Job Description
Job title: Copywriting and Development Manager
Work location: Lilongwe Wildlife Trust offices (central Lilongwe)
Division/department: Fundraising and communications
Job description
This role will report to, and work closely with, the Director of Development and Communications (DDC). The key objective of the job is to research, draft, and edit a range of high-quality written materials to support the fundraising and communications work of Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (LWT). Materials will include proposals, reports, and updates for a range of donors, as well as marketing copy to promote LWT’s international placement programme, and other general communications for the organisation. The role is also responsible for undertaking research to identify new donors and funding opportunities. Please note that this role will not be responsible for managing social media, website, or other digital content, although it may support this work from time to time.
Please note that this position is only open to Malawian nationals.
Context
This is an exciting opportunity to join a small but dynamic fundraising and communications team in a
high-impact organisation which strives to protect Malawi’s wildlife and wild places. LWT receives funding from a range of donors, including philanthropic trusts and foundations, major donors, and corporates. Since most of these donors are international, communications with them tend to be largely/solely in written form (e.g. reports, proposals, email updates, etc). Excellent writing skills, and a passion for writing, are therefore critical to this role. We are looking for a confident writer who is capable of creating high quality copy with minimal supervision. They will need to adapt their writing style to different audiences and for differing degrees of formality. Written materials need to bring our work to life in engaging and sometimes emotive ways, so we are looking for a creative thinker who is capable of inspiring people to support our cause through compelling storytelling.
High levels of attention to detail are another essential skill, as many donor communications rely on data, facts, and details which can be complex and nuanced. This post-holder will need to care about “the small things”. Gathering relevant information needed to write effective donor communications is another critical part of the role, so we are looking for someone who can work well internally with other colleagues and teams to source stories, facts, figures, budget information, etc. Strong skills in communication, diplomacy, and teamwork are therefore very important.
Essential duties and responsibilities
Fundraising
● Support the DDC to develop and implement an effective fundraising and communications strategy
and budget; support with inputs to wider organisational business plans and strategies.
information about our work and needs into clear, compelling written materials that speak to the
donor’s interests and objectives.
● Work closely with relevant teams across the organisation to gather necessary information for the
above materials (e.g. case studies, data, budget information, etc).
● Manage the administration, recording, and reporting of income and other donor-related
information (e.g. reporting deadlines, donor contact information, etc).
● Where necessary, improve or develop new internal tools and systems for donor management to
increase efficiency.
● Undertake targeted research to identify new donors and funding opportunities, with a focus on
trusts & foundations and major donors, and deploy creative and impactful strategies to engage
these prospects.
● Develop leads and relationships with local donors and partners, with a particular focus on securing
funding and support for Lilongwe Wildlife Centre (in addition to funding for other programmes
across the organisation).
Communications
● Support the DDC and Head of Placements to promote the international placement programme,
largely through partnerships with tour operators, universities, and other partners who market our
placements.
● Secure marketing content to promote our placement programme on the LWT website, social media,
and other platforms, including images, videos, volunteer testimonials, etc.
● Create and update additional marketing materials where needed (e.g. posters, brochures, ads).
● Explore other promotional opportunities as and when they occur (e.g. advertising, events, etc.).
● Support the DDC and Head of Placements to manage relationships with third-party partners,
ensuring that content used by partners to promote our placements is accurate and engaging.
● Support the promotion of events and experiences at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre through the
development of engaging marketing materials and content.
● Provide “back up” support for social media management when other team members are on leave
(e.g. monitoring comments and messages, ensuring that scheduled content is posted correctly).
● Support the DDC with general communications, branding, and awareness raising for the
organisation.
● Support the DDC with plans and tools for internal communications.
Miscellaneous
● Act as a ‘brand ambassador’ for LWT, upholding brand guidelines at all times.
● Be the main point of contact for general email enquiries.
Person specification
Key attributes – essential
● Undergraduate degree
● At least two years’ experience working on fundraising activities for an organisation
● Excellent copywriting skills, with an ability to tailor writing style to different audiences
● Creative thinking, with an eye for a good story and the photo or video to match
● High attention to detail for both words and numbers, and an understanding of the importance of
taking care over small details
● Proficient in Google Workspace products and Office applications
● Good project management skills – highly organised and efficient at managing different priorities
● Highly motivated self-starter, capable of working independently and taking ownership over tasks
● Confident at liaising with internal and external stakeholders, many of which are international
● High level of integrity and confidentiality
● Team player with an ability to be diplomatic, calm, and positive when working in a busy
environment
● Passionate about conservation and the environment
Key attributes – desirable
● Design skills – Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud
● Experience with contact management systems such as HubSpot or Salesforce
● Previous experience website editing, preferably through WordPress and Elementor
● Experience working with Google Drive and Google Calendar
To apply
Please send a CV (maximum of two pages) and covering letter (maximum of two pages) detailing your
suitability for the role to applications@lilongwewildlife.org no later than 9am on 14 August 2024.
Please send both documents as attachments to the email and use the job title in the email subject line.
Applications exceeding the page limits will not be considered.