The Director: Marketing and Communications leads the development and execution of an integrated marketing, branding, and communications strategy that strengthens m2m's visibility, brand identity, stakeholder engagement, advocacy influence, digital influence and profiling, and income generation efforts at both organisational and country levels.
The role is responsible for transforming and strengthening the Marketing and Communications function, ensuring that it effectively supports organisational priorities and serves as a strategic enabler of fundraising, external positioning, partnership development, and impact amplification.
The Director will:
- Lead the transformation and strategic alignment of the Marketing and Communications function.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing, digital, and communications strategy aligned to m2m's strategic objectives.
- Strengthen organisational storytelling, positioning, brand visibility, and stakeholder engagement.
- Build the capabilities, systems, structures, and processes necessary for a modern, high-performing communications function.
- Ensure marketing and communications activities contribute meaningfully to organisational sustainability, influence, and growth.
The Director serves as a key strategic partner to senior leadership and collaborates closely with the Resource Development, Government Relations, Programmes, and Country teams to ensure communications and marketing activities advance organisational objectives and priorities.
Function Transformation and Strategic Alignment
- Redefine the Marketing and Communications function and structure in collaboration with the CEO and other executive management team members.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing, digital, and communications strategy aligned to organisational priorities, growth objectives, fundraising goals, and advocacy ambitions.
- Establish the function's vision, operating model, governance framework, delivery approach, and ways of working.
- Assess and strengthen team capability, processes, systems, and resources required to deliver strategic objectives.
- Define and oversee unit roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities across the function.
- Position the Marketing and Communications function as a strategic enabler of organisational impact, income generation, brand visibility, and influence.
- Establish performance measures, reporting mechanisms, and success indicators to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of marketing and communications activities.
- Lead change management efforts associated with the evolution and strengthening of the function.
Income Growth Strategy and Support
- Develop and lead marketing strategies that support income generation and diversification objectives.
- Translate organisational income goals into targeted donor engagement, audience development, and supporter journeys.
- Develop marketing and brand approaches that support the acquisition, retention, and engagement of donors across multiple segments, including philanthropy, trusts and foundations, corporate partners, institutional donors, and governments.
- Collaborate closely with Resource Development colleagues to strengthen fundraising campaigns, donor stewardship initiatives, and donor engagement strategies.
- Identify opportunities to leverage brand visibility and communications activities to support fundraising outcomes.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders on selected campaigns and promotional initiatives that support income generation objectives.
Strategic Communications and Organisational Positioning
- Oversee the development and delivery of m2m's organisational narrative and storytelling approach, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and organisational objectives.
- Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Senior Communications Lead and broader communications team responsible for implementing communications activities.
- Advise the CEO and senior leaders on messaging, reputation management, brand positioning, and stakeholder communications.
- Ensure consistency, quality, and alignment of organisational messaging across all countries, functions, channels, and stakeholder groups.
- Lead the organisation's integrated digital strategy by developing and aligning website, social media, paid media, and email marketing initiatives to strengthen brand visibility, enhance audience engagement, optimize campaign performance, and support organizational goals through a cohesive, data-driven digital ecosystem.
- Support high-profile media, stakeholder engagement, executive communications, and thought leadership opportunities as required.
- Lead organisational preparedness and response relating to communications risks, reputational issues, and crisis communications matters.
- Ensure communication strategies effectively reflect m2m's impact, values, and strategic priorities.
Advocacy and External Influence
- Lead communications strategies that amplify organisational advocacy priorities and programme impact.
- Strengthen m2m's positioning as a trusted implementation and strategic partner to governments, multilateral organisations, donors, and other key stakeholders.
- Build organisational thought leadership and credibility across priority thematic areas.
- Strengthen media engagement and public visibility in support of organisational objectives.
- Support storytelling and communications initiatives that drive awareness, influence, partnership development, and systems change.
- Identify opportunities to elevate m2m's visibility and influence within key stakeholder networks and strategic forums.
Brand, Campaigns and Content Excellence
- Strengthen, protect, and steward a consistent global brand identity.
- Oversee the teams responsible for delivering integrated marketing, communications, fundraising, and advocacy campaigns.
- Direct the development of compelling multi-channel content across print, digital, social media, video, and other communications platforms.
- Ensure all campaigns and content align with organisational values, strategic priorities, and impact messaging.
- Oversee the effective use of digital and social platforms to strengthen audience engagement, visibility, and conversion.
- Monitor emerging trends and best practices in marketing and communications to enhance organisational effectiveness and relevance.
Team Leadership and Organisational Capability
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Marketing and Communications team.
- Provide leadership and strategic guidance to the Senior Communications Lead and broader team.
- Strengthen marketing and communications capability across the organisation through coaching, frameworks, tools, and support.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Establish team objectives and monitor performance against agreed OKRs and organisational priorities.
- Identify future capability requirements and support the continued development of the function as organisational needs evolve.
- Build strong relationships and effective collaboration across country offices and functional teams.
Minimum Qualifications
- Relevant Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Business, or a related field.
- Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline will be advantageous
Experience
- Minimum of 10 years' progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, external affairs, brand management, public relations, fundraising communications, or related fields.
- Significant experience leading and developing teams within complex organisations.
- Proven record of accomplishment in supporting income growth through marketing, communications, brand development, and audience engagement strategies.
- Experience developing and implementing organisational marketing and communications strategies.
- Demonstrated success leading organisational brand development, awareness campaigns, communications initiatives, or advocacy campaigns.
- Experience advising senior leaders on communications, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management matters.
- Experience leading organisational change, capability building, or function transformation initiatives is highly desirable.
- Experience within the non-profit, international development, public sector, or purpose-driven sectors will be advantageous
Core Competencies
- Strategic thinking and strategic execution.
- Marketing and communications leadership.
- Brand management and organisational positioning.
- Stakeholder engagement and influence.
- Fundraising and donor engagement awareness.
- Exceptional storytelling, writing, presentation, and communication skills.
- Reputation and crisis communications management.
- Data-informed decision making and performance measurement.
- Team leadership, coaching, and talent development.
- Change leadership and organisational transformation.
- Collaboration and relationship building across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Innovation, creativity, and continuous improvement
- Reports to: CEO
- Direct Reports: Senior Communications Lead
- Indirect Reports: Marketing and Communications team members
- The structure of the Marketing and Communications function and associated reporting relationships may evolve as part of the ongoing development and strengthening of the function.
- This is a full-time leadership role based at the m2m Head Office in Cape Town, South Africa.
- Local and international travel may be required from time to time to engage with donors, partners, governments, country teams, and other key stakeholders.
- The role may require participation in events, conferences, and stakeholder engagements outside normal business hours when necessary.
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
- Comprehensive employee benefits package.
- Opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and organisational impact.
- Exposure to a dynamic, mission-driven, and globally recognised African organisation
