*This position is open ONLY to South Sudanese professionals. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
ABOUT RASS
USAID’s four-year (2021-2025) Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan Activity to be implemented by DAI will improve food security and community household recovery and resilience in 13 target counties, reducing long term reliance on humanitarian assistance. To achieve this ambitious aim, DAI will improve the effectiveness of local systems and strengthen the capacities of community groups to achieve gender responsive and diversified market-sensitive production; facilitate increased production of diverse nutritious foods by strengthening productivity, reducing food loss, and improving nutrition behaviours; and strengthen and expand household and community opportunities for sustainable, locally driven livelihoods. RASS will graduate communities from high integrated food security phase classifications to low IPC acute food insecurity and support a change from a focus on Humanitarian Assistance (HA) to inclusive development assistance and economic growth.
CONTEXT AND GENERAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan (RASS) technical objectives fall under three broad categories: namely Objective 1—Strengthened local systems’ and community groups’ capacities to sustain gender responsive, diversified, and market-sensitive agriculture production; Objective 2—Increased availability of, access to, and utilization of diverse, safe, and affordable diet; and Objective 3—Expanded opportunities for sustainable, locally driven. Combined, RASS portfolio comprises a diverse set of activities and approaches that require a nuanced understanding to effectively design or adapt the appropriate data collection, evidence gathering, and learning tool development to meet the objectives of the contract.
The Strategic Communications Specialist will work closely with the CLA/MEL Director and across multiple media to produce strategic documents, resources, and training resources. S/he will support with compiling MEL sections for performance reports and reporting data into DAI’s internal systems and USAID’s DIS and DEC. S/he will also support with the production of Activity marketing materials such as success stories, presentations, and two-page briefs, in collaboration with office and technical staff at DAI and with partners. S/he will advise the DAI RASS team on strategic communications strategies and develop creative ideas for storytelling and outreach that advance bureau and initiative goals. S/he will work closely with other members of the RASS Team , donor, cluster, sub-contractor, and partner organizations and public under the supervision of the CLA/MEL Director.
POSITION DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Strategic Communications Specialist will be directly responsible for overseeing the implementation of RASS activity Communications Plan and ensuring adherence to the USAID Branding Strategy and Marking Plan, which includes consistent application of USAID and DAI branding requirements. S/he will work under the supervision of a CLA/MEL Director, ensuring that all project deliverables and products are professionally edited and formatted, compliant, utilize best practice in communications and dissemination efforts, and are informed by evidence-based insights from our unique stakeholder networks. The Strategic Communications Specialist will build capacity in the team and propose creative ideas to better communicate and disseminate RASS activity collaboration, adapting and learnings. S/he will also contribute to the performance reporting process, as well as other regular and occasional reporting, working collaboratively with the other members of the CLA/MEL Team (the MEL Specialist and the SBC/GEYSI Specialist) and other RASS staff.
The following comprise main responsibilities of the Strategic Communications Specialist:
- Facilitate the development of the RASS activity communications strategy/plan and manage its implementation; work collaboratively with RASS activity engagement managers and consortium partners to brainstorm tailored communications strategies, identify communication needs, plan needed support, and build team capacity in routine tasks.
- Implement the RASS activity Branding and Marking Plan.
- Edit, format, and brand (USAID or DAI) RASS activity deliverables and key outputs; ensure compliance with the RASS activity Branding and Marking Plan for relevant products.
- Advise on creative techniques or mixed media approaches to communicating technical concepts, and enhance the design elements of RASS activity’s internal and external communications in print and digital media, including the website, social media, presentations (e.g. PowerPoint, posters/handouts), and print (e.g. Word, InDesign) publications.
- Lead in the developing/producing, use and dissemination of the following communication tools for Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan (in some cases after consultation with USAID): Press releases, Press conferences, Media interviews, Site visits, Success stories, factsheets, Beneficiary testimonials, professional photography, Public service announcements (PSAs), Radio, Videos, Webcasts, e-invitations, blast emails, or other internet activities such as social media interfaces (for example, LinkedIn).
- Facilitate and accompany RASS, DAI, donor or partner staff to Press conferences, Media interviews, Site visits, media tours of RASS project sites
- Launch and manage the RASS activity newsletter and official social media platform
- Design (or work with specialized support such as a DAI graphics designer) illustrations, infographics, and other materials to support project efforts.
