Communications Specialist - Johannesburg, South Africa

Project Background

The USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) activity is designed to bolster the U.S. Government’s ability to boost trade and investment to, from, and within the African continent. The continent-wide program is USAID’s flagship effort in support of the Prosper Africa initiative and will expand and accelerate two-way trade and investment between African nations and the United States.

Driven by market demand, ATI embraces innovative approaches to achieve its goals. ATI is designed as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities, and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that USAID Missions and the private sector identify.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Communications Specialist will work with ATI Southern Africa’s technical team to design and manage all aspects of internal and external project communications. S/he will contribute to the development of high-quality knowledge and learning content including data visualizations, success stories, case studies, and other reporting that informs learning activities and adaptive management decisions. S/he will also support the promotion of project activities through key communication channels and will engage critical partners and communities of practice through strategic outreach and innovative communication practices.

• Support alignment of ATI’s strategic communications efforts with ATI Southern Africa Buy-In’s programmatic goals, primarily focused on the following African countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.
• Ensure that there is a clear communications strategy for the Southern Africa buy-in implementation aligned to the client’s requirements.
• Collaborate with the Senior Communications Director and Communications Manager to develop and execute the project’s overall communications strategy (internal and external)
• Deliver high-quality writing and communications support.
• Develop communications materials including weekly highlights, talking points and presentations, website and social media content, fact sheets, presentations, reports, and other collateral.
• Ensure branding and marking in line with approved USAID and Prosper Africa guidelines.
• Work with the monitoring, evaluation, and learning team to incorporate data into stories and other communications work products.
• Create dissemination toolkits for events, blogs and learning products.
• Support ATI’s reporting to USAID, including Monthly Updates, Quarterly Progress Reports, Quarterly Financial Reports, Annual Reports, and the Final Report.
• Work closely with ATI Southern Africa Buy-In technical staff to identify and craft stories that showcase impact, lessons learned, and good practices.
• Support the team in executing events – through developing communications collateral and on-site support where needed.
• Provide direct communications support to the ATI Southern Africa Buy-In. This could include preparing communications materials, crafting and managing events, writing announcements, developing press releases, preparing presentations, and other communications needs.
• Other duties as assigned by the Senior Activity Manager, Communications Manager or Senior Communications Director.
• Travel to regional offices as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or relevant field.

9+ years’ experience drafting reports, documents and outreach materials, and developing and implementing communications plans.

• An articulate individual who possesses excellent communications and personnel. management skills and who can relate to people at all levels of an organization.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and proven experience and ability to write briefs and reports is critical for this role.

Preferred:

• Experience in development communications on large, complex, multi country USAID-funded projects.

Supervision

The Communications Specialist reports to the Communications Manager.

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.