Senior Consortium Communications Officer

Assignment

The Senior Consortium Communications Officer is primarily responsible for the consortium-wide planning, coordination, implementation and documentation/archiving of communication materials and activities, in line with the project’s Communications and Visibility plan. The Senior Communications Officer, will work under the supervision of the Consortium Coordinator, in close coordination with the EU communications focal point, and will work closely with all project partners and staff members. In addition to the planning, harmonization and coordination of activities, he or she will also lead and work closely with both external communication consultants and partners on the collection, production and dissemination of communications content across the project.

Objectives:

1. Consortium Communications Management – Lead in Consortium Communications Working Group and project partners communication focal point
2. Content Generation: Lead, support and contribute to the collection, production and dissemination of communications content
3. Management of Communication Consultancies – Lead on the development and management of project Communication Consultancies
4. Project Monitoring and Reporting - Lead on project monitoring and reporting on communication activities, in line with the project Communication and Visibility plan
5. Training and Capacity Building:  Support and lead training and capacity building of consortium partner teams related to communications
6. Representation – Support in the representation of the consortium to external partners, stakeholders and audiences

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Consortium Communications Management
2.  
3. 1. Roll-out the Communications and Visibility Plan and ensure the operationalization of the project’s communication strategy
   2. Chair and facilitate the Consortium Communications Working Group, including convening regular meeting, documenting and circulating minutes, following-up on agreed upon action plans, as well as channeling alerts inside the Consortium governance structure, notably to the Consortium Coordinator, Steering Committee, and the Consortium Management Unit.
   3. Ensure close, positive and effective working relationships with project partner communications and program teams, serving as communications focal point for the consortium
   4. Ensure that partners’ Communications team understand and are able to perform as per the Consortium Communication & Visibility plan, and provide technical support as needed;
   5. Oversee, closely follow-up, support, monitor and document the planning and implementation of communications activities conducted by project partners in the coordination with partners’ and ACTED HQ and their validation
   6. Review of visibility items and actions produced and planned by project partners, to ensure adherence with donor visibility guidelines and standards
   7. On an ad hoc basis and as requested by the Consortium Management Unit, support and offer technical input in the delivery of any project activity, with a communications element e.g. Communication trainings, community campaigns etc.
   8. Assist in organizing and generating public support for special events, campaigns, workshops or seminars.
4. Appropriate, Consistent, Timely and Quality Content Generation
   1. Lead on the collection, drafting, editing and dissemination of specific content related to activities within the Communication and Visibility Plan e.g. Press releases, Articles, Video Production, Photos, event material etc.
   2. Launching and management of dedicated project social media accounts, in coordination with partner communication focal points
   3. Review and approve any content created by Communication Consultancies before dissemination
   4. Support in the review of content produced by Project Partners, and support in its dissemination
   5. Ensure the coordinated, timely and quality creation of content by Project Partners, including digital, in line with the Communication and Visibility plan and consortium branding.
5. Management of Communication Consultancies
   1. Support in the drafting of any Terms of Reference related to Communication Consultancies procured on the project
   2. Focal point for the contracting and management of any external consortium-wide communication Consultant involved in the project
   3. Follow-up, validate and closely monitor activities conducted by consortium-wide communication consultants, to ensure compliance and adherence to the Communications and Visibility Plan, as well as the dedicated timeline and budget
   4. Act as liaison and lead interface between any Communication Consultant and partner communication staff and project teams
6. Project Monitoring and Reporting
   1. Draft and manage tracking tools for the project’s communication activities as per Communication and Visibility plan, and as required by the Consortium Coordinator
   2. Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials
   3. Continued and on-going monitoring, documentation and archiving of communication activities, conducted through the project by project partners, as well as external support (consultants), in line with the Communications and Visibility plan.
   4. Consolidation and finalization of documented narrative Quarterly Communication reports, in line with the activities, indicators and targets within the Communications and Visibility plan.
   5. Contribute to continued engagement and dialogue with the donor, specifically the EU communications focal point, and support and leading on any ad hoc monitoring/reporting requests.
7. Training and Capacity Building
   1. In coordination with the Consortium Management Unit, identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate communications training, access to information, and through knowledge sharing
   2. Provide planned and ad hoc support, training and capacity building to Project Partner Staff, Communications, Project, Technical etc, related to communication activities, in addition to external stakeholders, as needed.
8. Representation
   1. Represent the Consortium when engaging with any project stakeholder or key target audience in relation to communication actions and activities e.g. local authorities, Water Establishments, etc.
   2. Through the leading of coordination and communication with  such stakeholders, represent the Consortium to the various communication stakeholders involved within the project communication activities; Media, Communication agencies, Videographers/Photographers, Consultants etc.
   3. Develop and maintain contact information, materials and relationships with journalists and media outlets (print, TV, radio, web etc.) to increase coverage of the project’s communication activities.
   4. Support the Consotium coordinator, and the consotium as a whole, in the management and facilitation of field donor visit.
   5. Other
      1. Establish and maintain networks with the media industry, notably bloggers, influencers, radio, TV etc.
      2. Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to line manager, and as relevant to Consortium Management Unit and Steering Committee
      3. Participate in communication-related conferences and workshops where possible and stay up to date on best practices and new knowledge;
      4. Perform any other related activities as assigned by immediate line manager

   6. Required professional qualities and skills:

   7. University degree in Communications, Journalism or Marketing
   8. At least 3-4 years of previous experience working in a similar role, either with an NGO/INGO, as a Consultant or with a Communications/PR Agency
   9. Strong writing skills and the ability to present information clearly and concisely to different audiences;
   10. Interest and knowledge in humanitarian and/or development fields
   11. Demonstrated experience in creation, production and dissemination of communications content: Videos, Photos, Social Media Campaigns, Media campaigns, Brochures, Leaflets
   12. Good command of photo/video editing software, online video publishing, Adobe software (InDesign etc), Microsoft Office (Powerpoint etc)
   13. Excellent writing and speaking skills in English and Arabic
   14. Demonstrated ability to work with minimum supervision, be dynamic, proactive and creative;
   15. Impartiality, objectivity and the adherence to the humanitarian principles are imperative