government officials during farmer enrollment and other key farmer engagement activities.
- Plan and implement community-based events
What you have
- Bachelor’s Degree preferred
- 3+ years work experience working with external stakeholders and government officials
- Passion for Komaza’s mission to lift rural farmers out of poverty through the rapid scaling of our microforestry model
- Strong familiarity with the communities where we plant; you have lived or worked in rural low-income communities
- Supreme organisational, critical thinking, and communications skills with impeccable spoken and written English
You’re also
- Flexible and scrappy with the drive to do whatever necessary to get the job done
- Self-directed and intellectually curious - you know how and when to seek feedback in the pursuit of continuous improvement
- Growth-obsessed with a strong desire for personal development
- A collaborative problem solver who seeks the opinions of other teammates and departments in the development of creative and sustainable systems
What we expect
You are a good fit for Komaza if you want to make a meaningful commitment to this role for a minimum of 2+ years. This role is based at our current headquarters in Kilifi, Kenya. The role offers competitive salary and benefits with potential for further career growth.Deadline for submissions of applications is the 15th February 2017
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, please follow this LINK
