Liberia: Communications Specialist ECAP (Ebola Community Action Platform) - Liberia (219373-927)
Country: Liberia
Closing date: 12 Dec 2014
This position will be filled pending anticipated funding.
PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps has been operational in Liberia since 2002, most recently implementing programs in food security, peace building, and youth empowerment. Currently, Liberia is the epicenter of a fast-moving regional Ebola epidemic, which also includes Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. To date, nearly 4,000 people in Liberia have been infected, with over 2,200 deaths (3 Oct 2014). As the Ebola epidemic spreads throughout Liberia, existing social and economic challenges are growing more complex, requiring adaptive and dynamic approaches to help support affected communities as they defend against, cope with, and recover from, this devastating disease.
Mercy Corps’ strategy to respond to the Ebola outbreak focuses on two approaches: 1) to engage local and international organizations through a national network of community organizations to promote healthy behaviors within communities that will help reduce the transmission of Ebola, and 2) address market and household economic challenges that emerge as a result of the Ebola outbreak, paying particular attention to food insecurity and declining livelihoods.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Communications Specialist will develop and implement a communications strategy that articulates Mercy Corps’ vision, strategy and activity for the E-CAP (Ebola Community Action Platform) program to external stakeholders, including donors, government, local and international partners, media and others, and at the same time, supports a robust and principled humanitarian response across the region. S/he will also will establish and maintain relations with relevant stakeholders affected by the crisis and will compile relevant information on needs, challenges, and on-the-ground dynamics, analyze and share this information to support outreach efforts and will at the same time, track and analyze key initiatives, working with partner agencies. The Specialist will also help ensure that Mercy Corps’ positions are well grounded in the priorities of the communities where we work, reinforcing a cohesive and productive organizational culture through effective information sharing, and supporting Mercy Corps’ development as an entrepreneurial, innovative, effective and accountable learning organization.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Lead the development and implementation of Mercy Corps’ communication strategy in Liberia on the Ebola crisis as well as Mercy Corps media activities.
- Track emerging developments and issues affecting the regional humanitarian crisis, including:
- Major needs among affected populations
- Alignment between identified needs and donor priorities
- Regional capacity within the humanitarian system
- Quality of humanitarian coordination at operational, governmental, and donor levels
- Notable emerging trends
- Government, donor and UN policy
- Ensure that the communication strategy implementation draws on Mercy Corps field experience and program expertise.
- Lead the development and implementation of internal communications strategy, to inform key internal stakeholders of latest developments.
- Convey information to the global Communications and Policy and Advocacy (P&A) teams, as necessary, about the crisis.
- Establish and maintain strategic relations with relevant local and international stakeholders, to continually inform, challenge, and improve Mercy Corps’ communications, strategy, and program development.
- Provide representation at the discretion of the Country Director and Program Director with relevant local and international governmental and non-governmental actors and support the Country Director and Program Director in their representational roles.
- Build and maintain a close link with Mercy Corps’ country team responding to the crisis, and regularly gather evidence/experiences from program staff so that analysis is grounded in and supports Mercy Corps’ program work.
- Work with the field team to plan and produce effective, thoughtful and timely written products that advance perspectives important to our mission and strategy.
- Monitor and evaluate the impact of communication work.
- Support the development of donor, government and other external reports.
- Related tasks as required and agreed by the Country Director and Program Director.
Organizational Learning
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None
ACCOUNTABILITY:
Reports Directly to: Country Director
Works Directly with: Program Director and other program managers in-country, finance and operations teams, HQ Regional Program Team, HQ Technical Support Unit
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- BA/S or equivalent in communications, marketing, or a related field preferred
- 3-5 years’ experience working in marketing or on a communications team
- 2+ years of experience in relief and development field with non-profit, or government and knowledge of Mercy Corps’ work and structure preferred
- English proficiency required
- Excellent writing and research skills required including proofreading and editing proficiency ; ability to “translate” technical language into compelling content necessary
- Strong computer literacy required including MS Office Suite
- Proven experience maintaining a high level of confidentiality and professional conduct
- Highly effective and professional verbal communication skills
- Proven ability to prioritize multiple competing and changing priorities, requests, tasks, deadlines
- Proven ability to manage demands and stresses with grace and humor
SUCCESS FACTORS:
A successful candidate will have effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills with an ability to effectively represent the organization and its interests to a diverse range of stakeholders, including local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, donors, other international organizations, the media, and the community. S/he will have great analytical skills, demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow and enforce procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members, have strong people skills and the ability to motivate diverse teams. An interest and ability to travel and work in remote and dynamic environments, with experience in insecure environments is an advantage as is an awareness of and sensitivity to multi-cultural international development work and an ability to train and facilitate dialogue among a diverse group of individuals with various skill sets and working styles. S/he will have the ability to creatively problem-solve, to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines and to calmly and diplomatically deal with unexpected and sudden events impacting program operations, with patience, dynamism, tenacity and a sense of humor.
LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
The position will be based in Monrovia, and may require travel to outlying counties and communities throughout Liberia. The security situation is stable but could change quickly in localized circumstances, although general unrest is not anticipated because of a significant UN, US military, and local police forces to maintain public safety. Monrovia is served by an international airport and has many hotels, restaurants and grocery stores. Health services are currently limited and while we have made provisions for emergency care, team members should not anticipate an environment where casual outpatient services are available. Because safe access to health services should not be anticipated, a degree of self-sufficiency in first aid and medications should be considered. Candidates must consider taking anti-malarials as a preventative measure and other measures to lower their risk of requiring medical services. Candidates with chronic health issues should consider disclosing and self-eliminating from this recruitment process. Currently there is an 11 pm curfew, which could change at anytime, and staff should expect some interruption of movement as the government manages the Ebola situation. Housing will either be at private residences as group housing or at nearby hotels. Traveling in and out of Liberia is increasingly complicated with many commercial airlines suspending service and many countries closing their borders (air, land and sea) to individuals coming from Liberia. Two commercial airlines continue to serve Liberia (Brussels Air and Air Maroc) and UNHAS is currently working to establish air service to Dakar, Senegal and Accra, Ghana.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
How to apply:
Please apply directly at:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjo...
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