Communications Officer

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 Officer will help to develop, implement, and monitor communications activities to promote Iqlaaع’s project and maintain informative and effective communication channels with the project’s different stakeholders. 

The Communications Officer 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. They will contribute to the 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 helping in the preparation of reports as per Iqlaaع’s needs and standards. They will assist in the implementation of creative, consistent, and effective outreach activities leveraging tools like public awareness campaigns, printed advertising, radio, website, and other forms of electronic communications.

Ultimately, the goal will be to help ensure clear communication of Iqlaaع’s message across all channels and platforms, and help develop impactful relations with Iqlaaع’s key stakeholders.

Essential Responsibilities

In coordination with the Communications Director:

• Assist in the implementation of Iqlaaع’s communications strategies and plans in accordance with USAID rules and regulations
• Assist in developing engaging and effective communication and media materials for internal and external dissemination, including content for social and traditional media channels such as press releases, social media posts, etc
• Disseminate and publish internal and external content in coordination with the Communications Director
• Monitor social media trends and identify new tools and innovate practices to maintain effectiveness and relevance of the applied social media approach
• Conduct media monitoring of local news outlets to capture important news and facts relevant to, or which may impact, the project or partners
• Track, analyze, evaluate, and adapt social media campaigns and exposure to reach desired outcomes
• Support media efforts, including reaching out to media representatives and coordinating media attendance at events, etc
• Assist and coordinate with relevant partners, subcontractors and beneficiaries to produce professional photographs and videos and maintain a database of project audiovisual materials
• Assist with the organizing and execution of events, workshops, and webinars and develop related communications materials
• Assist in drafting requests for quotations/proposals and scopes of work for communication activities
• Draft and edit content for internal reporting and reporting to donors
• Collect briefings and information for press releases, success stories, presentations and reports
• Collaborate with technical and administrative staff to finalize all communications materials
• Ensure collaboration and coordination within the communications team and with other functions and components of Iqlaaع and Mercy Corps
• Contribute to regular stakeholder analysis
• Update contacts databases and media lists and
• Provide communication-related administrative support
• Support communications-related work as required
• Ensure project compliance with USAID communications, branding and marking requirements
• Other duties as assigned by direct supervisor and/or senior leadership
• Flexibility to work across different sites in Jordan on day missions

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

• None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Communications Director

Works Directly With: Communications Director, Communications Specialist, 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.
• 3 to 4 years of proven experience in communications and social media or a similar role, preferably with USAID projects.

Success Factors

The Communications Officer 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 preferably at 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
• Solid editing and translating skills in English and Arabic
• Experience with management of online and social media communication
• Demonstrated expertise in dissemination of information through print, web and email
• Daily monitoring of the media and identification of news and content relevant to Iqlaaع
• Events coordination
• Research skills
• Excellent computer skills including and proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Photo editing skills using Photoshop
• Skills using Adobe Illustrator, 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.

للتقديم على الوظيفة من خلال الموقع الأصلي