Communications Manager

Communications Manager

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Program / Department Summary

The Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaaع) is a five-year USAID-funded program that aims to put Jordan’s home-based businesses (HBBs) and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) on a path to recovery, help them access the safety net measures in Jordan, and, most importantly, regain productivity and growth.

Mercy Corps approach to Iqlaaع integrates direct assistance with market systems development (MSD) interventions to support MSEs along the full journey from recovery to growth and resilience. Grounded in evidence-based, adaptive, and inclusive support, Jordan’s MSEs can emerge stronger and more resilient, transformed through new ways of doing business and improved access to finance, markets, and services. Understanding that women, youth, and people living with disabilities (PLWD) face unique constraints to starting up and leading resilient MSEs, Mercy Corps design will infuse a Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) lens throughout all interventions. Mercy Corps approach is committed to supporting MSEs build back, formalize, and grow, emphasizing systems-level change, equitable opportunities, and a dignified work environment for all women, men, and youth, and PLWD in Jordan.

Mercy Corps leads on the implementation of Iqlaaع, and weaves together technical expertise from a robust set of national, regional, and international partners.

General Position Summary

The Communications Manager is an important position for the Iqlaaع program who will support in the implementation of the program’s communications and public outreach strategy, and its internal information structures, in line with USAID guidelines and branding and marking requirements. The Communications Manager will:

• Manage the design, development and dissemination of high-quality communications tools and materials, ensuring style and branding compliance, backstopping our media relations and events participation, making sure our electronic presence meets the desired communications objectives, and preparing reports as per Iqlaaع’s needs and standards.
• Implement creative, consistent, and effective outreach activities, in collaboration with the outreach team, leveraging tools like public awareness campaigns, printed advertising, radio, website, social media and other forms of electronic communications, in addition to events and information learning platforms.
• Produce communications and public awareness pieces in addition to success stories, speeches, and other communications pieces and reports for distribution to various stakeholders and audiences.

Ultimately, the objective will be to help ensure clear and timely communication of Iqlaaع’s message to target beneficiaries and stakeholders across all needed channels and platforms.

The Communications Manager should be a well-organized professional and a strong communicator with excellent writing skills in English and Arabic, high attention to detail, excellent digital marketing experience, and administrative skills. The Communications Manager needs to have deep experience working in USAID-funded projects.

Essential Responsibilities

In coordination with the Communications Director:

STRATEGIC

• Implement Iqlaaع’s communications and advocacy strategies and plans in accordance with USAID standards and guidelines and ensure that all activities are in-line with the provisions laid out in the plan
• Establish deep understanding of program progress and activities and identify potential stories or news for publishing
• Document and disseminate key findings from program studies and evaluations in a simple manner to influence program design and donor and policy makers’ priorities
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team to ensure project results are communicated in an effective and compelling manner to a varied group of stakeholders and audiences
• Refine and maintain Iqlaaع’s desired identity throughout all channels of communication
• Develop and maintain a clear simple narrative which effectively communicates Iqlaaع’s story through its activities, goals and objectives to stakeholders and beneficiaries

IMPLEMENTATION:

• Collaborate with technical and administrative staff to finalize all communications materials
• Regularly produce success stories and other communications pieces for distribution as well as for use in project communication and for all outward-facing campaigns and in line with the Iqlaaع narrative
• Create and edit compelling communications content – Write copy and manage the design and distribution of press releases, publications, web content, blogs, social media posts, mass emails, surveys, and other electronic content as well as print materials
• Work with Mercy Corps communications team to pitch message-based stories to media and manage requests for press comment and interviews
• Identify and leverage opportunities to secure guest blogs, op-eds, and other media coverage of Iqlaaع
• Develop and release public communications in conjunction with Mercy Corps communications teams when appropriate
• Draft speeches and prepare presentations
• Maintain a story archive of success stories and produced communications material
• Manage events planning, execution, and protocols
• Lead the development and administration of quarterly, annual, and closing program reports
• Develop and manage professional relationships with relevant local/regional media representatives
• Support program staff in the drafting, editing, and creation of communications materials supporting program goals and special events and campaigns
• Build and execute digital and social media strategies and track and analyze media exposure
• Draft requests for quotations/proposals and scopes of work for communication activities
• Facilitate effective internal/ external communications
• Support program initiatives and program goals
• Manage and update contacts databases and media lists
• Coordinate with the Communications team to execute work plans with excellence
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met
• Flexibility to work across different sites in Jordan on day missions
• Other communications-relevant duties as assigned by direct supervisor and/or senior leadership

HUMAN RESOURCES, SAFEGUARDING AND DIVERSITY

• Support Mercy Corps global and regional initiatives for human resources, including safeguarding and diversity, and talent development

RISK MANAGEMENT

• Engage and support countries across the region to ensure that adequate risk management systems are in place
• Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events
• Engage with country teams on the internal audit process to track findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations
• Engage with country level Ethics and Assurance managers as well as the global Ethics and Assurance department to track and analyze trends and needs across countries

Supervisory Responsibility

• (In coordination with the Communications Director) Communications Officer, Graphic Designer

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Communications Director

Works Directly With: Communications Director, Deputy Chief (s) of Party, Technical Leads and other relevant staff, partners

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification

• BSc/BA in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related field is desired. A Master’s degree is a plus.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience demonstrating growing responsibilities in communications, of which 5 years were with USAID-funded projects
• Working knowledge of USAID standards and guidelines – especially regarding branding, marking and communications – is a must
• Working experience under cooperative agreements is preferable

Success Factors

The Communications Manager will have a deep commitment to humanitarian principles and values as well as to the overall objectives and approach of the Iqlaaع program. They will be curious and have a

willingness to learn new skills and methodologies while bringing a solid foundation in communication and marketing donor-funded programs ideally in Jordan or the region. They will have the ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision and will be highly organized with creative

problem-solving skills. They will have high attention to details and demonstrate proactivity, collaboration teamwork, excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They will have strong time management skills, including ability to juggle multiple tasks and respond rapidly to new events and competing priorities.

Competencies

• Native Arabic speaker with solid editing skills in English and Arabic
• Outstanding communication abilities and writing skills with proven capacity to produce high-quality briefs, press releases, reports and other communication pieces in English and Arabic for internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated expertise in dissemination of information through print, web and email
• Digital and social media strategy building, management, and analysis
• Media and public relations management
• Events planning and management
• Research skills
• Excellent computer skills including and proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Photo editing skills. Photoshop, InDesign, and content management systems is a plus
• Video editing is a plus

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Amman, Jordan and it requires in-country travel across governorates to support program activities. Staff will have access to good medical services.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

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