Senior Specialist- Fund Communications

Job Description

Senior Specialist – Fund Communications

Organization

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

Job posting date

11 June 2024

Location

New Delhi, India

Grade

Senior Specialist

Salary and benefits

Salary and benefits will be offered commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Contract

Fixed Term Contract (3 years), extendable to another 3 years, Full-Time, National Hire

Occupational groups

Communications, Journalism, International relations, Press engagement, Media, social media

Closing date

30 June 2024

About CDRI:

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programs, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.

Vision

“CDRI seeks to rapidly expand the development and retrofit of resilient infrastructure to respond to the SDG of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.”

Mission

“To support countries to upgrade their systems to ensure disaster and climate resilience of existing and future infrastructure.”

CDRI Head Quarter (Secretariat)

The CDRI headquarters is established in New Delhi, India, to act as the Secretariat of CDRI. The Secretariat functions under the direction of the International Governing Council and implements the programs of CDRI.

About the position

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is supported by the Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF), a Multi Partner Trust Fund established with the support of the United Nations to implement the vision and strategic workplan of the CDRI Coalition. The key functions of the Fund are to mobilize and channel resources for CDRI’s work plans, and to promote coordination, alignment and coherence around common programmatic priorities. The Fund is meant to support countries’ institutional capacity building and policy development; research and knowledge management; and academic programmes.

The IRAF Multi Partner Trust Fund is supported by a Fund Management Unit (FMU) hosted at the CDRI Secretariat based in New Delhi, India and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Geneva Office. The FMU is responsible for the implementation of the Fund mandate and the application of the Fund policies. Communications is cross cutting across all four functions of the FMU: Programme design; Programme implementation; Fund Operations; and Fund portfolio oversight, monitoring and evaluation.

In 2024, the Trust Fund Management Committee (TFMC) approved the Fund Communications Strategy as a critical enabler to support CDRI’s IRAF reach its core objectives with respect to growing the Fund portfolio and resources and achieving programme implementation efficiency. This communications strategy is a structured and coordinated approach to guide communication efforts of different Fund stakeholders: i) participating countries, ii) contributing partners, iii) implementing organizations. CDRI’s IRAF Communications Strategy is a subset of the broader CDRI communication strategy.

The Fund Communications Senior Specialist will conceive and execute a range of activities to support the implementation of the CDRI Fund Communications Strategy. This body of work spans communications strategy and coordination, multimedia content production, public outreach and campaigns, social media engagement, fundraising, analytics and branding.

The Fund Communications Senior Specialist will work under the direct supervision of CDRI Director – Advocacy and Communications with a secondary reporting line to the Head of FMU Administrative Unit, and the overall guidance of the Head of the FMU Technical Unit and Administrative Unit. The Fund Communications Senior Specialist will be based in Delhi, India with the CDRI Secretariat, with occasional international travel. The position will be fully funded by the Fund.

Role and Responsibilities:

Main Purpose:

The Fund Communications Senior Specialist is primarily supports the work of the FMU to implement the Fund Communications Strategy, manage the IRAF fund portfolio, and support the roll out of the Funding Windows and Calls for Proposals.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The incumbent provides overall support to the implementation of the Fund Communications Strategy objectives:

1. Increase awareness of CDRI Fund value added and uniqueness to position the CDRI Fund in the international arena through annual campaigns and calls for proposals launch.
2. Facilitate access to information for TFMC and partners in implementation to ensure operational efficiency, transparency and accountability.
3. Communicate CDRI Fund results at country, regional and global level .
4. Content creation: Develop communications products to show case the Fund value added and impact

• Coordinate the preparation of the Fund annual report: work closely with the Fund M&E Specialist and CDRI Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team collecting inputs from funding windows’ programmes and projects, developing executive summary and infographics and perform editorial review, and ensuring a wide dissemination of the report.
• Prepare monthly country updates for the TFMC for FMU clearance.
• Develop brochures, factsheets, stories for different target audiences.
• Prepare at least one quarterly project story: Identify and develop compelling stories from the IRAF portfolio, and create content, such as multimedia stories, videos, graphics, and social media updates to showcase progress in implementation and impact on the ground. This includes working with Participating Organizations to collect project background documents and pictures, commission when needed a photographer, and turn project reports into multimedia stories.
• Prepare content for CDRI website on IRAF funded projects and windows, keeping the site up-to-date.
• Prepare social media content for CDRI social media accounts on IRAF related updates when required including drafting social media kits for main events of the year, and sharing a regular stream of content on IRAF funded activities via the CDRI accounts and TFMC members accounts/United Nations Multi Partner Trust Fund Office (UNMPTFO) accounts.

