Country: South Africa
Closing date: 01 Feb 2019
Project Background:
USAID’s Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) project is a five-year initiative implemented by DAI that supports regional integration, economic growth and food security through enhanced trade and investment. The delivery of targeted assistance under this contract will help Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member states, the private sector, and civil society organizations strengthen regional and global trade linkages and business practices, building opportunities to increase exports to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). USAID’s enterprise-led development and private sector engagement policy are central to the Hub’s work to promote prosperity for U.S. and African companies and economies.
Objectives and Duties:
The Director of Strategic Communications will oversee the Hub’s communication strategy portfolio and provide leadership and day‐to‐day management of the Hub’s strategic communications, reporting, knowledge management, and outreach to inform the Hub’s stakeholders, beneficiaries and partners.
The Director will develop, lead and operationalize an integrated regional communications strategy, including engagement with project stakeholders, to support the successful management of the Hub’s strategic relationships. S/he will ensure external communications and information platforms comply with USAID branding and contractual requirements and that the project team generates relevant, value-added information products, based on data gathering, lessons learned and best practices to support a learning agenda.
The Director of Strategic Communications will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following detailed tasks:
Strategy
- Develop the Hub’s Communication Strategy across components within the SADC member countries to ensure communication of an integrated regional strategy, including engagement with project stakeholders (e.g., national government staff, business and trade associations, and other private sector partners). Conduct stakeholder mapping exercises.
External Relations
- Provide input and management (as needed) in the quality delivery of regional and country-level initiatives and activities, including ceremonies, openings, trade shows/fairs, forums, and other high-visibility events.
- Represent the Hub at large-scale events and meetings as required and liaise with relevant stakeholders, including institutional and private sector partners, to increase visibility and maximize coordination.
Liaise with Hub stakeholders, including institutional and private sector partners, to increase visibility and maximize coordination.
Coordinate the Hub’s response to on-demand information requested by USAID or other stakeholders.
Reporting and Content Development
- Integrate, edit, and finalize Hub communications products, including draft written materials, fact sheets, success stories, press releases, and regular reporting requirements (USAID weekly, quarterly, annual reports, etc.).
- Oversee Hub deliverables for reporting, including establishing Hub reporting schedules and drafting reporting templates.
- Work with staff to develop and produce communications, knowledge management and outreach materials. Collect and organize data and information from the relevant programmatic teams on progress of project activities and service delivery.
- Develop website and social media platforms, for internal and external communications. Oversee content development for the project’s website in coordination with the IT team.
- Develop innovative communication products to inform and engage the Hub’s diverse set of stakeholders across the SADC region, including institutional and private sector partners. Products include a comprehensive suite of communications/information materials complementary to those utilized by the East Africa Trade and Investment Hub.
- Monitor press coverage—including news wires, local newspapers, television and radio. Serve as the point of contact for local media inquiries.
- Provide quality assurance on USAID branding and marking.
Knowledge Management (KM)
- Operationalize the Hub communications and KM strategy, including proactive development and dissemination of communications and knowledge management materials to actively engage stakeholders.
- Lead project-wide initiatives to foster continual collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA) of the KM strategy to ensure quality and improvement.
- Identify high-value secondary source materials related to Hub work and distill those into usable forms for wider dissemination and internal use.
- Oversee the management and storage of all documents in DAI’s management information system (TAMIS) and as appropriate, on the Hub website.
- Be a thought leader – contribute to program design, suggest resources, and ensure that gender, communications, and M&E feature prominently in all project activities and strategies.
- Recommend and oversee implementation of additional methods of identifying and assessing program impact. Participate in the design and implementation of critical learning tools.
Qualifications:
- At least five years of relevant work experience;
- Proven experience contributing to the design and implementation of government (local or national) communications and strategies;
- Experience in large and complex USAID regional programming in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably Southern Africa;
- Experience working with private sector associations and companies;
- Direct USAID project management and USG client relations experience;
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated expertise in forging and cultivating solid partnerships, both horizontally and vertically, across various internal and external constituents and groups; and
- A graduate degree in a relevant discipline such as public relations, mass communications, public policy, or journalism.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- The Director of Strategic Communications will assemble and supervise a communications team as well as short-term technical consultants or sub-contractors contributing to the communications and knowledge management strategies on the project, such as graphic designers, videographers, etc.
Place of Performance and Reporting:
The Strategic Communications Director will be based in Pretoria, South Africa and report to the Chief of Party.
How to apply:
Please click the link below to apply for this job posting:
https://chm.tbe.taleo.net/chm04/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=DAINC&cws=1&rid=4210