Senior Copywriter at African Parks Network

Background

African Parks is a non-profit organisation that takes total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks is seeking a full-time Senior Copywriter within the Communications and Marketing Department to be based in Johannesburg. This position, available immediately, is an exciting opportunity to work with a unique conservation organization dedicated to protecting Africa’s wildlife and remaining wild places. African Parks is looking for a highly motivated and personable individual expert in working with press and other media and in the production of media materials. Experience working in the conservation or non-profit sector is highly desired. The primary purpose of the position is to:

• Work with the Director of Marketing and Communications (MarComms) in creating engaging and strategic content to advance African Parks’ mission
• and support the growing portfolio of parks
• Understand all functions of the MarComms division (digital, media, brand etc) and create and edit written content to support all aspects of the units’
• function
• Help to build African Parks’ and the Parks’ profile among key audiences and stakeholders in generating content that is aligned with brand and speaks to
• our key constituencies, both internal and external.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Copywriter will work closely with the Director to maintain good and strong brand alignment and management of our visual identity and overall brand; they will develop audience-specific and channel-specific content to help tell our stories of impact, ensuring for top-quality, readily available content for a variety of audiences,internal and external, under deadline.

• Draft, edit and review copy for a multitude of outputs including but not limited to: the website, factsheets, brochures, email blasts / campaigns, the CEO monthly report, daily social media, powerpoints / presentations, speaker  notes, draft speeches and or talking points, draft invitation letters, draft responses for specific inquiries, internal memos/comms
• Ensure that website / factsheets / brochures / maps and other documents are up to date
• Lead on writing the Annual Report every year
• Lead on ensuring key documents are translated in key languages and up to date
• Work closely with the Director and other key individuals in the management of crisis communications, including internal and external pre-, during-, and post-crisis strategy
• Work closely with the Director and other team members on developing and creating email campaigns both for fundraising as well as engaging content
• Develop and manage an editorial calendar for all content over the year
• Draft Op/Eds or other original content for publication (print / digital/ magazine / newspaper etc)
• Draft statements and position papers as required (ie AP’s position on hunting)
• Review materials from other divisions (Fundraising for example) to ensure for quality control and brand alignment
• Update and manage SOPs for MarComms, and ensure all division adhere to and follow brand and visual identity guidelines
• Ensure that all templates, as part of the SOP, are up to date, user-friendly, accessible, etc.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of four years’ experience in communications and marketing, preferably with experience in the non-profit sector or relevant conservation disciplines.
• Master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or conservation a
• plus.
• Fluent in English with exemplary writing and communication skills. French desired.
• Familiarity of the public relations landscape: best practices in media engagement, knowledge of audiences, outlets, writing press releases, placing Op-Eds, etc.
• Ability to communicate complex information to a variety of audiences
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects, maintain attention to detail and meet deadlines.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, especially Word and PowerPoint
• Candidate must be highly organized and motivated.
• Ability to multi-task and handle a fast-paced environment under minimal supervision, work well with a small team, goal-oriented, creative, highly flexible and adaptable to change.