- Manage content development, posting, and promotion around the RASS activity website on Agrilinks; coordinate with KDLT (entity that manages Agrilinks)
- Manage process and curate content for a regular RASS activity newsletter for key stakeholders
- Support SSLA to prepare and format contract reporting deliverables or ad hoc requests from USAID, including semi-annual report development and quarterly reporting of partnership buy-ins to Missions
- Coordinate with DAI Home Office communications team on creating RASS activity social and directly run RASS activity’s own social media when fully developed
- Manage USAID clearance process of RASS activity communications
- Develop templates for reports, tools; PPTs; etc; create, manage, and train staff on an RASS activity style guide
- Manage a CRM-style tracker for key RASS activity contacts and constituents, and support analysis and linkages to segmented communications outreach
- Design and host occasional customer / end-user feedback engagements to inform RASS activity’s choices in media, layout, and communications strategy for various products and initiatives, and enhance ultimate access, absorption, and adoption.
- Create RASS activity marketing / promotional materials
- Perform coordinating and administrative duties as needed within the Learning Team, including supporting learning event logistics
- Perform other duties as assigned by the CLA/MEL Director
A Note: This job description is not exhaustive and the staff member may be asked from time to time to perform duties over and above those described here. The staff member is also expected to maintain confidentiality of all beneficiaries and internal information at all times.
Reporting: The Strategic Communications Specialist will report to the CLA/MEL Director**
Required Qualifications
- Bachelors degree in communications, business, international development, or related discipline and at least three years of prior work experience in communications and/or knowledge management-related work.
- Strong written and oral communications skills in English; demonstrated expertise in proofreading and formatting
Proven experience facilitating Press conferences, Media interviews, Site visits and writing Success stories, factsheets, Beneficiary testimonials, professional photography, Public service announcements (PSAs), Press releases, Radio, Videos, Webcasts, e-invitations, blast emails, or other internet activities such as social media interfaces (for example, LinkedIn).
Practical experience working with teams to develop/refine and implement communication initiatives.
Experience in producing infographics and use of GIS mapping softwares
Excellent aesthetic sense combined with experience applying basic visual design skills to serve business communication objectives
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Reliability and ability to work independently and in a team environment
Strong working knowledge of adobe illustrator or spark, Canva, Coreldraw, PowerBI and PowerPoint
Experience building websites, managing official social media platforms and producing newsletters
Desired Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience using InDesign and creating simple visual aides (e.g. icons, infographics, etc) to enhance communication of key messages and the user experience with information.
- Experience with economic growth, agriculture, or finance programming within a USAID or other donor context.
- Experience contributing to design of participatory virtual events and exchanges.
- Knowledge of Arabic and any other local language
- Experience with agriculture and market systems development activity.
- One to two years of USAID-field experience in Communications or similar role.
REQUIRED ATTRITBUTES OF ALL RASS TEAM MEMBERS
- Be Flexible and Adaptive – given the pace and frequency at which conditions may change in South Sudan, team members are expected to be agile with position requirements, adapting to changing circumstances for successfully meeting the objectives of the contract.
- Be Collaborative and Inclusive –individual team members are expected to model openness to new and competing ideas, seek feedback from colleagues, demonstrate and internalize respect for diverse opinions, and proactively create safe spaces for participation in decision-making processes to ensure the views of different groups, gender, and levels of understanding and experience within systems where RASS operates are considered and incorporated into activity programming, security, and development of RASS policies and procedures.
How to apply:
To apply, please send your complete and updated CV/resume including full names, contact details (functioning email and phones) and a Motivation Letter as one single document to rass_recruitment@rassactivity.org. Your attachment must be less than 1 megabyte in size. Please DO NOT submit any other recruitment documents at this time. In the subject line, please include the Title and Location of the position for which you are applying, as advertised at the top of this announcement. Please apply electronically, DAI will not be accepting paper copies at this time. Only shortlisted candidates who meet all the minimum qualifications will be contacted. DAI will carry out reference checks and document verification for successful candidates. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2022 at 05:00PM (17:00) CAT. Kindly be reminded that DAI does NOT tolerate canvassing and will not answer questions via phone calls.**