Are you ready to use your content creation, communications, program, campaign, and event management skills to expand the impact of a pioneering social enterprise and correct the vision of millions of low-income customers so they can work, learn, stay safe, and care for their families?
VisionSpring seeks a collaborative, experienced, Regional Marketing Lead for the growing Sub-Saharan African market, currently addressing the Nigerian, Ghanian, Ugandan, Kenyan and Zambian markets and others as we grow. The Regional Marketing Lead drives in-market creative, copywriting, program materials, digital marketing, campaigns and event management. The Lead is supported by a global team of marketing and communications colleagues as well as a team of international consultants to produce omnichannel content. The Regional Marketing Lead oversees day-to-day content development, marketing operations, and co-manages amplification of the African VisionSpring voice. Audiences include current and potential individual donors; institutional donors; media outlets; corporate program partners, implementing partners, alliance members and other key stakeholders. The person in this role reports to the global senior content marketing manager in Nigeria and the African regional director, in a matrix management structure to develop and implement VisionSpring’s marketing and communications plan.
As VisionSpring builds its marketing and communications capacity, the person in this role works in close collaboration with internal stakeholders, including content, multimedia, communications, product, fundraising, programs, and sales teams across eight countries—Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia—and other markets. This position is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
About You
- You are an excellent written and verbal communicator in your local market language and English. You find joy in collaboration with team members across time zones to uncover the colorful details that bring your stories to life, even if it means working late some evenings.
- You are a doer and have a hands on approach. You demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit.
- You encounter beauty in the everyday and enjoy capturing it in photos or video.
- You are deeply curious about social enterprise models, field operations, and the experiences of partners and customers; you are an exceptional organizational ambassador.
- You shine when communicating with internal and external stakeholders, and your words inspire excitement about what we can do together.
- You have an eye for design and love generating distinctive messaging that allows mission-driven organizations to do better.
- You enjoy creating structure, have exceptional focus and follow-through, and prioritize before you act.
- You are flexible, adaptable, and thrive in environments where each day is unlike the next.
About Us
- VisionSpring is creating access to affordable eyewear, everywhere. Clear vision creates opportunities for increased learning, work, safety, civic participation, and quality of life.
- As a social enterprise, social change motivates us first. Our focus on sales and revenue targets serves and advances our mission objective—to improve livelihoods through increased productivity, and income earning potential for our low-income consumers by correcting refractive error with eyeglasses.
- We are working to transform the systemic dysfunction of an optical market that has failed to deliver eyeglasses—a 700-year-old technology—to 1.1 billion consumers in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day.
- We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries but as customers. Our customers expect a high-quality and affordable product, and they will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction.
- By selling eyeglasses, we awaken new demand and seed a viable market. By selling new eyeglasses we are able to serve four times as many people per dollar input than the alternative of donating recycled ones. To efficiently scale, we must deliver each new unit with lower cost.
- We run our business on both sales metrics and social impact measures. We use a range of organizational forms and practices to get the job done.
- We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers.
What You'll Do
Content Creation / Communications
- Work closely with the Global Senior Content Marketing Manager, the Global Communications Manager and the Global Multimedia Manager to master the visual and written production of the VisionSpring “voice.”.
- Ability to work and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Work globally with key internal stakeholders, i.e. development, sales, programs, and HR teams, to create the stakeholder omnichannel, multimedia materials they need to succeed.
- Capitalize on opportunities to teach colleagues how to create dynamic content with the VisionSpring voice.
- Prioritize and assist in delivering high-performance content including videos, social media posts, annual and quarterly content, donor communications, product and program support materials, one pagers, website collateral, briefings, newsletters, blogs, and scripts.
- Maintain VisionSpring’s brand throughout all content including appropriate use of logo, consistent look and feel, and messaging.
- Build, co-manage and coach a team of consultants to produce multimedia content for omnichannel publication.
- Oversee the management of major editorial projects including communications and multimedia projects to include contributions to annual reports, digital catalogs, and short- and long-form documentaries.
