Communications and Partnership Advisor

Terms of Reference: Communications and Partnership Advisor

1. Background

C4Impact Advisory Group (C4Impact) is a mission-driven social enterprise established to assist countries in delivering ambitious food systems development and transformation outcomes. Drawing on extensive cross-sector expertise in public policy, programme delivery, institutional strengthening, and resource mobilization, C4Impact works collaboratively with governments, development agencies, private-sector actors, and local stakeholders to co-design and execute context-specific solutions that deliver sustainable impact.

The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) is a global initiative focused on accelerating the adoption and scaling of high-impact agricultural innovations capable of improving productivity, resilience, and livelihoods for millions of smallholder farmers across low- and middle-income countries. AIM for Scale develops tailored Innovation Packages, mobilizes strategic partnerships, and facilitates investments to assist large-scale implementation of proven agricultural innovations.

C4Impact and AIM for Scale are currently collaborating to assist the scale-up of two strategic Innovation Packages across Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria:

1. Weather Forecasts for Farmers: Launched in 2024, this Innovation Package focuses on improving the generation, localization, and dissemination of timely and accurate weather forecasts to assist farmer decision-making related to crop production, climate risk management, and input utilization
2. Digital Advisory Services for Agriculture: Launched in 2025, this Innovation Package focuses on expanding access to high-quality digital agricultural advisory services that deliver farmers with timely, tailored, and actionable information on weather, agronomic practices, input recommendations, market intelligence, and climate-smart agriculture.

To assist effective implementation, stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and partnership coordination across the target countries, C4Impact seeks to recruit a highly qualified and experienced Communications and Partnerships Advisor.

1. Objective of the Assignment

As AIM for Scale and C4Impact work to scale up projects across Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, the Communications and Partnerships Advisor will guide efforts to strengthen awareness of both brands and their work, position both organizations as leading actors in the development space, and reinforce their roles as trusted partner for governments, multilateral development banks, and implementers.

The Advisor will assist project visibility, strategic positioning, media engagement, knowledge dissemination, and partnership development while strengthening engagement with governments, development partners, private-sector actors, technical stakeholders, and media across national, regional, and international platforms. The role will also assist the effective communication and scaling of innovation packages related to weather services and digital advisory systems for agriculture, particularly targeting smallholder farmers and rural agricultural ecosystems.

3.  Scope of Work

The Communications and Partnerships Advisor will assist the design and implementation of strategic communications, media engagement, stakeholder engagement, and partnership coordination activities across the programme portfolio. The role will work closely with technical teams, country stakeholders, donor partners, and service providers, and media to strengthen project visibility, promote innovation uptake, assist knowledge management, and facilitate strategic partnerships that contribute to programme impact and sustainability. A core focus of the role will be cultivating active media relationships and securing coverage across digital, print, and broadcast channels to amplify the reach and influence of both organizations.  The Advisor will further assist the positioning of C4Impact and AIM for Scale within regional and global agricultural transformation platforms while ensuring effective communication of programme achievements, lessons, and innovations to diverse audiences.

1. Key Responsibilities

4.1 Strategic communications and visibility

The Advisor will:

• create and execute a comprehensive communications and visibility strategy aligned with programme objectives;
• create annual communications plans, stakeholder engagement plans, and visibility frameworks;
• Map and segment key audiences, including governments, donors, private sector, media, development partners, and beneficiaries;
• guide the development of communication products including reports, press releases, newsletters, articles, policy briefs, success stories, presentations, and social media content;
• Simplify technical and compliance-related programme information into accessible and audience-appropriate communication materials;
• organize media engagement, public relations activities, and strategic visibility campaigns;
• assist documentation of programme achievements, lessons learned, and impact stories;
• organize project events, workshops, learning sessions, and convenings to strengthen programme visibility and stakeholder engagement;
• Ensure compliance with branding and visibility guidelines across all communication products and events;
• track communications performance indicators, media coverage, digital engagement, and stakeholder feedback and deliver periodic reports to management.

