IREX Moldova/Comunitatea Mea program vacancy - Communications Officer

IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. With a projected annual portfolio of more than $100 million and more than 600 staff worldwide, we work with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.

Comunitatea Mea (CM) is a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and administered by IREX. The program’s purpose over the course of the eight years is to improve the capacity of local authorities, including their ability to work inclusively with citizens and civil society, to increase revenues, improve financial management practices, build stronger checks and balances between the central and local governments, and facilitating public-private partnerships and inter-municipal cooperation.

The Communications Officer (CO) position will be under the guidance and direct supervision of the CM program management. The CO ensures coordination of the assigned program activities (as requested), support in communication activities, management of the activity-related document/information flow, and follow-up on deadlines and commitments.

Your Background & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills including time management, ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced working environment, and ability to remain flexible while adhering to strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal, customer service, and communications skills, both oral and written required.
• Proficiency (both oral and written) in English, Romanian and Russian languages.
• Positive attitude and willingness to support and assist colleagues.
• Professional experience performing oral translations preferred.
• You must have unrestricted authorization to work in Moldova.

Your Daily Tasks

• Provide general operations and programmatic support on the communications-related activity implementation. Play an active support role in the design of communications and general programmatic activities in the annual work planning sessions, contribute to strategy and lessons learned sessions regularly.
• In collaboration with the Communications Specialist, design and coordinate official events, community development project launch events, press tours, press conferences, high-level visits and coordinate the production of CM promotional materials, briefers, talking points, etc
• In collaboration with the COP/DCOP, coordinate agendas for high-level visitors, including logistics, meeting confirmations, etc.
• Independently or together with the Communication Specialist, provide support with writing/proofreading digital and print publications, infographics, news releases, talking points, briefers, and other public relations documents and ensure final clearance with the CM Program management, as appropriate.
• Coordinating with vendors the production of digital/printed PR materials (including video subtitling), marketing materials, materials related to USAID and IREX branding and marking.
• Contribute to the coordination of the Functional Organizational Capacity Assessment (FOCAS) activity implementation (ensuring the coordination and planning of the activity for Cohort 4 program partners as part of the baseline edition, and offering guidance and support as needed to a junior coordinator on logistical aspects related to tool implementation for Cohorts 1-3 during the 2023 edition (the exact nature on this engagement will be determined in consultation with the COP and DCOP at the appropriate time).
• Take meeting notes and summarize meeting content, when required.
• Provide excellent written and oral translations from and to English, Romanian and Russian. When needed, revise outsourced translation works to ensure consistency and quality across the document and accurate reflection of CM terminology.
• Coordinate the production of the bi-weekly progress report, including the preliminary revision, collection and compiling of objective-related pieces, monitoring CM and public administration-relevant media coverage, and compiling this information into the final report.
• Together with the Communication Specialist, compile information for the Communication section of specific deliverable reports (such as, Quarterly Performance Reports, Annual Reports, Annual Implementation Plan).
• Contribute to the revision and editing processes of key deliverables such as Quarterly Performance Reports, Annual Reports, etc.: whenever required by the COP or DCOP, review to ensure consistency across sections and annexes, and quality control.
• Together with Objective 2 staff and with the Communications Specialist, coordinate the capacity building assistance to program beneficiaries in the communications field, including in the design and implementation of public information awareness campaigns, as needed.
• Coordinate internal communication and information flow between various departments, producing and delivering messages on behalf of the management;
• Together with the Communications Specialist, ensure CM’s visibility in the media and on social platforms (Facebook and YouTube), monitor visualizations and contribute to increasing CM’s visibility to the Moldovan public.
• Together with the Communication Specialist, interact with media representatives, both at local and national levels, to generate greater coverage of Comunitatea Mea successes and the support of the US Government to Moldovan communities.
• ring messages on behalf of the management.
• As needed, contribute to the FOCAS process and methodology’s improvements to ensure efficiency and timely implementation, scheduling, communication with CM and contracted consultants and handover to a junior coordinator; take an active part in lessons learned sessions and recommendations of appropriate adjustments.
• Assume selected Communication Specialist-related duties during Communication Specialist’s absence.

• Prepare correspondence on behalf of program management for signature and follow-up, when required.

• Other support duties as needed.

We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.

This position is not eligible for Immigration Sponsorship.

To apply:

Submit your application to:  https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1065INRE/JobBoard/86f30819-0126-446a-84bb-cf37a5e878c1/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=cdedafe2-f1d4-4c0b-8ff2-acb964b7d7a7

Application deadline: June 19, 2023, 6:00 PM (Republic of Moldova time)