2. Awareness campaigns: Position the CDRI Fund in the international arena

• Support CDRI programme/IRAF Technical Unit to develop and implement an outreach/awareness campaign to ensure wide dissemination of the Funding Windows’ calls for proposals criteria and project impact stories towards various audiences at global and regional levels.
• Support the organization of events to show case lessons learnt and knowledge generated through CDRI IRAF funded programmes and projects in regional and global platforms/conferences (such as COP, ICDRI, GPDRR) including flyer, social media coverage, etc.
• When required support the organization of donor round tables and briefings.
• Support the implementation of a Fund Goodwill Ambassador initiative to identify Fund Champions amongst countries and organizations that benefited from IRAF.
• Organize TFMC donors visit to country projects (programme, logistics, briefing pack for field visit participants).

3. Quality control, capacity building and monitoring

• Develop and provide regular and targeted guidance to Participating Organizations and CDRI Programme/FMU Technical teams on story development and social media feeds in order to align messaging with CDRI’s vision and IRAF Communications strategy.
• Guide and review project communications plan and monitor their implementation including with respect to donor visibility provisions.
• Train CDRI/FMU technical Teams and Participating Organizations on communications (impact stories, photo and video taking; social media, crisis communications protocols) at least twice a year.
• Perform editorial reviews of relevant communication products in relation to the CDRI Fund activities, while ensuring that they comply with CDRI design guidelines (ie. PPT, Calls for proposals, Guides, portfolio knowledge products, etc.).
• Monitor the implementation of the Fund annual communications plan and assess the impact of the Fund Communications Strategy as part of CDRI Communications Strategy.

4. Information management: Facilitate access to information

• Support FMU to maintain the CDRI IRAF information management system and ensure it is regularly updated to streamline access for TFMC and Participating Organizations to Fund policies, templates, guidance, and to the Fund complaints mechanism.
• Support FMU in the implementation of the Fund donor visibility provisions.
• Liaise with the UNMPTFO to ensure that the IRAF MPTFO webpages are up to date.
• Manage the knowledge management and dissemination process for the FMU including archiving of records and minutes of meetings.

5. Media relations

• Draft press releases, factsheets, talking points, and scripts for video messages for FMU clearance.
• Prepare timely responses to media requests and support messaging for FMU clearance.
• Support media outreach during major events/meetings by creating opportunities for positive messaging about CDRI Fund‘s achievements and milestones
• When relevant, support the organization of project visits with journalists and photographer(s) to amplify messaging around the Fund contribution to disaster resilient and inclusive infrastructure systems. (logistics, identification of interviewees on site such as high level government officials, briefing pack for field visit participants).

Skills

• Proven experience developing content (visual and written) producing a high-quality newsletter, annual reports, pamphlets, brochures, and video script, and editing and proofreading in English
• Experience designing communications plan
• Proven experience in managing production, graphic design, and photography deliverables
• Proven experience in the use of social media platforms
• Proven experience in managing web-based information management systems
• Experience in media relations is an asset
• Strong oral and written communication and editing skills
• Strong networking and advocacy skills
• Ability to process large amounts of information and be strategic and analytical
• Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively, and creatively across different constituencies
• Strong knowledge of managing web-based information management systems
• Strong understanding of production, graphic design, and photography standards
• Strong knowledge of social media platforms and experience in social media outreach

Competencies

Technical and Analytical Skill

1. Meticulous
2. Timeliness
3. Analytical & Problem Solving

Delivering Results

1. Dependability
2. Managing people & process
3. Innovation & Resourcefulness

Engaging & Partnering (Interpersonal / Teamwork)

1. Stakeholder Management
2. Working Collaboratively
3. Appreciate and encourage different culture context.

Leadership

1. Able to see Big Picture
2. Decision Making
3. Inspires, motivates & empowers others.
4. Team Management

Communication

1. Willingness to listen and express dissenting views.
2. Is able to clearly convey ideas and information.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or a related field or a Master’s degree in international development field completed with relevant qualifying experience in communications is required.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in Institutional Communications, public relations, or advocacy at the international level, including managing communications at global events, preferably with an international development cooperation organization, and/or the private sector.

Reporting Line:

• The Fund Communications Senior Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the CDRI Director – Advocacy and Communications with a secondary reporting line to the Head of the FMU Administrative Unit, and the overall guidance of the Head of the FMU Technical Unit and Administrative Unit.

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of French or Spanish is an advantage.
• Knowledge of any of the 6 UN official languages will be an asset.

How to apply

How to Apply:

If you have experience working in a similar capacity and want to make an active and lasting contribution to a global initiative spearheaded by India, please apply through the online application form only on or before the last date: https://app.cdri.world/career/public/.

CDRI is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with strict confidence.

CDRI has ZERO Tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and gender / racial discrimination. Any selection, therefore, will be subject to satisfactory reference and background checks.

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