Strategic Communications Advisor with USAID experience

Position Description

EnCompass LLC is seeking a full-time Strategic Communications Advisor to join our Global Waters Communications and Knowledge Management (CKM) II project team. The Advisor will lead the project’s communication and engagement strategies, helping to elevate USAID’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) stories, and positioning USAID as a global leader in the WASH sector. As part of the leadership team, the Strategic Communications Advisor will help to backstop the project’s Chief of Party, supervise staff, and directly engage with partners and clients as needed.

The ideal candidate will be creative, solution-oriented, and committed to engaging and inspiring others. The Advisor must be an expert in strategic communications, including message development, audience segmentation, and communication planning. They should also possess excellent writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to create compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Visual design experience is also essential, as is project management skills to lead and coordinate communication initiatives. The Advisor must be able to work with diverse teams and have a good understanding of USAID’s objectives and operations. Candidates with experience working on projects related to WASH in developing countries will be strongly preferred.

This full-time position may be remote within the U.S., in states where EnCompass is currently registered. Travel to the Washington DC metro area will be required as needed for meetings and convenings. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the US for any employer without sponsorship.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Essential functions:

Strategic Communications (80%)

• Ensure that Global Waters CKM II’s efforts are designed and implemented to raise awareness of USAID’s WASH activities, position the Agency as a thought leader in the WASH sector, and strengthen engagement with key audiences and decision-makers.
• Delight our client (USAID Center for Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene) with superior quality and service by building and maintaining a collaborative relationship; be proactive in identifying their needs and offering creative solutions to challenges.
• Support continuous learning and quality improvement, by looking for ways to pilot innovative tools, approaches, and platforms for the production and dissemination of USAID’s global WASH communication products.
• Advise on audience engagement strategies, using analytics and knowledge of industry trends.
• Develop or advise on pitches, story boards, and outlines to create culturally responsive and engaging content for target audiences.
• Leverage communication expertise in writing and visual design to provide quality control on all CKM II communication deliverables, such as newsletters, fact sheets, stories, reports, and social media posts.
• Produce talking points and key messages for USAID Global Waters newsletters, blogs, and announcements, as needed.
• Work closely with project team to uncover storytelling opportunities and develop and lead process that moves the opportunity from an idea to a finished product, including:
  • Creating and implementing a work plan to track progress, milestones, and deliverables
  • Developing a staffing plan to execute on the work plan and coordinate with project staff, vendors, or short-term consultants as required for achieving results (graphic designers, copyeditors, photographers, videographers, etc.)
  • Identifying appropriate formats for various content that span mediums and platforms (e.g., data visualizations, story maps, photo-driven stories, videos, infographics, etc.)
  • Taking the multiple inputs and crafting a coherent narrative that speaks to target audiences

Team Leadership (20%)

• Backstop and support the Chief of Party, liaising with partners or clients and representing our project and EnCompass, as needed
• Help to manage the team and supervise staff (as needed); help individuals to bring their best to their work, address challenges, and develop their strengths and passions
• As part of the project leadership team, be sure to set a tone of inclusion and belonging, where all members of the team are respected and valued for their diverse backgrounds, experiences, approaches and ideas

Other

• Engage fully as a member of the EnCompass staff, including participating in staff meetings and other EnCompass events, and providing support to other team members as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Position Requirements

Qualifications

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience in communications, or master’s degree and 8 years of experience, or equivalent. Preferred areas of study include communications, journalism, professional writing, public relations, or a related field.

Experience and Skills

Required:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in the communications working with international development projects or international/national NGOs
• Experience working with USAID projects
• Familiarity with USAID’s Global Water Strategy required
• Minimum of 2 years direct supervisory experience of staff and consultants
• Ability to accept the unexpected, navigate changes, and provide right-sized solutions based on need and context within a given set of resource and environmental constraints
• Ability to set clear objectives, coordinate resources, people, and processes, and manage feedback loops to adjust approaches as necessary
• Ability to translate complex issues into compelling and accessible content
• Strong writing, editing, synthesis, and presentation skills
• Excellent attention to detail, accuracy, and strong time management skills a must
• Experience developing and implementing communications strategies, plans, and activities
• Experience gathering stories/content from local actors and developing compelling narratives or products to disseminate key messages for technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues, while working in multi-cultural environments

Preferrable:

• Experience working in Water Sanitation field highly preferred
• Experience supporting USAID WASH projects or other WASH-related activities in the international development sector strongly preferred
• Strong proficiency in Google Suite applications (Google Docs and Slides) highly desirable
• Fluency in language(s) other than English is highly desirable

How to Apply

Please, submit CV and cover letter, and some work samples, and complete the application. There will be a simple exercise at the end of the recruitment process, only for semi-finalist candidates.

The pay range for this role allows for the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, certifications, and other business and organizational needs. At EnCompass, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $102,617 to $125,527

EnCompass LLC is a progressive Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote, celebrate, and support a diverse and inclusive organizational culture and workforce. We are committed to providing all of our employees with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all are treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate, and explicitly prohibit, discrimination or harassment of any kind, at any time, in all aspects of employment. This includes recruitment, hiring, promotions, disciplinary measures, terminations, compensation, benefits, social and recreational programs, and training. EnCompass also does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who report discrimination or harassment. Our continuing commitment to the principle of Equal Opportunity Employment for all means all employment decisions are based only on the job requirements, the candidate’s qualifications, and the needs of EnCompass as a business—not on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, HIV status, family/marital/parental status, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we work.

For US based positions: The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

The incumbent must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle and prioritize multiple, competing tasks and demands and to seek supervisory assistance as appropriate.

If you require accommodations in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act to complete your application, please call 301-287-8700, provide your contact information and a description of your accessibility issue. We will make a determination on your request for reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case-basis, and we will call you back within approximately 3 business days.

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