Terms of Reference

Position Title: Communications and Youth Engagement Officer

Reports to: Director, Africa Youth Climate Fund

Location: Remote within Africa

Contract Type: Full-time

Remuneration: AYCF offers a competitive monthly remuneration within the range of USD 1,500– 2,000 gross, depending on experience, location, and internal equity. Final compensation will be determined in line with AYCF/GAYO policies.

Duration: 1 Year, Renewable Subject to Performance and Funding Availability

About the Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF)

Africa’s youthful population is one of the continent’s greatest assets in advancing a low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathway through initiatives that promote a just and inclusive green transition. Yet despite young people being at the forefront of climate action, innovation, advocacy, and community resilience-building, they continue to receive only a fraction of global climate finance. Less than 1% of international and local climate funding reaches youth-led organizations directly, limiting their ability to scale solutions, influence policy, and drive transformative climate action. At the same time, Africa faces disproportionate climate impacts despite contributing less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making investment in youth leadership and locally driven solutions more urgent than ever.

The Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF) is a flagship initiative of the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), established to redistribute power, resources, and decision-making to Africa’s youth climate movements. AYCF exists to address the persistent inequities in climate finance by ensuring that young African climate leaders, innovators, movements, and organizations have direct access to the resources, partnerships, and opportunities needed to scale transformative climate solutions. Through a participatory youth-for-youth grant-making model, the Fund supports entrepreneurship and innovation, movement building, research, and climate justice advocacy across Africa. AYCF serves as both a financing mechanism and a continental platform for strengthening youth leadership in climate action, resilience, and sustainable development.

AYCF envisions an Africa where young people are not merely beneficiaries of climate interventions but are recognized as decision-makers, innovators, investors, and architects of the continent’s climate-resilient future. Through resource mobilization, fostering partnerships, nurturing innovation, and amplifying youth voices, AYCF is building a new paradigm of climate finance that is accessible, equitable, and responsive to the aspirations and realities of Africa’s young people.

Purpose of the Position

The Communications and Youth Engagement Officer will coordinate and support the implementation of AYCF’s communications, youth engagement, storytelling, digital visibility, and public engagement agenda. The role will help position AYCF as a leading youth-led climate finance mechanism in Africa by amplifying youth voices, documenting grantee stories, supporting strategic communications products, and strengthening engagement with young climate leaders, partners, donors, media, and wider public audiences.

The role is responsible for shaping AYCF’s institutional voice, strengthening its brand and visibility, and ensuring that the stories, innovations, and achievements of young climate leaders are effectively communicated to diverse audiences, including young people, donors, policymakers, partners, the media, and the broader public. Through compelling storytelling, strategic communications, and digital engagement, the Officer will amplify the impact of AYCF’s investments while contributing to broader conversations on climate justice, youth leadership, and locally led climate action.

Working closely with program teams, grantees, and partners, the  Communications and Youth Engagement Officer will cultivate meaningful engagement with young people across Africa by creating platforms for dialogue, learning, collaboration, and collective action. The role will champion youth participation beyond program implementation, ensuring that young people actively influence conversations on climate finance, policy, innovation, and sustainable development while strengthening AYCF’s youth-for-youth identity.

As AYCF grows its grantmaking portfolio, the Officer will work closely with the Programs and Community Support Manager to translate program evidence, grantee experiences, learning, and impact into compelling communications products. The role will support AYCF’s public credibility by ensuring that stories, campaigns, publications, digital content, and youth engagement activities are accurate, ethical, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of young climate leaders across Africa.

AYCF’s Strategic Communications and Youth Engagement Philosophy

At the Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF), communications is more than a tool for visibility; it is a strategic instrument for shifting power, amplifying youth leadership, strengthening accountability, and transforming how climate action and climate finance are understood and experienced across Africa. Narratives about climate action in Africa are too often shaped by external actors, portraying young people as beneficiaries rather than innovators, leaders, decision-makers, and architects of climate solutions.

AYCF is committed to changing this narrative by positioning young people at the center of climate storytelling, public discourse, and decision-making. The Fund believes that strategic communications and meaningful youth engagement are fundamental to advancing climate justice, strengthening locally led action, fostering accountability, and building a vibrant movement of young climate leaders capable of influencing policy, mobilizing action, and accelerating sustainable change.

