| Job title | Communications Officer |
| Department | DFID DRC |
| Grade | B1 / SAIC |
| Location | Kinshasa |
Background, aim of the role and position
The Department for International Development (DFID) leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty. We aim to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable and poorest people in DRC now, while working with the Government to enable it to provide and finance basic services in the long-term. The UK is the second largest bilateral donor in DRC (£155m in 2013/14), with activities in a wide range of sectors: humanitarian, security sector, health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, private sector development, infrastructure and governance.
We are seeking a Communications Officer (CO) to provide cover for five months (May to September).You will be part of the Strategy and Programme Performance team, reporting to the Head of Cabinet and Programme Performance.The CO will help promote the full range of DFID’s activities to both Congolese and UK audiences.This post offers a good salary and benefits package plus transport, child, housing, medical allowance depending on circumstances.
Duties
Promote DFID DRC’s work
- Work with programme teams and the Embassy CO to identify, plan, manage and report on communications opportunities that advocate the contribution of the UK government to development in DRC.
- Ensure communications activities are in line with the country communications strategy, and implement this throughout time in post.
- Develop and maintain a network of contacts within television, radio and print media in DRC.[MB1]
- Manage a range of conferences and events, while writing and distributing press releases, articles and speeches to raise awareness of DFID’s development activity in DRC.
Communicate DFID’s work to UK press, parliament and public
- Work with DFID UK Communications Division to explain the development programme in DRC and identify communications opportunities to do this, particularly through blogs, articles and social media.
- Produce responses to public enquiries, enquiries to Ministers and the Department, and support the Head of Cabinet draft meeting briefs, answers to Parliamentary Questions and other requests for information.
- Plan, draft and upload articles for UKinDRC social media channels, while updating and working to increase the audience of DFID DRC’s digital tools (website, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, DFID blogs).
- Provide high quality pictures of DFID DRC’s activities, while managinga photo library.
- Coordinate translations requests from programme teams.
Cross-Embassy communications
- Support the Embassy’s CO to manage the Ambassador’s communications agenda.
- Support the Embassy’s Political Team to draft high quality briefings and answers to requests for information about DFID DRC’s programmes from FCO.
Internal communications
- Draft speeches for DFID’s Head of Office or the Ambassador, and support the Head of Cabinet in the coordination of visits to DRC by DFID Ministers and officials.
- Ensure appropriate messages from DFID headquarters are circulated to staff as appropriate, and that the country’s intranet page is up to date.
- Work with teams to ensure programmes have appropriate communication strategies that respect the spending control and transparency requirements.
- Advice programme teams on DFID’s branding strategy.
Personal qualities expected
The successful candidate will possess strong communicating and influencing skills, with an ability to develop good relations with outside contacts and to explain DFID decisions on funding, support and implementation of projects in the most appropriate manner. The ideal candidate should be able to speak English and French to a high standard and have an understanding of the development context in DRC. Excellent written English is essential, as is prior experience in media, communications or marketing sectors.
Competencies expected
You will need to demonstrate examples of the following Civil Service Competencies to level 3.
- Seeing the bigger picture
- Changing and improving
- Leading and communicating
- Collaborating and partnering
- Delivering at pace
Application
Applicationsof no more than 1500 words and your CV (both in English) should be emailedto Matthew Benson ([email protected]) by 3 March. You should provide evidence of how you meet the above competencies, and your ability to perform the tasks outlined. Successful candidates will be shortlisted and invited for interview the week commencing 10 March.
[MB1]Bona can do this ?
