Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist

Position Title: Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist

Position Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Reports To: Project Director

Contract Term:1 year, renewable till 2030 dependent on funding and performance

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 18th March 2026

EXPECTED START DATE: As soon as possible

BACKGROUND

WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change, and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 100 staff in Canada and more than 250 staff internationally, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors, and philanthropic foundations.

In line with this mission, WUSC is implementing Pathways to Scale (P2S), a five-year, young women-focused program of the Mastercard Foundation, supported by Seedstars and local Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs).

The project aims to enhance the well-being and resilience of young rural women in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda by increasing their access to dignified and fulfilling work driven by enterprise growth, innovation, and strengthened entrepreneurial ecosystems.

P2S works through three integrated interventions:

• Technical Support: To improve access and quality of impact focused, gender lens technical support for women owned/led enterprises leading to impact on young rural women.
• Access to Finance (A2F): Increasing financial inclusion through accessible gender-responsive business finance for women-led/women-owned enterprises.
• Ecosystem Strengthening: Fostering collaboration, learning and capacitating ESOs to provide gender focused technical assistance and an enabling environment for women and youth-led enterprise growth.

As a learning-driven initiative, P2S champions continuous knowledge sharing, innovation, and cross-country collaboration to maximize its impact. Effective communication is critical to this mission, capturing lessons, amplifying success stories, fostering partner learning, and ensuring alignment with the Mastercard Foundation’s vision and values.

To strengthen this function, the P2S is seeking a Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist. In this role, the Specialist will drive the project’s learning and communications efforts, ensuring that insights, impacts and lessons are documented, shared, and applied to enhance program effectiveness and scale. Working closely with program teams, partners, the Mastercard Foundation and other stakeholders, the Specialist will transform complex information into compelling, actionable content that inspires learning, informs decision-making and program design, and amplifies the initiative’s impact on young women in rural communities.

Nature and Scope

Under the supervision of the P2S Project Director, the Specialist will lead the implementation of P2S communication strategy, while developing products that capture learning, amplify impact, and support knowledge sharing across the project. The specialist will produce high-quality communication materials, manage digital and media engagement, and ensure consistent branding across platforms. She/he will design and maintain knowledge repositories, document lessons learned and success stories, and facilitate learning events to strengthen internal collaboration. Additionally, the specialist will support donor reporting, package evidence in collaboration with M&E teams, and provide regular updates on communication and knowledge management activities to senior management

RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Communication Planning

• Lead implementation of P2S communications strategy, ensuring alignment across all project components and partners, and guide messaging, channels, and priorities.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing initiatives, capturing lessons learned and best practices.
• Provide ongoing communications support to address emerging project needs.
• Establish KPIs, track performance, analyze communication effectiveness, and adjust strategies and tactics to improve reach, engagement, and overall impact
• Ensure consistent execution of the communication strategy by guiding teams, setting standards, and integrating communication plans into program activities and organizational operations.

Content Development

• Design content for internal and external audiences, assess their communication needs, and tailor messages and engagement approaches that effectively influence, inform, or mobilize them
• Identify, develop, and fact-check content in collaboration with technical staff.
• Produce case studies, reports, videos, newsletters, brochures and other knowledge products.

Develop toolkits and templates to institutionalize communications processes.

Branding & Design

• Ensure all materials follow WUSC and Mastercard Foundation branding and visibility guidelines.
• Support graphics and video production, coordinating with service providers as needed.

Visibility & Digital Engagement

• Capture project visibility and lead quarterly impact reporting for the Mastercard Foundation.
• Manage social media channels and digital communication tools to share updates and engage stakeholders.
• Support communications for events, workshops, and training.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Provide training and guidance to staff and partners on communications, storytelling, and knowledge product development.
• Design and maintain systems and tools for capturing, organizing, and sharing knowledge across the organization.
• Conduct sessions on digital communications, brand alignment, and reporting best practices.
• Capture lessons learned, good practices, insights, and innovations for dissemination across countries.
• Facilitate internal learning, reflection, brown-bag meetings, after-action reviews and partner knowledge exchange sessions.

Reporting

• Support preparation of donor reports, annual reports, and other strategic reports and documents.
• Strengthen learning processes by collaborating with Monitoring & Evaluation teams to package and disseminate learnings and evidence.
• Track communication and knowledge management performance metrics and submit periodic progress reports.
• Lead the monthly communications check-ins with the Mastercard Foundation communications team.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in communications, knowledge management, learning functions, public relations, or media within the development/impact sector.
• Demonstrated experience leading communications for donor-funded programs, with prior engagement with the Mastercard Foundation considered an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement impactful strategic communication plans and manage branding compliance.
• Strong creative writing, storytelling, and visual communication skills.
• Experience producing and curating multimedia and digital content, including skills in using Canva and other design tools.
• Excellent coordination and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven experience producing written, visual, and digital content for diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with learning-focused development initiatives and the ability to translate and communicate complex information into practical insights.
• Experience in developing communications plans, strategies and products for programming on young women entrepreneurship, agriculture, rural development and inclusion is an asset.
• Experience working in East and Western Africa programming is an added advantage.

Competencies & Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; storytelling ability is essential.
• Strategic and analytical thinker with attention to detail.
• Proficiency in digital communication tools, social media, videography, photography and content management systems.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multi-country, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Commitment to promoting gender equity and youth empowerment.

Languages

• Complete fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.
• Proficiency in at least one additional African language from P2S implementation countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Rwanda) strongly preferred to enhance regional engagement and communication effectiveness.

WHY WORK WITH WUSC?

Join Us. Our work is important, cutting-edge, and rewarding. We encourage curiosity, innovation, and flexibility.

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference in the lives of youth around the world. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, economic opportunities and empowerment.

Here’s some of what you can expect working with us:

• 40-hour workweek, some ability to work flexible hours
• 18 days annual leave
• Free access to an e-learning platform with 350+ courses on various topics
• Get to know and exchange with people from all over the world
• Being part of a friendly, caring and enthusiastic team!

APPLICATIONS

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to hr-rh@wusc.ca.

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please note that only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.