Accordingly, the Strategic Communications and Youth Engagement Officer will champion communication and engagement approaches that:

• Center youth voices, lived experiences, and leadership in all communications and public engagement.
• Amplify African-led climate solutions, innovation, research and locally led action.
• Position AYCF and its grantees as credible thought leaders and changemakers in climate finance and climate governance.
• Promote climate justice, equity, inclusion, and meaningful youth participation in climate decision-making processes.
• Challenge narratives that diminish the agency, expertise, and leadership of young people.
• Use storytelling, digital engagement, and strategic communications to inspire action, influence policy, mobilize support, and strengthen public understanding of youth-led climate solutions.
• Translate program evidence, research, and learning into compelling communication products that inform policy, practice, and investment.
• Foster collaboration, peer learning, and a sense of community among AYCF grantees, alumni, youth networks, and partners across Africa.
• Ensure that all communications uphold the highest standards of accuracy, ethical storytelling, informed consent, dignity, inclusion, and respectful representation.
• Strengthen AYCF’s visibility and reputation as Africa’s leading youth-led climate fund and a trusted platform for advancing youth leadership in climate action.

Through this approach, AYCF seeks not only to communicate its work but also to reshape narratives, elevate youth voices, strengthen collective action, and build a continent-wide movement where young Africans are recognized as equal partners in designing, financing, and delivering solutions to the climate crisis.

Key Responsibilities

The Communications and Youth Engagement Officer will work across six interconnected functional areas that strengthen AYCF’s institutional visibility, amplify youth voices, foster meaningful engagement, and position the Fund as Africa’s leading youth-led climate finance institution.

The key areas of responsibility include:

• Strategic Communications, Brand, and Institutional Positioning
• Digital Communications, Storytelling, and Content Development
• Youth Engagement, Community Building, and Movement Strengthening
• Strategic Influence, Media Relations, and Public Affairs
• Knowledge Management, Learning, and Evidence Communication
• Events, Campaigns, and Institutional Visibility

Together, these functions will ensure that AYCF effectively communicates its mission and impact, strengthens relationships with young people and strategic stakeholders, amplifies the voices of youth climate leaders, influences conversations on climate finance and climate justice, and builds a vibrant pan-African community of young changemakers driving locally led climate action.

Strategic Communications, Brand and Institutional Positioning (25%)

• Support the development and implementation of AYCF’s Strategic Communications and Youth Engagement Strategy, aligned with the organization’s Strategic Plan.
• Position AYCF as Africa’s leading youth-led climate fund through strategic communications, thought leadership, and institutional storytelling.
• Develop and implement annual communications, branding, and visibility plans that strengthen AYCF’s institutional reputation and influence.
• Ensure consistent application of AYCF’s brand identity, messaging, and communication standards across all platforms and publications.
• Provide communications support to the Director and AYCF leadership on messaging, public positioning, reputational risks, stakeholder engagement, and preparation for public-facing opportunities.
• Develop communication products that clearly articulate AYCF’s mission, values, programs, and impact to diverse audiences, including youth, donors, policymakers, partners, and the public.

Digital Communications, Storytelling and Content Development (20%)

• Lead AYCF’s digital communications strategy, ensuring an engaging and consistent presence across websites, social media platforms, newsletters, and other digital channels.
• Develop compelling multimedia content, including stories, videos, blogs, podcasts, photography, infographics, short-form social media content, and publications that showcase the impact of youth-led climate action.
• Capture, document, and amplify stories from grantees, partners, and youth climate leaders, ensuring authentic, ethical, and inclusive representation.
• Produce annual reports, newsletters, case studies, policy briefs, and other communication materials that demonstrate AYCF’s impact and thought leadership.
• Monitor digital analytics and audience engagement, using insights to continuously improve communication strategies and outreach.
• Maintain and regularly update AYCF’s website and digital resource platforms.