4.2 Media Engagement

The Advisor will:

• guide proactive media engagement to raise the profile of C4Impact and AIM for Scale in national, regional, and international media outlets;
• create and keep strong relationships with journalists, editors, and media houses covering development, climate, agriculture, and innovation across target countries;
• create and execute targeted media outreach strategies, including press releases, media pitches, opinion pieces, and interview opportunities for organizational spokespersons;
• track media coverage and deliver analysis and recommendations to management to inform communications strategy;
• oversee digital and social media presence, including editorial calendar development, content creation, audience engagement, and performance analytics;
• Produce compelling multimedia content including videos, infographics, podcasts, and other digital formats to amplify programme visibility;
• organize media presence at key events, including press briefings, panel sessions, and field visits;
• detect and respond to media opportunities that position C4Impact and AIM for Scale as leading voices in agricultural innovation and development.

4.3 Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

The Advisor will:

• assist strategic engagement with governments, development partners, private-sector actors, and technical institutions across the programme countries;
• Liaise with Ministries tasked with Agriculture, Meteorological Agencies, ICT institutions, Agricultural Research Institutions, and related public agencies;
• assist engagement with Agri-tech companies, digital advisory service providers, financial institutions, and private-sector partners;
• Facilitate coordination and communication between project teams, technical partners, and implementing stakeholders;
• assist co-creation processes, technical working groups, workshops, stakeholder consultations, and regional coordination meetings;
• Work closely with technical teams and service providers to assist the development and dissemination of farmer-centred weather and digital advisory messaging;
• assist resource mobilization, partnership development, and strategic networking initiatives;
• Contribute to positioning C4Impact and AIM for Scale within regional and international agricultural forums, including the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS), Agri- tech events, innovation platforms, and related engagements.

1. Expected Deliverables

The Advisor will be tasked with delivering the following:

• Comprehensive Communications and Visibility Strategy;
• Annual Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Plans;
• Communication and knowledge products produced in a timely manner;
• Periodic communication performance and visibility reports;
• Stakeholder and partnership mapping database;
• Documentation of programme achievements, lessons learned, and impact stories;
• Coordination and visibility assist for project events and engagements;
• Strategic partnership and engagement reports;
• Enhanced visibility and positioning of C4Impact and AIM for Scale initiatives across target countries and platforms.

6. Required Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate should possess:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Development Communication, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing Communication, Digital Media, International Relations, or a related field. A Master’s Degree will be an added advantage;
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, or partnership coordination within donor-funded agriculture, climate, innovation, or development programmes;
• Demonstrated experience supporting agricultural development, climate resilience, digital agriculture, or innovation programmes across Africa;
• Experience developing communication products and tailored messaging for farmers and agricultural stakeholders;
• Experience supporting large-scale communication campaigns using SMS, mobile platforms, radio, IVR systems, social media, and digital channels;
• Strong understanding of agricultural extension systems, weather advisory systems, digital agriculture ecosystems, and stakeholder coordination processes;
• Experience engaging with government institutions, development partners, private-sector actors, and regional organizations;
• Familiarity with donor-funded programme communication, reporting standards, and visibility requirements;
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills in English. Working knowledge of French will be an added advantage;
• Eligibility to work in Rwanda.

7. Required Skills and Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Excellent writing, editing, and content development skills;
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership coordination abilities;
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities;
• Knowledge management and documentation skills;
• Experience with digital communication tools and platforms;
• Event coordination and facilitation skills;
• Resource mobilization and networking capabilities;
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary and multicultural teams;
• Ability to oversee multiple assignments and work under tight deadlines.

1. Reporting and Supervision

The Communications and Partnerships Advisor will report directly to the designated Programme guide or Managing Director of C4Impact Advisory Group and will work closely with AIM for Scale technical teams, country coordinators, and programme partners. The Advisor will work in close coordination with the AIM for Scale Communications Director to ensure alignment with organizational messaging, branding, and visibility standards.

1. Duty Station and Duration

The position is a full-time role based in Kigali, Rwanda, with periodic travel across programme countries, including Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

The initial contract duration will be one-year period commencing from August 2026, with the possibility of extension subject to programme performance and availability of funding

1. Application Submission

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV);
• Cover Letter / Letter of Interest;
• Minimum of three (3) professional references.

Applications should be submitted via email with the subject line: “Communications and Partnerships Advisor” to hello@c4impactadvisory.com no later than July 27, 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.