Communications Specialist

Description:

The Bureau for Global Health is the Agency’s focal point and primary source in providing worldwide leadership, donor coordination, and technical expertise for the global health sector including in child and maternal health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, infectious disease, global health security, family planning and reproductive health, as well as health systems strengthening. The Bureau aligns resources with identified public health and development needs and influences the global health priorities of other donor organizations, host country governments, and host country civil society organizations, multilateral organizations, as well as the U.S. private sector and U.S.-based foundations. It also serves as the primary source of global health technical expertise and intellectual capital to the Agency and other U.S. foreign affairs agencies. The Bureau is the Agency repository for state-of-the-art thinking in biomedical, social science, and operations research and works to produce technical advances and innovations that can be disseminated and replicated at USAID Missions throughout the world. Through its staff, programs, and country teams, GH provides critical support to USAID Missions and field programs in more than 70 countries.

The Office of the Assistant Administrator provides oversight of all global health programs, support to the field, research, legislative relations, and external affairs. The Office also houses the Center for Innovation and Impact, which supports breakthrough innovations, applies market-based approaches, and advances efforts in digital health, private sector engagement, and human-centered design in order to maximize the impact of its global health work.

The Strategic Communications and Outreach team in GH coordinates all aspects of strategic communications and outreach for the GH/AA and other senior leaders who sit in the Office of the Assistant Administrator. The team works in close coordination with the Communication leads within each of the Bureau’s offices as well as USAID Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs.

The Communications Advisor will be an integral part of the Strategic Communications and Outreach Team, working directly with the Director of Communications and Outreach and the senior leadership team. The work of this position is essential to ensure consistent, strategic communications coming from the Office of the Assistant Administrator and the entire Global Health Bureau. The Communications Advisor will be responsible for supporting and implementing the Bureau’s communication objectives and will receive day-to-day guidance from the Director of Communications and Outreach. The Communications Advisor must possess strong oral and written communications skills and the ability to read, analyze, and interpret general Bureau and technical documents, and the ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, technical staff, leadership, and implementing partners is required.

C. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the implementation of a comprehensive Strategic Communications and Outreach strategy to ensure GH meets its annual goals and objectives;
• Work with the Strategic Communications and Outreach Director and staff to develop effective messages and materials that are aligned to the goals and objectives of the Bureau;
• Assist in coordinating with Missions and implementing partners on a number of internal communications projects;
• Support Missions and implementing partners in public-facing communications requests;
• Support in identifying strategic, focused external engagement opportunities;
• Execute communications and outreach requests and activities undertaken by the team;
• Draft original content and copy for social media, website, and other public-facing communications assets;
• Accompany the Assistant Administrator and/or members of the senior leadership team at events and meetings for the purpose of taking photos or managing supportive communications and outreach needs; and
• Work alongside Bureau leadership and team members to support strategic problem solving and proactive engagement with target audiences.

D. Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public health or related social science field with 4 years of relevant experience, bachelor’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience, Associate’s degree and 8 years of relevant experience, OR High School graduate and 10 years of relevant experience.