Communications Specialist / Спеціаліст/ка з комунікацій

Chemonics International Inc.

Vacancy

Communications Specialist

Background 

The USAID/Ukraine Harvest Activity enables supported male and female grain and oilseed farmers, including marginalized and underserved groups, to return production and income for target commodities to at least pre-war levels while improving production efficiency and profitability and position farmers to market their crops more successfully and profitably in the wartime context.

Position Description:

The Communications Specialist will work with USAID Harvest Activity project staff to define the project’s overarching communications needs, including determination of audiences, messages, tools, and products. In addition, the Specialist will help define USAID Harvest Activity’s overall strategy and approach to impact reporting, success story generation, and knowledge-sharing.

Responsibilities

• Jointly, with the Strategic Communications Manager, develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy for Harvest Activity that will set content and quality standards for all project materials and outreach including identifying key target audiences and channels, preparing and disseminating core messages, results and successes.  

• Work with project management and other project team members to develop communications activities which support the implementation of their components.

• Integrate communications activities into annual work plans. 

• Design, manage, and oversee implementation of communications campaigns to support specific project components and/or partner agencies programs. 

• Organize media events including press conferences, TV/Radio programs, public discussions, opinion surveys, workshops for media representatives, and other presentations in conjunction with partner agencies. 

• Oversee audience research or knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) studies as necessary. 

• Prepare and oversee pre-testing of communications messages, materials, and programs to ensure the project reaches its strategic communications goals.

• Monitor the impact of public awareness/communications activities. 

• Help identify and manage primary contracts with the media and local communication production houses. 

• Support development and review of project publications.

• Develop, maintain and update USAID Harvest Activity’s social media accounts in line with USAID/Ukraine policies and procedures.

• Coordinate communications with USAID Harvest Activity partners (holiday greetings, etc.).

• In consultation with USAID and project staff, create project materials and templates as needed (project fact sheet, PowerPoint presentations, brochures).

• Review and ensure compliance of all project materials to USAID branding/marking guidelines. 

• Jointly with the Strategic Communications Manager, train all project staff in basic communications tools and skills, including effective presentations, building success story messages into everyday interactions, measuring and reporting on impact, capturing lessons learned and best practices. 

• Support the Senior MEL Manager to monitor the impact of project communications activities.

• Take high quality photos during USAID Harvest Activity events and archive them to the SharePoint drive.

• Write and distribute media advisories, press releases, and other materials as requested by the media regarding project activities and events. 

• Attend USAID Harvest Activity’s major events to ensure proper project visibility (banners, logos on materials) and to assist where needed. 

• Review and/or collect press-clippings to determine USAID Harvest Activity’s general visibility in the media and after major events. 

• Manage electronic and hard copy archives of all project communications materials.

• Perform other appropriate tasks as requested. 

Qualifications

• Degree in public relations, marketing or related field from a university in Ukraine.  

• At least three years of experience dealing with mass media and designing, delivering and evaluating communications products and campaigns. 

• Strong knowledge of Ukrainian media.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Excellent writing and speaking skills in Ukrainian and English.  

• Understanding of USAID rules and regulations related to communication programs.

• Previous USAID or other international donor experience preferred.

• Prior experience working in agriculture sector and demonstrated understanding of key stakeholders (farmers, agribusinesses, government bodies, donors etc.) preferred 

Supervision and Reporting    

The Communications Specialist reports to and is directly supervised by the Learning and Communications Director or his/her designee.

Job Location

This position is based in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Salary   

Negotiable based on experience and qualifications   

Compensation & Other Benefits   

Per company policy, Chemonics offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package in line with local labor requirements at a minimum.    

Read Before Applying   

Please submit your CV through this form.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible.  

Chemonics is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.