Youth Engagement, Community Building, and Movement Strengthening (15%)

• Design and implement AYCF’s Youth Engagement Strategy to foster meaningful participation, dialogue, and collaboration among young climate leaders across Africa.
• Coordinate engagement with AYCF grantees, alumni, youth networks, volunteers, and partners through online and in-person platforms.
• Maintain and update AYCF’s youth engagement database, mailing lists, online community platforms, and contact records to support effective communication with grantees, applicants, alumni, youth networks, and movement actors.
• Support feedback mechanisms that enable young people, applicants, grantees, and youth networks to share insights, concerns, priorities, and recommendations that inform AYCF’s communications, engagement, and program learning.
• Facilitate youth dialogues, consultations, webinars, campaigns, and learning forums that encourage participation, collaboration, and collective action.
• Strengthen and nurture a Pan-African community of young climate leaders by promoting peer exchange, solidarity, and shared learning.
• Ensure that youth voices are meaningfully reflected in AYCF’s communications, campaigns, and institutional initiatives.
• Promote inclusive engagement approaches that reach marginalized, underrepresented, and grassroots youth across the continent.

Media Relations, Public Affairs, and Influence Support (10%)

• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, media houses, digital content creators, and strategic communication partners.
• Develop and implement media engagement strategies that increase AYCF’s visibility, credibility, and influence.
• Support in preparing press releases, speeches, opinion articles, media statements, talking points, and key messages for organizational leadership.
• Monitor media coverage and public discourse on climate change, climate finance, and youth leadership, identifying opportunities for strategic engagement.
• Support advocacy initiatives by translating technical information into accessible, compelling communication materials.
• Support efforts to position AYCF, its leadership, grantees, and youth partners as trusted voices in regional and global conversations on youth-led climate action and climate finance.

Knowledge Management, Learning, and Evidence Communication (10%)

• Support the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, program innovations, grantee stories, and success stories emerging from AYCF’s grant portfolio, in collaboration with the Programs and Community Support Manager.
• Translate program evidence, research findings, and learning into accessible communication products for diverse audiences.
• Develop and maintain systems for organizing and sharing institutional knowledge and communication assets.
• Work closely with the Programs and Community Support Manager to communicate program results, learning, and impact.
• Support the publication of knowledge products that contribute to discourse on climate finance, youth leadership, and locally led climate action.

Events, Campaigns, and Institutional Visibility (10%)

• Support in planning and coordinating AYCF’s participation in national, regional, and international events, including climate conferences, youth forums, donor engagements, and policy dialogues.
• Lead the design and implementation of strategic communication campaigns that advance AYCF’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Coordinate branding, media engagement, digital coverage, and communication materials for organizational events.
• Support the Director and AYCF leadership in preparing for conferences, public speaking engagements, donor engagements, media opportunities, and high-level meetings.
• Develop post-event communication products that capture key outcomes, lessons, and opportunities for continued engagement.
• Identify innovative approaches to expand AYCF’s visibility, influence, and engagement across Africa and globally.

Innovation, Learning and Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Champion innovation in strategic communications, digital engagement, and youth participation.
• Build communication capacity across the organization by supporting staff and grantees to communicate their work effectively and ethically.
• Foster collaboration across Programs, Grants & Operations, Finance, and external partners to ensure integrated communication and engagement.
• Monitor emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in communications and youth engagement, recommending improvements where appropriate.
• Contribute to organizational planning, annual work planning, institutional development, and the development of communications products that support donor engagement and resource mobilization.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Director that are consistent with the responsibilities of the role and contribute to AYCF’s mission.

Person Specification

Education and Professional Qualifications

Essential

• A bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Development Communication, Media Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Development Studies, Marketing, Digital Media, or a related field.
• A master’s degree in a relevant field will be an added advantage but is not required.
• Professional training or certification in strategic communications, digital marketing, public relations, media production, graphic design, multimedia production, storytelling, youth engagement, or knowledge management will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated practical experience in communications, digital engagement, storytelling, media, youth engagement, or campaign coordination may be considered alongside formal qualifications.

