Communications Specialist

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We are hiring for positions under the Global Health Training, Advisory, Support Contract (GHTASC) in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Global Health (GH). These roles deliver institutional support services in a wide range of technical areas at the junior, mid, senior, and expert levels.

We are a diverse, enthusiastic family of subject matter experts, business professionals, and practitioners who all share a common goal of providing excellent services to our government customers. If you want to work in a dynamic and fast-growing environment with highly motivated colleagues, then Credence is the right place for you!

Credence Management Solutions is seeking a Communications Specialist in support USAID’s Bureau for Global Health, Office of Infectious Disease, Emerging Threats Division (ETD). See below for more information on this exciting opportunity and apply to join Credence today!

Position Summary

The Communications Specialist will support USAID’s Global Health Security (GHS) Program, which works with partners around the world to prevent, detect and respond to emerging infectious disease threats like Ebola, Mpox, Marburg, and others.

The Communications Specialist will support GHS Program leadership and, working with the GHS Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor, will form a new communications team within the GHS Program. As a critical part of this new GHS communications team, the Communications Specialist will work with the Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor to elevate understanding and awareness of USAID’s work in global health security and pandemic preparedness and will work to ensure high-quality and consistent strategic communications from the GHS Program. They will bring new ideas for successful communications campaigns that include the use of digital media and print publications and will help increase and improve the way in which the GHS Program tells its story.

The Communications Specialist will provide communications support for the entire Global Health Security Program and support the Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor on several projects across USAID’s global health security portfolio. In that capacity, they will be tasked with collecting and maintaining a working knowledge of the successes of USAID’s GHS efforts by working with the GHS Program’s country advisors based in overseas Missions, colleagues from USAID’s Regional Bureaus (Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa), and partners that implement USAID’s global health security projects. The Communications Specialist will proactively seek out and recommend opportunities to promote USAID’s programs and successes to key audiences and stakeholders, including the media, USAID partners, and a Congressional audience. They will develop working relationships with implementing partners to maintain and elevate USAID’s visibility in the relevant topics.

The Deputy Director for USAID’s Emerging Threats Division will be the point of contact for this position, and the position will receive day-to-day technical direction from the GHS Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor. The Communications Specialist will also serve as a critical link between GHS and a large team of communicators who sit within technical health offices across the Global Health Bureau.

Responsibilities

The Communications Specialist will be able to prioritize tasks in order of importance and impending deadlines and handle several tasks that carry tight deadlines simultaneously. The individual must develop a working knowledge of USAID policies, technical work, and GHS communication needs, and develop a working relationship with USAID’s Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA).

The primary responsibilities of the Communications Specialist include:

Advance strategic internal and external communications priorities related to USAID’s Global Health Security Program.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the GHS Program’s strategic communication plan.
• Support the creation of a key message framework that communicates key GHS issues cohesively and articulates their importance to advancing USAID priorities. This will include ensuring regular updates and inclusion of all work streams within GHS.
• Actively liaise with GHS technical staff, implementing partners, and global partnerships on integrated communications to maximize collective impact.
• Contribute to materials for senior staff and political appointees, as requested.

Develop targeted communications materials to reach key audiences.

• Identify appropriate formats to reach target audiences.
• Communicate technical information clearly for domestic and international audiences.
• Prepare content for communications products in collaboration with the Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor and technical experts. Products may include fact sheets, infographics, briefs, and other documents.
• Develop and implement a distribution plan for publications, including web presence, digital and traditional media, and partner engagement.
• Travel for story collection, as needed.

Serve as the digital media focal point for the GHS Communication Team.

• Coordinate the creation, development, and dissemination of a new, regular newsletter to share program updates, highlight success stories, and elevate USAID’s GHS investments with key stakeholders.
• Prepare content for various digital platforms such as updates to GHS webpages, success stories, and photo blogs for usaid.gov. This includes ensuring all required clearances are obtained prior to posting.
• Develop and schedule approved content for Facebook and Twitter using Global Health Bureau’s social media accounts to ensure regular promotion of key messages and successes from the GHS portfolio.
• Create social media toolkits and other digital content around global advocacy days, high-level convenings, new project launches, and publication unveilings. Coordinate with external contractors on complex creative projects for social media, as needed.
• Use data and analytics to measure and report on digital communication activities and results. Pitch new ideas on digital media tactics to the GHS Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor using data-driven insights.
• Provide guidance to others on new and emerging trends and best practices, as part of a Bureau-wide social media working group.

Support USAID’s engagement in high-level convenings and events including international conferences and local Congressional events.

• Support the preparation of speeches, talking points, slide presentations, images, briefers, press releases, and pitches for a wide range of events.
• Lead the development of event-specific traditional and digital media strategies and coordinate the production of event-related collateral.
• Coordinate high-level representation from USAID at key events and provide on-the-ground staff support.
• Collaborate with partners and LPA to execute and ensure the Agency’s staff and goals are appropriately represented.
• Contribute to overall communications activities for GHS
• Maintain up-to-date working knowledge of GHS-related work at the Global Health Bureau.
• Contribute to editorial and publication production calendars, regularly liaising with the Senior Public Affairs and Strategy Advisor and technical staff to track the status of communications products under production.
• Attend regular Communications Team meetings and ensure working relationships with communications persons from other offices and bureaus.
• Support the Communications Team on relevant communications working groups for global advocacy days.

Contribute to communication quality control processes

• Review materials produced within GHS for external distribution.
• Provide copy editing support, as requested.
• Guide various communications materials through required clearance processes.
• Provide responsive branding guidance to major projects and partnerships to ensure branding and marking compliance.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 4 years, Bachelor’s and 6 years, Associate’s and 8 years, or High School and 10 years of professional experience.
• Experience delivering programs in public relations, marketing, or communications with background in digital and social media, materials development, media relations, and partnership outreach.
• Ability to translate highly technical information or concepts in ways that make them relevant and meaningful to broad audiences
• Interest in and knowledge of the intersection of public health and public policy
• Interest in and knowledge of issues related to global pandemic prevention, global health security, or emerging infectious diseases are desirable but not required.
• Professional experience with an organization or entity working in the international development or foreign policy space, including prior experience with USAID or another U.S. Government department or agency; an implementing partner; an advocacy organization, NGO, or non-profit; or relevant private sector experience.
• Requires proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Design skills (Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, etc.) are highly desirable.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from senior staff, political appointees, media, and the general public.
• Past experience developing web content, fact sheets and other communication materials.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• US. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency with the ability to obtain and maintain at minimum a facility access clearance is required.

Competencies/Performance Criterion

• Creativity: Employee takes initiative to propose new ideas/approaches, and demonstrates ability to find new and better ways to accomplish work.
• Customer Service: Handles customer questions and complaints, communicates with customers, handles service problems politely and efficiently, always available for customers, follows procedure to solve customer problems, understands company products and services, maintains pleasant and professional image.
• Interpersonal Relationship: Employee demonstrates ability to work in cooperation with others and communicate effectively with co-workers, supervisors, subordinates, clients and other outside contacts.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of work responsibilities and holds high standards. Keeps commitments and takes appropriate actions to ensure obligations are met. Pursues efficiency and effectiveness and adheres to Organization policies and procedures.
• Continual Learning: Assesses and recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues professional development that is aligned with organizational role, contribution, and goals. Proactively shares knowledge with others to foster learning across the Organization.