- Collaboratively manage day-to-day multimedia & communications operations creating content, editing, and contributing to the design of social media campaigns, grant proposals, and digital and print materials for programs, products, press opportunities, and publicity amplification.
- Conduct contract negotiations in tandem with supply chain of key contractors freelancers and agencies. Manage marketing and communications agencies as required.
- Help develop branding and communication strategies that increase awareness, engagement and commitment with all stakeholders (consumers, educational and health institutions, government agencies, NGOs, CSR and philanthropic investors, and VisionSpring team members). This includes:
- Traditional and online engagement, direct and database marketing, digital/social/internet branding, collateral/support materials, web site development.
- Inspire collaboration with partner organizations through compelling, evidence-based cases and messaging by using Events, PR, social media and joint marketing programs.
Program Support and Strategy Development
- Co-direct, drive, develop and execute strategic and long-term planning of the product, service and strategic communication plan for Africa, that amplifies VisionSpring’s story.
- Contribute to reports on marketing and communications metrics, as they impact programs.
- Develop and launch rapid pilot programs, designed to test end customer conversion.
- Develop insights into our two differentiated customer segments: a) B2B partners working to expand access to vision care; and b) end consumers who require eyeglasses for vision correction and earn less than $4 per day.
- Develop sales kits, introductory presentations and reporting templates to support business development with B2B partners (corporate, NGO, government agencies and health institutions).
Campaign, Event & Project Management
- Manage engagements with marketing and/or creative agencies and other outsourced support.
- Represent VisionSpring at industry forums and in peer working groups.
- Act as a marketing program manager and drive multiple projects by priority and meet subsequent milestones.
- Track record of sales enablement or demand generation.
- Partner with regional and field sales teams to execute focused, outbound B2B prospecting events, campaigns and account nurturing programs.
- Minimum of 5+ years of relevant work experience.
- Experience in cross continent global work is a must.
- Impeccable attention to detail with strong project management, organizational, and analytical skills.
- A strong ability to write copy, drive content creation, marketing program implementation, design, and events.
- Comfort with a flexible work schedule and working across multiple time zones, including some late evenings to sync with global teams.
- Experience, and a commitment to, working respectfully with a diverse team; experience collaborating with outside consultants to move projects forward.
- Demonstrated interest in social enterprise models and desire to learn how to articulate and share VisionSpring’s unique approach.
- Must meet the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity, with a demonstrated capacity for discretion and for handling sensitive information with care.
- Must be highly organized with extraordinary follow through and a strong personal sense of accountability.
- Must be legally and permanently authorized to work in Nigeria or Ghana.
- Must be able to travel, up to 10% of time, for domestic and international assignments to locations with limited infrastructure.
- You will impress us if you have any of the following: (1) Advanced degree in marketing, branding, communications, journalism, public relations, or another related field; (2) Experience working with the media (print, television, online) including the development, successful delivery, and uptake of press releases; (3) Experience working/studying across languages and cultures; (4) Experience crafting communications for social enterprises and/or nonprofits. (5) Understanding of the PR supply chain; and/or (6) Experience using marketing automation platforms.
Compensation
- Compensation is based on experience and education.
- VisionSpring provides generous benefits and generous accrued vacation time.
To Apply
- We want to know more than just what you have done. We want to know who you are. What are the passions and talents that draw you to this role?· Please update your CV/résumé to include links to your portfolio of marketing and/or communications work.
- Please apply adding a Cover Letter.
At VisionSpring, diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly aligned with our core value to advance equity. Our mission is predicated on removing a fundamental barrier to full economic and social participation—uncorrected blurry vision. The values that underpin our mission energize our commitment to a diverse and inclusive team. A diverse team also allows VisionSpring to approach problems with nuance and develop unique insights that drive an outsized positive impact in the world. We actively recruit, develop, and retain talented people from diverse backgrounds and support everyone in being exactly who they are. VisionSpring is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes people from all experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.