Senior Communications Specialist

Key Information

Work Authorization: U.S. Citizen

Security Clearance: Yes, will be required to obtain Security Clearance

Background

Since 1999, DCA has provided technical expertise and support services to USAID field offices in over 70 countries in the structuring, pricing, risk mitigation, and monitoring of over 470 credit guarantees. These guarantees have mobilized over $3.9 billion globally in private sector lending to spur economic growth and job creation. Recently established within the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3), the Office of Private Capital and Microenterprise’s (PCM) cadre of investment officers and development finance experts provide the advice, strategies, expertise, and tools that USAID Missions, Bureaus and Offices need to broker partnerships, mitigate risks, and steer private capital toward development. By accessing international and local capital markets to achieve scale and secure sustainable sources of financing, PCM helps unlock the resources needed to end extreme poverty and address some of the intractable development challenges outlined in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

Position Summary

ME&A is recruiting a Senior Communications Specialist that provides support, advice and guidance to the DCA/PCM Offices on communications strategy, outreach, and products. The position serves two primary functions: (1) provide support on mobilizing private sector resources for key Agency and Presidential priority initiatives, primarily via outreach to the private sector; and (2) provide guidance, communications insight, and recommended action in support of DCA/PCM’s strategic outreach, public affairs, and internal and external communications. The Senior Communications Specialist will provide key leadership in the ongoing development and implementation of a comprehensive communications and outreach strategy focused on the launch and uptake of DCA and PCM’s approaches both internally and externally. This will include designing, developing, and/or maintaining communications products, platforms, and materials that facilitate the awareness, accessibility, and application of knowledge and solutions related to mobilizing private capital for development.

Education Experience and Skills

Education and Experience:

The ideal candidate will have experience working in one or more of the following areas: communications, public relations, marketing, graphic design, and/or legislative and stakeholder engagement, including:

• Bachelor’s degree with 7 years of relevant experience
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders
• Event planning experience preferable

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and the ability to multi-task
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and as a part of a complex team
• Ability to prioritize effectively in an environment where prudent judgement in essential

Duties and Deliverables

The Senior Communications Specialist’s duties include, but are not limited to, providing information and data dissemination, marketing, writing thought pieces, educational training, videography, graphic design, outreach skills monitoring and evaluation, and other aspects of effective information gathering (including surveys and performance indicators) to support DCA and PCM projects and effectively communicate the impact of the overall DCA and PCM portfolios. On occasion, E3/DCA and E3/PCM may contract a communications firm to train and support DCA/PCM staff on storytelling and other tools to communicate DCA/PCM’s impact. Duties may require limited domestic or international travel. The Senior Communications Specialist core deliverables will be:

• Internal communications: Manage and implement plans to communicate with the Bureau and the broader Agency with tasker inputs/briefer management, emails/calls, as well as supporting the coordination of Agency and Inter-Agency meetings. Including the use of platforms such as MyUSAID Pages and Tibbr, and email marketing tools such as Constant Contact.
• External communications: Influencer mapping and outreach, event mapping and outreach, and occasional press and media engagement.
• Message management: Prepare talking points, speeches, and/or PowerPoint presentations and related materials for DCA/PCM and E3 senior leadership, and occasionally for the Administrator’s Office; provide support for the maintenance of internal communications planning documents (e.g., internal messaging and event calendars).
• Event and project coordination: Support DCA/PCM on event management, including pre-event logistics, on-site coordination, and related messaging and content development.
• Product management and development: Draft, edit, and /or clear written materials, including newsletters, press releases, fact sheets, blog posts, briefers, social media content, tool kits, how-to guides, sector-specific primers, video production, among other collateral. Serve as the team POC for the distribution of printed materials.
• Legislative and Political Affairs (LPA) Liaison: Coordinate with LPA on legislative and public affairs issues and press matters, including short-turnaround responses to media requests.
• Communications Strategy: Develop and coordinate implementation of communication strategy and update/revise as needed.
• Other duties and special projects as assigned.

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