Communications Specialist at DAI

Start Date: June, 2021
Reporting: The State Lead
Work Closely With: The Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist in the Main Office.

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected state and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives

• The Communications Specialists will be embedded in the state-level offices and will support the design and implementation of communication and engagement activities and strategies in the select state.
• The Communications Specialists will collaborate with the Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist in the Main Office and other staff member(s) to ensure integration of communications and knowledge management activities that complement and report on state-level program activities.
• S/he will be responsible for providing inputs and developing state-specific content for the design, development, and management of public affairs and public awareness communications programs (such as public communications, studies, reports, informative and promotional products, workshops, conferences, fairs, media-related activities, commodities, project materials, and deliverables).
• S/he will support the preparation and presentation to USAID of reports on the progress and impact of program activities.
• S/he will be creative and collaborative, and encourage an open, transparent environment where everyone is informed about project developments.
• S/he will support the tracking of reform initiatives and assist in developing written guidelines to help standardize and simplify online storage and the circulation of project documents and information.
• S/he will provide content for the production of newsletters and bulletins for internal and external audiences and weekly summaries for all staff on what is happening across the project.

Responsibilities

• The Communications Specialist will be responsible for information collection, content generation and development of communications and knowledge management products, with particular responsibility for the selected state.
• This role supports the generation of communications/knowledge management workplans and products including events and webpages.
• This role will ensure awareness of and learning from project accomplishments.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as English, Communications, Marketing, Information Management, Public Affairs, Media or other relevant field required.
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience, with at least five (5) of experience in marketing communications, information management, public affairs, public awareness and/or media.
• Previous experience in a USG-funded communications role is preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Fluency in local languages of the state highly preferred.