Communications Officer
Communications OfficerPosition Description
Job Title: Communications Officer - Breakthrough ACTIONDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Reports To: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)
Location: Kinshasa, DRC
Project Description: Breakthrough ACTION is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to lead their social behavior change (SBC) programming around the world. Breakthrough ACTION is a partnership led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) in collaboration with Save the Children, ThinkPlace, ideas42, Camber Collective, International Center for Research on Women, and Viamo. The project works in partnership with governments, civil society and communities to implement creative and sustainable SBC programming, nurture SBC champions, mainstream new techniques and technologies and advocate for strategic and sustained investment in SBC.
The long-term goal of Breakthrough ACTION DRC is to contribute to an increase in the practice of priority individual and household level behaviors in the health topics of malaria; maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition; family planning and reproductive health; while increasing the capacity of national and sub-national entities to coordinate and oversee quality SBC programming. Breakthrough ACTION DRC will design and test various SBC interventions to be applied and scaled by the USAID Integrated Health Project (IHP), ACCELERE and other implementing partners.
Major Responsibilities
The Communications Officer will lead all communications and knowledge management efforts in support of the mission and objectives of the Breakthrough ACTION DRC project. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Duties:
- Produce high-impact original content including website content, newsletters, social media (Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp) posts, blog entries and marketing materials such as success stories, briefs, fact sheets, presentations, and media kits.
- Manage the publication and dissemination of key Breakthrough ACTION DRCdocuments, including toolkits, manuals, and reports.
- Proactively identify opportunities to profile and promote the Breakthrough ACTION project in relevant print and web-based media.
- Assess the impact of Breakthrough ACTION DRC by tracking communication metrics across multiple channels (including digital, new media, web, and traditional media).
- Monitor media trends and track news content and publications as they relate to Breakthrough ACTIONDRC and project focus areas.
- Cultivate relationships with influential media outlets, reporters, bloggers and journalists (print and web).
- Plan and support Breakthrough ACTION DRC events including brownbags, open houses, and any public events, such as international health days.
- Track and manage communications-related budget and expenses.
- Manage relationships with web developers, photographers, designers, editors, printers and other vendors.
- Work collaboratively with Breakthrough ACTION Headquarters to ensure maximum visibility for the project and ensure the project is appropriately positioned.
- Liaise with communications and program staff working on other Breakthrough ACTION DRC country projects in order to share best practices, lessons learned, and to pursue cross-promotion when appropriate.
- Support other Breakthrough ACTION communications needs as they arise.
Qualifications:
- BA with minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in communications at a university, government, bilateral or multilateral development agency, or NGOOR an MA with 3+ years of experience in journalism, public relations, or communication.
- Strong knowledge of communication strategy, planning, and execution.
- Excellent experience and comfort using social media (Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), e-communications and other innovative tools.
- Demonstrated understanding of Social and Behavior Change (SBC) and/or international development, as well as knowledge management, learning, and networking.
- Excellent oral and written communication competencies -proven writing, editing, and presentation skills, with an ability to convey complex ideas in a creative, clear, direct, and excitingmanner.
- Outstanding ability to work collaboratively with staff, government leaders, donors, and various stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong problem solving skills and relationship-building in multinational and multi-cultural environment.
- Highly organized, attention to detail, adherence to deadlines, and works under pressure with multiple and shifting priorities.
Additional Skills:
- High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.
- Experience with design software Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and/or Photoshop required.
- French fluency required. English proficiency a plus.
How to Apply:
Please send the CV, Cover Letter, and a list of 3 professional references to BA.DRC.Jobs@gmail.com by November 29, 2019 with the subject line with the subject line ‘Communications Officer’.