Professional Experience

Essential

• At least three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public relations, media, youth engagement, advocacy, knowledge management, or stakeholder engagement within the development, philanthropy, climate, or non-profit sectors.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic communication and visibility strategies for organizations, programs, or campaigns.
• Proven experience managing digital communication platforms, including websites, social media, newsletters, and multimedia content.
• Experience producing high-quality communication products, including reports, policy briefs, newsletters, blogs, speeches, media statements, and digital publications.
• Demonstrated experience planning and implementing communication campaigns that influence public awareness, stakeholder engagement, or policy dialogue.
• Experience organizing events, conferences, webinars, public forums, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Demonstrated experience engaging youth-led organizations, youth networks, communities, volunteers, or movement actors through online and offline platforms.
• Experience working with media practitioners and developing relationships with journalists, communication partners, and influencers.
• Strong storytelling and content development skills, with practical ability to coordinate or produce basic photography, videography, graphics, or short-form digital content for traditional and digital platforms.

Desirable

• Experience working with youth-led organizations, African youth climate movements, youth advocacy spaces, or climate justice networks.
• Experience communicating climate change, climate finance, environmental sustainability, biodiversity, or development issues.
• Experience supporting advocacy, policy engagement, or public awareness campaigns.
• Experience working across multiple African countries or within regional organizations.
• Working proficiency in French, Arabic, Portuguese, or another widely used African language, in addition to English, will be an added advantage.
• Experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM), email marketing, content management systems, or digital analytics platforms

Technical Competencies

Strategic Communications and Brand Management

• Strong understanding of strategic communications, institutional branding, and reputation management.
• Ability to develop communication strategies that support organizational objectives and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience managing organizational identity and ensuring consistent messaging across communication platforms.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills with exceptional attention to detail.

Digital Communications and Multimedia

• Strong knowledge of digital communication trends, social media management, and online audience engagement.
• Proficiency in developing multimedia content, including photography, videography, graphics, podcasts, and short-form video.
• Experience managing websites and content management systems.
• Ability to analyze communication performance using digital analytics and translate insights into improved communication strategies.

Youth Engagement and Stakeholder Relations

• Strong understanding of meaningful youth participation, community engagement, and movement building.
• Ability to facilitate dialogue, consultations, learning events, and collaborative platforms for young people.
• Excellent networking and relationship management skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with multicultural and multilingual audiences.

Knowledge Management and Storytelling

• Ability to translate technical information, research, and program evidence into accessible and compelling communication products.
• Experience documenting lessons learned, success stories, and organizational knowledge.
• Strong skills in interviewing, storytelling, and content development.

Core Competencies and Skills

Strategic Thinking

• Ability to align communications and youth engagement initiatives with organizational priorities and long-term strategic objectives.
• Ability to identify emerging communication opportunities and respond effectively to reputational risks.

Creativity and Innovation

• Demonstrated creativity in developing engaging communication products and campaigns.
• Ability to identify and apply innovative communication tools, technologies, and engagement approaches.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build productive relationships across diverse audiences.
• Confidence in representing the organization in public forums and media engagements.

Planning and Organization

• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple communication products, campaigns, and events simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Close attention to detail and commitment to quality.

Digital Literacy

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace.
• Proficiency in Canva and familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite or equivalent graphic design, video editing, and multimedia tools.
• Experience with website content management platforms, email marketing systems, social media scheduling tools, online community platforms, and digital analytics tools is highly desirable.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Passion for youth leadership, climate justice, and locally led development.
• A strong commitment to ethical storytelling and the responsible representation of individuals and communities.
• Creativity, initiative, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Excellent judgment, professionalism, and integrity.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills.
• Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work effectively across diverse African contexts.
• Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and meaningful youth participation.
• Enthusiasm for building a vibrant pan-African community of young climate leaders and amplifying their voices on regional and global platforms.

Equal Opportunity Statement

AYCF is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from young professionals, women, persons with disabilities, and individuals from underrepresented communities across Africa. Recruitment and selection decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and alignment with AYCF’s values and mission.

How to Apply

1. Prepare your application package, which should consist of a one-page cover letter stating your interest in the role and highlighting your relevant achievements, along with a recent CV, all merged into a single PDF.
2. Ensure that your application package is accessible and does not exceed 10 MB.
3. Access the application form at: https://forms.gle/zQAttbu9yPuR8zre8. Be sure to complete the form in full with accurate information before submitting.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline: Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10:00 P.M. GMT