Movement Communications Specialist, Africa (Contract)

Fixed Term Contract: 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is looking for a Movement Communications Specialist, Africa (Contract), the ideal candidate is an experienced communicator, campaigner or community organizer with extensive experience connecting, convening and collaborating across Africa; someone who is passionate about bringing people together around a common cause.

Reporting to the Manager, Global Movement Communications, you will be part of the Movement Communications team and the wider Communications Department. You will help us build bridges and a shared understanding across our movement with a particular focus on the Africa region.

We are looking for an experienced communicator, campaigner or community organizer with extensive experience working across Africa.

The Movement Communications team, part of the Communications Department is uniquely skilled at bringing people together - whether through moments to celebrate or workshops to collaborate, and while working with other departments as strategic partners and problem solvers. We work to build bridges and understanding in the movement; to help people understand our mission and celebrate their role in its success.

We are looking for a person based in the Sub Saharan Africa region.

Your Responsibilities:

Connections & Dialogue: Support building connection, trust and understanding with our communities through two-way dialogue with our movement in Africa.
Deploying software: Work closely with others in the team to help deployment of product and technology features onto relevant Wikis.
Movement Pulse: Following the movement pulse, through monitoring the relevant community channels for news, incidents, and requests, and understanding the most relevant discussions.
Mapping: Help in mapping the editor communities and Wikimedia movement in the African region, with a special focus on Product and Tech engagement, users with extended rights and the communities’ needs and priorities.
Implementing insights: Help in informing the communities about the Foundation work, in alignment with recommendations from the Movement Communications Insights
Support the Movement Communications team by taking up occasional assignments for other organizational priorities as per direct report’s manager's indications.

Skills & Experience:

Excellent written English and fluency with at least one other African language would be beneficial.
Some knowledge of Wikimedia communities’ dynamics, policies, cultures, and channels.
A natural collaborator, who enjoys working with others and brings a supportive attitude to team efforts
Well organized, skilled at handling logistic tasks (scheduling, organizing, notetaking etc.), efficient and able to meet deadlines.
Ability to engage and facilitate dialogue with volunteers across a range of formats, including virtual meetings, on-wiki discussions, and in-person events.
Experience working in a multilingual and multicultural environment

Additionally we would love:

Experience of contributing to one of Wikimedia's projects.
Familiarity or direct experience with free knowledge communities, the education sector, and/or open source culture.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries*. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is US$ 76,765 to US$117,457 with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location.

*Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following:
US States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico*, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming (*US Territory or Federal District)

Countries: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya*, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore*, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Our non-US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR) and must have current work authorization in their location. (*citizens/permanent residents only)

We periodically review this list to streamline to ensure alignment with our hiring requirements.

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected] or +1 (415) 839-6885.

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