Overview
The Communications Specialist will lead the design and implementation of a strategic, multi-country communication approach for a large-scale environmental initiative, driving visibility, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge sharing.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop a brief communication strategy, including a stakeholder mapping exercise.
- Develop, maintain and update a SCS-SAP partners/stakeholders contact list/database.
- Lead the re-design of the SCS-SAP project website and its regular updating.
- Ensure adequate linkages and distribution of responsibilities between the SCS-SAP website and SAP partner websites.
- Advise on media and communication strategic approaches for raising awareness on the SCS-SAP Project.
- Review, edit, and/or write communications & dissemination material.
- Dissemination to the media of SCS-SAP key project messages.
- Produce and/or facilitate the production of SCS-SAP Project booklets, leaflets and newsletters, video production, photography, infographics, marketing/branding materials.
- Support the translation of dissemination materials, and/or review/revision of translated materials into local languages.
- Use of social media & applications like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, online dashboards.
- Exchange of project messages and outputs among SCS-SAP partners and the SCS-SAP stakeholder community.
- Prepare SCS-SAP Project Experience Notes.
- Support the SCS-SAP in the context of the development of the “State of the marine ecosystems and associated living resources in the SCS-SAP region” reports and web portal.
- Promote and develop working relationships with media houses and practitioners in the SCS-SAP Participating States.
- Organise media events such as interviews, panel discussion, town hall meetings.
- Liaise and collaborate IW:LEARN GEF Projects or similar initiatives.
- Contribute to the communicational elements of the Project M&E activities.
Required Experience
- Relevant experience in the development and/or implementation of complex communications strategies and plans, and with the production and design of high-quality dissemination materials or related areas.
- Good understanding of the key issues addressed in the SCS-SAP Project Document.
- Experience in content development/design & formatting.
- Good computer literacy, familiarity and professional experience with the use of the main office computer applications (MS Windows/MS Office).
- Good editing skills and capability to produce quality presentations, reports (incl. graphics) and other dissemination materials.
- Good communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical reports and other material from the project in a simple and clear manner to colleagues, and stakeholders.
- Previous work experience in one or more of the SCS-SAP participating countries, on topics relevant to the SCS-SAP Project (desired).
- Familiarity with the GEF, in particular the “International Waters” Focal Area and the concept of “Large Marine Ecosystems” (LMEs), and with the environmental/natural resources management problems affecting the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf LMEs (desired).
- Familiarity with the SCS-SAP Project, and familiarity/prior working experience with SCS-SAP Project partner organizations and stakeholders/countries (desired).
- Familiarity with social media and with web design applications and related concepts; practical/hands-on experience/skills in the use of website design applications (desired).
- A track record of consistent excellence in professional performance (highly desired).
- Familiarity with publishing applications such as Microsoft Publisher, PagePlus, Adobe InDesign and content management software (Drupal, etc.) (desired).
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in communications/social sciences, journalism, public relations, marketing and/or environmental sciences or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required.
- A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in graphic design/editing, web design or other is desired.
