Regional Content Manager

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Position Status: Full-time

Salary Level: TO BE DISCUSSED

Risk Level: X Level 3       ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 35 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

The Program / Department / Team

The Global Communications Team elevates Mercy Corps’ global profile and influence through powerful storytelling and strategic media engagement. We are a nimble, globally connected team dedicated to amplifying Mercy Corps’ impact and inspiring action from donors, partners, policymakers, and the public. We raise visibility and credibility for Mercy Corps across top-tier international, regional, and other media platforms, positioning our leaders and experts as trusted voices in a rapidly evolving global landscape. We anticipate moments that matter and ensure Mercy Corps’ voice is heard, our expertise recognized, and our programs and impact understood.

The Global Communications Team sits within the Philanthropic Growth & Engagement (PG&E) Department. The mission of the Philanthropic Growth & Engagement (PG&E) Department is to advance Mercy Corps' mission by raising impactful and flexible funds—with a focus on growing unrestricted fundraising—from individuals, companies, and foundations, and elevating our global profile and influence. Our team brings together private fundraising professionals, marketing and communications specialists, development operations experts, and digital platform managers. Together, we boldly share Mercy Corps' global impact with our audiences through best-in-class storytelling with a focus on building trust, engagement, and long-term relationships among our supporters. We work across teams to inspire philanthropic support and partnership with external audiences and build and protect Mercy Corps' reputation and profile. Most of all, we are passionate about Mercy Corps' mission and believe a better world is possible.

The Position

The Regional Content Manager will serve as Mercy Corps’ primary content and storytelling lead for Africa, helping bring the brand to life through compelling, community-centered narratives and multimedia content. Embedded within the region, this role will identify, capture, and produce high-quality stories, photography, video, and digital-first content that support fundraising, marketing, communications, media engagement, and brand awareness objectives. Working closely with country teams, regional leadership, and global communications and fundraising teams, the Regional Content Manager will build and manage a steady pipeline of timely, impactful content; strengthen storytelling capacity across the region; and ensure Mercy Corps is able to respond quickly to emerging opportunities and crises. This role is a critical investment in expanding the volume, quality, and strategic value of field-based storytelling to secure timely media coverage, engage supporters, reach new audiences, and support long-term unrestricted revenue growth.

Essential Responsibilities

CONTENT STRATEGY & PLANNING

• Develop and execute a regional content strategy aligned with organizational priorities, fundraising objectives, media opportunities, and the Prosper Global brand.

• Proactively identify and cultivate storytelling opportunities across country programs, campaigns, emergencies, and strategic initiatives.

• Build and manage a regional content pipeline that supports Marketing, Communications, Fundraising, Media, and Donor Engagement teams.

• Collaborate with global communications, marketing, fundraising, and creative teams to anticipate content needs and prioritize content collection efforts.

• Support content planning and deployment for major organizational moments, campaigns, emergencies, and brand initiatives.

CONTENT CREATION & STORYTELLING

• Lead the collection and production of high-quality multimedia content across the region, including photography, video, written stories, interviews, and social-first content.

• Capture timely and compelling stories that elevate community voices and demonstrate program impact.

• Produce platform-appropriate content for digital, social, fundraising, donor engagement, media, and brand awareness efforts.

• Manage freelance photographers, videographers, writers, and content creators as needed.

• Ensure all content meets organizational standards for quality, ethics, consent, safeguarding, and brand alignment.

REGIONAL CONTENT PIPELINE & SUPPORT

• Serve as the primary regional focal point for content requests and content gathering efforts.

• Coordinate with country teams to identify content opportunities, secure access, obtain permissions, and facilitate field visits.

• Support global photography, media, and creative projects through advance planning, logistics coordination, and on-the-ground content support.

• Respond rapidly to emerging crises and opportunities requiring real-time storytelling and content capture.

• Maintain and organize regional content assets for use across organizational channels.

CAPACITY BUILDING & COMMUNITY STORYTELLING

• Train and coach country teams to identify compelling stories and generate high-quality user-generated content (UGC).

• Build storytelling capacity among program teams, communications focal points, and local partners.

• Promote community-centered storytelling approaches that elevate dignity, agency, and local leadership.

• Develop tools, guidance, and best practices to strengthen content generation across the region.

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

• Partner closely with Marketing, Fundraising, Media Relations, Brand, and Creative teams to maximize the impact of regional content assets.

• Contribute to donor communications, campaign development, media engagement, and thought leadership initiatives.

• Support efforts to measure content performance and continuously improve storytelling effectiveness and audience engagement.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.

• Practices the values of Mercy Corps, including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.

• Ensures storytelling, photography, video, and content gathering activities adhere to organizational safeguarding, consent, and ethical storytelling standards.

• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms such as the Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Manager, Africa Communications & Media

Works Directly With: Global Communications Team, Country and Regional Teams, Philanthropic Growth & Engagement Team including but not limited to the Creative and Marketing teams, and External Content Consultants and Freelancers as needed.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholder

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Media Production, International Development, or related field preferred.

• 5+ years of professional experience in communications, journalism, content production, storytelling, digital media, or related field.

• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality multimedia content, including video, photography, and written storytelling.

• Strong interviewing, writing, editing, and storytelling skills.

• Experience working in complex international environments, preferably in humanitarian or development contexts.

• Experience managing freelancers, vendors, or creative projects.

• Understanding of social media, digital content strategy, audience engagement, and content performance metrics.

• Ability to travel frequently within the region, including to remote and challenging operating environments.

• Experience with photography, video production, editing software, and digital content management systems preferred.

Success Factors

The successful candidate is a proactive storyteller who can identify compelling narratives, build trusted relationships across diverse teams, and translate complex programs into engaging, audience-centered content, including for media engagement. They are highly collaborative, organized, and comfortable operating in fast-moving environments where priorities shift quickly. They demonstrate strong editorial judgment, creativity, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to ethical storytelling. Success in this role requires balancing strategic thinking with hands-on content production while consistently elevating community voices, supporting organizational growth objectives, and helping bring the Prosper Global brand to life through authentic, impactful storytelling.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Nairobi and it requires up to 40% travel which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).