Director of Communications and Outreach

About Chemonics

Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. Since 1975, we have worked in 150 countries around the world, and we are currently implementing 118 projects in 84 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and we also work with foreign donors such as the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Global Fund. We have more than 4,000 staff in our project offices around the world, and more than 500 staff based in our headquarters in Washington, D.C.

1.  Project Background

USAID’s Community Support Program (CSP) in Lebanon is an $80 million program designed to provide a broad range of support to underserved and vulnerable communities. CSP seeks to improve the delivery of essential services and enhance economic opportunities in order to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Beqaa Valley regions. CSP uses a fast, flexible, and participatory approach to address needs in Lebanon’s most underserved and vulnerable communities in response to evolving political, security, economic, and environmental conditions. To achieve its objectives, CSP is partnering with municipalities, regional water establishments (RWEs), civil society organizations (CSOs), educational and training institutions, and the private sector to implement activities organized around four components: community support projects, technical assistance and capacity building, workforce development, and wastewater management.

2.  Summary of Position

The Director of Communications and Outreach (DCO) is a member of CSP’s senior management team, responsible for overseeing CSP’s reporting, outreach, and strategic communications tasks and activities. The DCO will develop, update, and maintain CSP’s strategic communications plan. Leading and supervising a team of communications specialists and officers, the DCO will ensure that all CSP communications activities relate back to the strategy and meet client expectations in terms of quality, content, and compliance with the USAID-approved branding and marking plan. Key communications activities for outreach purposes include social media, traditional media, and campaigns to raise awareness among target audiences to amplify the impact of CSP interventions in Lebanese communities. Key reporting requirements include weekly reports (inclusive of activity highlights and success stories), quarterly reports, and annual reports.

3.  Specific Duties and Responsibilities 

• Update and maintain the program’s communications strategy, honing in on how various communications activities relate to the strategy.
• Develop messaging guide that balances sophistication and authenticity, including secondary messages for specific project components (known as task orders).
• Define general parameters for how to recognize the types of communications inputs (such as photos, stories, etc.) in the field for technical staff.
• Develop a visual brand and style for social media posts, oversee quality and content of social posts, and develop templates for social media “shareables.”
• Develop a common look and structure for program impact videos.
• Develop templates for posters and materials that comply with USAID’s brand and are also visually compelling.
• Develop social media toolkits for USAID to facilitate USAID/Lebanon sharing of CSP content.
• Support CSP’s technical team leads and Lebanese counterparts to increase outreach about USAID assistance through the following means:

• Providing technical input into activity-level communications and outreach plans
• Organizing public events, such as launching events, campaigns, and press conferences
• Developing press releases
• Assisting in the development of content, including but not limited to: factsheets, brochures, posters, billboards, and TV/radio ads

• Ensure quality and consistency of project records and use verified monitoring, education, and learning (MEL) data to contribute to required reports, including but not limited to: weekly reports, quarterly reports, and annual reports.

• Manage and supervise the work of local subcontractor Quantum Communications and serve as its primary point of contact with CSP for technical issues.

• Ensure that the project is adhering to USAID’s branding requirements and draft and maintain appropriate communications templates
• Other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party

4.  Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in a related field from an accredited university
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in communications and outreach with donor-funded programs in Lebanon and/or the wider region
• Previous experience managing teams required
• Experience with USAID-funded programs strongly preferred
• Familiarity with Lebanon’s municipalities, local communities, and community-based organizations strongly preferred
• Exposure to one or more of CSP’s technical focus areas preferred: local economic development/livelihoods, community stabilization, service delivery, capacity building, workforce development, or wastewater management
• Ability to work independently, as well as within a large, fast-paced team with proven interpersonal skills
• Outstanding written and spoken English and Arabic required

5.  Place of Assignment

The Director of Communications and Outreach will be based in the program’s office space in Beirut and will be expected to travel to areas of operation throughout the country as needed.

6.  Reporting

The Director of Communications and Outreach will report directly to the CSP Chief of Party, or equivalent.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants who can legally work in Lebanon will be considered for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination.