Communications officer, GPE
|
Job #: |
req30062 |
|
Organization: |
World Bank |
|
Sector: |
Communications |
|
Grade: |
GF |
| Term Duration: | 3 years 0 months |
|
Recruitment Type: |
International Recruitment |
|
Location: |
Washington, DC,United States |
|
Required Language(s): |
English |
|
Preferred Language(s): |
French, Spanish |
|
Closing Date: |
11/13/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
Description
Are you a very passionate advocate for education? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children? The Global Partnership for Education Secretariat (GPE) would like to hear from you.
Who We Are
GPE is a shared commitment to end the world’s learning crisis. It is the only global partnership and fund dedicated entirely to helping children in lower-income countries get a quality education, so they can unlock their potential and contribute to building a better world. We bring together governments, teachers, civil society, donors, United Nations agencies, development banks, businesses and private foundations to transform education systems so that every girl and boy can have hope, opportunity and agency.
What We Do
GPE helps low- and lower-middle-income countries to build stronger education systems so that all children can get the education they need to thrive. We currently support nearly 90 countries where the needs are greatest and focus on reaching the children who are the most vulnerable, including girls, children with disabilities and those affected by extreme poverty or conflict. Our unique approach works. Since 2002, 160 million more children in GPE partner countries have set foot in classrooms for the first time, more than half of them girls. GPE is also the largest provider of education grants in the global COVID-19 response, providing partner countries with vital resources to ensure that learning can safely continue.
How We Work
Now, GPE is working to help governments transform their education systems to get the most vulnerable children in school, improve teaching and learning, and build equitable, inclusive and resilient education systems fit for the 21st century. Between 2020-2025, GPE will support transformative change in up to 90 countries and territories, which are home to 1 billion children. Transforming education is about creating lasting changes and achieving impact at scale. GPE sets out to deliver this transformative change by convening partners, mobilizing funds and catalyzing reforms to help partner countries accelerate access, learning outcomes and gender equality.
Raise Your Hand
In July 2021, the Global Education Summit put GPE firmly on the path to be fully-funded by 2025, by raising a record US $4 billion from donors for GPE’s Raise Your Hand campaign. At the Summit, Heads of State and Government from partner countries made historic commitments to education financing and GPE also mobilized an unprecedented number of pledges from businesses, private foundations and development banks.
A fully funded GPE would support transformed education systems in up to 90 countries and territories, enable up to 175 million children to learn and help get 88 million more girls and boys in school by 2025. In the longer term, this investment could add $164 billion to economies in GPE partner countries, lift 18 million people out of poverty, and protect 2 million girls from early marriage.
Governance And Organizational Arrangements
The GPE Board of Directors includes ministerial-level board members and alternates representing 20 constituencies that reflect the Partnership’s breadth. The Board Chair is HE President Jakaya Kikwete and the Board Vice Chair is Dr Susan Liautaud. The Board of Directors, with its three standing committees, provides policy and strategic oversight and approves or delegates funding decisions.
The GPE Secretariat, with 160 employees and hosted by the World Bank, is responsible for translating the policies and strategies set by the Board into practical support for partner countries, coordinating with diverse stakeholders and galvanizing global support for SDG 4. The Secretariat’s headquarters are in the World Bank’s offices in Washington, D.C. and the European office is in Paris with a satellite office in Brussels and a support office in Chennai.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The External Relations team (EXR) responsibilities include donor relations, communications, advocacy, civil society outreach, private sector and private foundation outreach and it has the primary responsibility for overseeing GPE's Financing Campaigns.
The Communications Team is part of the External Relations Team (EXR). The team is responsible strategic external communications and brand management; media relations; maintenance of website, social media channels and informational materials; coordination and production of publications.
ABOUT THE JOB
This position will be based in Washington DC.
Description
The communications officer will be an integral part of the Communications Team and collaborate with a variety of internal and external partners.
Duties And Accountabilities
The Communications Officer’s primary responsibility is to conceptualize and implement content collection strategies to continuously raise GPE’s profile and visibility by contributing to producing a variety of high-quality communications products adapted to GPE key audiences, including identifying results and impact stories in partner countries. This will involve:
• Routinely engaging with internal colleagues and external partners and researching grant progress reports to identify thematic and geographic focus areas for the stories.
• Ensuring that content collection strategies are coherent with the larger External Relations strategy, including external engagements of GPE leadership.
• Overseeing a range of vendors and consultants involved in the production of these stories, from media outlets and journalists to visual consultants (photographers, videographers, video producers), and writers and editors.
• Overseeing and contributing to the creation of a variety of communications products with the content collected in partner countries, including but not limited to blogs, feature stories, videos, social media kits, quote cards, online visuals, etc.
• Crafting compelling and high-impact dissemination plans for digital communications products, integrating online launches with traditional and social media platforms to ensure uptake and wide use by partners and media.
• Producing quarterly comprehensive quantitative and qualitative reports about the performance of the produced content.
The Communications Officer will participate in and contribute to other activities of the Communications Team, including but not limited to corporate reporting on objectives and progress, retreats and meetings, thematic cross-teams as appropriate.
The Communications Officer is expected to travel to partner countries occasionally and potentially to education events.
Selection Criteria
Education
• Bachelor’s degree with seven years of experience or a Master’s degree with five years of experience
Experience
• Strong theoretical base in subject area, combining a broad grasp of relevant theory and principles and of involved practices and precedent.
• Ability to translate theory into practical applications in context of Bank work.
• Ability to participate in multi-disciplinary teams.
Competencies
Accountability & Results Focus - Engages in productive consultation without losing sight of responsibility for own decisions, deliverables and deadlines. Doesn’t let the pursuit of perfection prevent forward progress. Seeks clarity when needed to move work forward and takes initiative to remove obstacles. Takes ownership of own mistakes, failures or oversights, and seeks to correct them. Manages differences of opinion to productive resolution so as not to impede progress. Works to ensure group efforts produce clear actions and decisions and tasks conclude.
Adaptability - Models flexibility - responds to changing circumstances by innovating and altering behavior to better fit different situations. Learns new skills and performs work in different ways. Remains calm in stressful situations and influences others do so. Professionally deals with personal discomfort in a changing work environment.
Collaboration & Teamwork - Actively collaborates with others and models and open, helpful disposition. Acts as a teammate, proactively stepping in to support colleagues as needed. Recognizes and values the role of each team in delivering on GPE’s mission. Approaches challenges and obstacles as shared challenges to be overcome. Sincerely contributes to productive group dynamics and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.
Communication & Interpersonal Skills - Has experience & success working in multicultural environments. Speaks and writes clearly and effectively, adapting language, tone, style and message to diverse, multicultural audiences. Skilled at communicating complex information in succinct and digestible ways. Shares information and keeps people informed; Models transparency, in a way that builds trust in a culturally diverse environment. Maintains productive working relationships with colleagues and models this behavior for junior staff. Engages in active listening and two-way conversation. Asks questions for clarification and responds to others appropriately. Learns from others’ ideas and expertise.
Planning & Organizing - Works well independently and in teams. Plans and prioritizes work effectively, making adjustments as needed to accommodate changes. Sets and meets individual and team deadlines. Works well under pressure and against tight timelines, and still delivers high-quality work. Foresees risks and identifies mitigation strategies and contingencies.
Conceptual and Analytical Skills - Strong research skills. Ability to quickly analyze and synthesize information from technical reports and other sources and summarize it into key messages for political influencing. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and extensive experience applying them in carrying out operational tasks. Ability to think strategically and tactically.
Digital Content - Strong editorial skills and able to oversee production of diverse content, including blogs, results stories, and photo stories in both English and French. Experience in managing editorial calendars, coordinating translations, and ensuring content aligns with the organization's strategic objectives and brand impact. Strong experience managing and maintaining external web platforms, with knowledge of HTML and CSS, and capable of conceptualizing and implementing website improvements and upgrades. Experience using content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and Drupal.
External Relations - Knowledge of communications and external relations strategy, tactics, tools, and products, and experience using them to achieve corporate objectives. Knowledge of the fundamentals of working in various media formats – print, audio, video, web, etc. and the best vehicles to deploy in various scenarios. Proven experience producing complex communications products, including video production. Able to write and edit complex communications products for purposeful structure, clarity of ideas, and logical, persuasive presentation, in an accessible way to different audiences. Strong knowledge of graphic design principles. Knowledge of graphic design for digital media purposes and creation of infographics and presentations (e.g. Photoshop, Canva, PSD, AI or similar). Intermediate or advanced knowledge of Adobe Suite or other editing programs.
Relationship Management - For assigned stakeholder group (e.g. donors, private sector & foundations, civil society, or other), knowledge of stakeholder organizations, their unique characteristics, and key players. Understanding of, and sensitivity to, stakeholder perspectives, interests and needs and their intersection with GPE’s goals and interests. Effective at forging and managing relationships with stakeholders. Skilled at getting alignment behind a common goal and building trust and support for proposed courses of action or solutions. Possesses strong political judgment, diplomatic sense, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
Representation Skills - Well-rounded with a broad base of knowledge about GPE, its partners, its work, its challenges and its impact (not expected for external candidates). Ability to think and respond quickly and extemporaneously with tact and diplomacy, and to present a credible and convincing presence. Ability to represent GPE and specific activities and products to external stakeholders. Understanding of the political landscape within which GPE and its partner countries operate.
BENEFITS FOR THIS POSITION
Term appointments include, but are not limited to, medical benefits, including dental and vision, Staff Retirement Plan, financial assistance program, life & disability insurance, comprehensive leave policy (minimum 26 days/annum) and parental leave policy (50-100 days).
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Poverty has no borders. Neither does excellence. This is why we continually search for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, creed, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.
GPE has a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in line with its PSEAH policy.
Individuals with disabilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions of the role and support in receiving other workplace accommodations. Please contact the DAF-Disability Accommodation Fund at disabilityfund@worldbank.org for further information and support.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.