Origination Marketing & PR Lead at British International Investment

British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution, owned by the UK Government. We invest with the aim of solving the biggest global development challenges by investing patient, flexible capital to support private sector growth and innovation.
We have over 70 years of experience successfully supporting the sustainable, long-term growth of businesses in Africa and Asia, and have recently expanded to invest in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean.

We invest to achieve impact and a financial return which is then reinvested for more impact. Over the past five years, we have committed almost £7 billion of new investments, with our net assets growing in value to approximately £7.5 billion. We are now invested in 1,200 businesses which directly employ over 900,000 workers and support many more. Over the next five years, we plan to grow further, and aim to commit around £9 billion of new investments over the period.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Origination Marketing & PR Lead

Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Employment Type: Permanent
Division: General Counsel and External Relations

About the Communications Team

• Led out of London, the Communications Team undertakes proactive communications, to enhance the reputation of BII and to support its work across Africa, Asia and in the UK.
• The Team has four clear functions: external communications; origination marketing and PR (OMPR); internal engagement and global affairs.
• BII provides multiple and different investment solutions (equity, debt, structured instruments, guarantees or trade finance) to meet our investees’ needs flexibly. We also help businesses to generate additional commercial value while strengthening their environmental and social support credentials.
• The organisation works across a range of fascinating global development issues; it is at the forefront of gender, climate, ESG and impact strategies – this ambition is reflected within our communications style.
• The investment teams require professional marketing and PR support in Africa to help raise our profile and mission with potential investees and the wider industry. This includes thinking creatively about how to reach audiences across African markets and through the creation and promotion of marketing materials, media outreach, digital campaigns and intimate events.
• Our digital marketing approach is currently nascent. Therefore, the successful candidate will be comfortable with developing and executing high quality digital campaigns.
• As British International Investment is wholly owned by the UK Government, this role also will involve some interaction with local UK Government communications leads, particularly around investment announcements, portfolio milestones and Ministerial visits.

About the Role
Background and Purpose

• The OMPR Lead will be based in one of our leading investment markets in Africa – Nigeria (Lagos) or Kenya (Nairobi)
• Our investment portfolio in Africa is over $4.2bn spanning 600+ businesses. We intend to invest up to $2.5bn per annum over the next five years within key markets across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
• Local on-the-ground communications support is required to help in achieving our origination and investment objectives and ultimately to deliver on this commitment.
• This exciting new role will act as an extension to the activities launched by the London Communications Team, but with the independence to generate and execute projects across Africa when appropriate.
• The purpose of the role is to proactively support BII’s media, marketing and event strategies in country and across Africa. The right candidate will have experience in implementing media campaigns, confidence in liaising with high level (internal and external) stakeholders including our shareholder (the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), and proficient content writing and marketing skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute BII’s investment marketing and PR activities in Africa to continue to build our profile across the continent as an ambitious impact investor.

Media:

• Develop and execute a proactive Africa media engagement plan, working closely with the Communications Team in London. This includes conducting media outreach, drafting media materials (press releases, Q&As, briefing docs etc), spotting news flow opportunities and preparation of media briefing meetings.
• Act as main point of contact with journalists in Africa and assist in the building and management of beneficial media relationships.
• Seek out opportunities to engage with the media to promote BII as a DFI and successful impact investor.
• Work closely with our Africa communications agency to roll out our continent-wide campaigns
• Proactively engage with the BII team in Africa to seek out content stories about BII and our portfolio.
• Regularly update the London team (and where appropriate the FCDO) on media activity.

Events:

• Work with our Events and Conferencing Lead to identify leading investment, sector and development events in Africa that BII should be involved in; and support in the creation and management of BII hosted events.
• Identify and coordinate event and podcast speaking opportunities in Africa for our investment and in market teams.
• Lead in preparing the BII Africa team and visiting colleagues for event appearances such as drafting briefing notes and welcome speeches.

Digital marketing:

• Create and execute engaging and high impact digital marketing campaigns to underscore our origination efforts in Africa.
• Build and maintain our origination database in Africa, ensuring we have accurate and up to date information for our CRM platform and email marketing campaigns.
• Create, edit and manage creative and engaging campaigns and content for digital channels (including social media). This includes producing visual materials, video content, audio content, and written materials.
• Keep abreast of digital marketing trends and best practice to determine the most effective channels to reach our target audiences in Africa / recommend how we can apply new and relevant trends to our digital strategy for the region.

Marketing materials:

• Work with our investment data and analytics teams to gather statistics and data to shape our marketing materials.
• Support individual investment teams to develop and deliver their marketing activities e.g. PowerPoint pitchbooks aimed at a business audience; short films, brochures, emailers etc.
• Write creative and engaging content for origination marketing channels – including media and print communications.
• Build and maintain relationships with press office teams in local FCDO offices, ensuring relevant information is appropriately shared.
• Be the point of contact for the local Africa BII team in their communications requests and liaise directly with the Communications Team in London.
• Develop origination marketing and PR plans for projects, as required
• Undertake any other projects as required by the Head of Origination Marketing and PR.

The Candidate
Background

• Educated to a Degree level or the ability to demonstrate equivalent level of knowledge and experience in marketing and communications (8+ years).
• Proven experience of successfully operating in a communication and/or marketing role; leading media outreach, event planning and content generation.
• Experience of working with national and regional media in Africa; a thorough understanding of how the media works and helpful if they bring journalist relationships.
• Good collaborative skills – enthusiastic about listening, learning and working as part of a team, including other communications disciplines.
• Proven track record of working successfully across functions and/or businesses.
• Willingness to undertake occasional travel inside and outside Africa.
• We are looking for a good communications all-rounder, who is a bright and creative team player and can contribute to our busy and high-performing team.
• Experience in finance, investing or private equity communications is important; international development or investing for impact/ ESG communications is highly desirable.
• Alongside all of this we are looking for someone who cares about our mission and will be able to relay the passion that we all feel for what we do.
• This is the team’s only Communications team member physically located in Africa, so the successful candidate will be comfortable working with a remote team and in building relationships with other BII colleagues located in our Africa offices.

Essential:

• Excellent management and organisation skills (highly organised and can manage/adapt to competing priorities).
• Confidence and flair to develop and successfully manage projects independently (with a ‘can do attitude that strives for excellence).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, particularly in building networks internally, externally and virtually.
• Meticulous planner who is results driven, with exceptional attention to detail and an eye for accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills – able to avoid jargon and write concisely and with clarity.
• Proficient using social media with experience of digital community management and engagement.
• Knowledge of digital analytics tools, e.g. Google Analytics.
• Experience of video editing, including knowledge of Adobe PremierPro, or similar.
• CRM experience, preferably with knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics.
• Proficient in Microsoft packages particularly SharePoint and PowerPoint.
• Agency management experience.

Personal skills:

• Collaborative – this role will involve working across the Communications Team and with people across our organisation, including senior members of staff.
• Open to giving and receiving feedback.
• Energetic style and can-do attitude.
• Confident and enthusiastic.

Our cultural values:

• We look for team members who aspire, as we do, to work at our best and to be:
• Impact-led, commercially rigorous.
• Tenacious in the face of challenges.
• Collaborative and caring.
• BII is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Further Job Information

• Mix of remote and in-office working.
• Full time role (5 days a week – Monday to Friday).
• Candidate may be expected to work in London with the Communications Team for the first six weeks of starting the role and as part of the onboarding process.
• Salary: Competitive with benefits.

Deadline: 16th August, 2022.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online