Solicitations open to: Ukrainian Nationals (Residency/Ukrainian Work Permit)
Solicitation No.: 720-121-24-R-10010
Position Title: Development Outreach and Communications Specialist (Digital Production)
Issuance date: August 09, 2024
Closing date and time: August 23, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Kyiv Time
Work hours: 40 hours (Full time)
Position Grade: FSN-11
Market Value: Basic Annual Rate (in U.S. Dollars): $43,147 - $56,088 In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Ukraine.
Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
Place of Performance: Kyiv, Ukraine
Period of Performance: Five-Year Period of Performance with possibility extension
Security Level Required: Facility Access
STATEMENT OF DUTIES:
The Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) Specialist is located in the USAID/Ukraine Program Office (PRO), DOC Unit, Digital Outreach team and reports directly to the Senior DOC Advisor and/or the Program Office Directorโs designee.
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as chief advisor to the Mission on raising awareness of USAID activities and goals through digital outreach. The person in this role identifies digital trends and emerging policy-relevant issues and advises Mission leadership on strategies for promoting accurate, balanced outreach on U.S. development activities and foreign policy priorities.
The position is located within the DOC team and reports directly to the Senior Communications Advisor, and indirectly to the Program Office (PRO) Director and the Mission Director. The DOC Specialist engages directly and regularly with the Public Affairs Section (PAS) and other Embassy Kyiv sections and agencies.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Digital Production Specialist is located in the USAID/Ukraine Program Office (PRO), DOC Unit, Communications Team and reports directly to the Senior Communications Advisor and/or the Program Office Directorโs designee. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as chief advisor to the Mission on raising awareness of USAID activities and goals through digital engagement.
Content Planning and Development (60%)
- Social Media Oversight: Leads staff in the design, development, production and management of all visual and multimedia content, which includes: video and audio material; storyboards; graphics; artwork; and similar visual and multimedia products. In coordination with DOC, technical office and implementing partner (IP) staff, develops and manages a biweekly social media plan with draft posts and graphics. Leads the design and development of social media campaigns, including campaigns on specific development sectors, short-term campaigns that coincide with international observances, campaigns that support foreign policy objectives, and others. Serves as the Missionโs advisor on impactful social media strategies, campaigns, and posts to help achieve development objectives. Identifies social media opportunities for Mission leadership and other staff. Monitors and alerts mission leadership on important social media trending topics or Mission-related social media posts.
- Strategic Communications: The person in this role counsels the USAID Mission on the selection, targeting, and placement of potential DOC materials in keeping with USAID's country program strategy. The Specialist takes into account the need to identify and focus on key sectors that have a natural appeal to local interest as well as USG policies; the importance of ensuring that materials used will be non-controversial; and that the material is visually appealing, well-defined, and contains a human interest element. Responsible for putting in place policies and procedures for Mission communications that clarify roles and responsibilities within the Mission and Embassy and with implementing partners, including templates for various communications tools, standards for creating and finalizing DOC materials, and guidelines for planning and managing events. The Mission will rely on the Digital Production Specialist for advice on nuanced communications questions, including platforms and tone.
- Visual Selection: Identifies, selects, designs, and customizes compelling visual and/or multimedia material for inclusion in strategic content packages. Identifies visual and multimedia products (templates, stock images, video clips) for acquisition from USG sources, third parties such as NGOs and GOU partners, and partner institutions, and commercial vendors. Oversees the maintenance of the Missionโs archive of visual and multimedia materials. Ensures uniformity of aesthetics and USAID branding, and that all products comply with Ukrainian laws and USAID regulations.
- COR Duties: The Digital Production Specialist will serve as COR for the Missionโs communications support activity (currently in planning stage) expected to be $200,000 per year over five years, funds permitting. Oversees all aspects of contract execution: providing creative direction and feedback; ensuring contractor adheres to USAID Branding & Marking guidelines; provides quality control, ensuring accountability and timeliness for deliverables.
Graphic Design and Video Production (20%)
- Content Creation: Leads the DOC team's efforts in graphic design and visual support for outreach and communications materials, including creation of infographics, designing esthetic โlooksโ of social media campaigns, and formatting key outreach materials. Compiles/edits strategic content packages incorporating policy material and appropriate visual/multimedia elements to support Mission objectives, appeal to priority audience segments, and meet multiple format requirements for dissemination. Defines, designs, and creates original professional graphics, infographics, branding, photos, etc., as well as multimedia material to support Mission public engagement with all audience groups, using tools such as Adobe Premiere, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Drafts questions or scripts for videos or video interviews as needed.
- Video Production: Creates, splices together, and formats simple videos for use on social media. Creates strategic communications tools to communicate USAID/Ukraineโs mission and strategy to Ukrainian, American, and internal U.S. Government audiences. Conducts on-camera interviews with beneficiaries and/or other stakeholders in all sectors USAID is engaged with, on location or in-house, using digital photo/video equipment and current techniques. Responsible for post-production of visual and multimedia content using Adobe Premiere/ AfterEffects (or equivalent tools in Ukraine); creates closed captioned text files as required; tags and archives all visual and multimedia content as required.
- Other Responsibilities: Oversees or assists with recording and editing of podcasts, video, and audio items for upload onto websites or Facebook pages and other media. The incumbent also tracks license and equipment acquisitions to build and sustain Mission digital production capacity, in collaboration with the DOC team.
Leadership, Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation (20%)
- Supervision: Supervises two employees, an FSN-10 Social Media Specialist and a Videographer and Graphic Designer (grade TBD). Provides on-the-job training and delegates assignments, with clear roles and responsibilities. Holds staff accountable for quality, performance, and professional behavior. Ensures DOC staff have the necessary training, resources, support, and guidance to productively operate with high morale.
- Landscape Analysis: Researches, tracks, and analyzes digital trends to identify changing audience preferences for content structure and format, including graphic, video, photo, and audio components. Working with the DOC team, tracks audience demographics, interests, and information consumption preferences. Actively plans at least two months in advance to schedule production of multimedia and other digital products required for the editorial calendar of policy priorities, as well as multiple products for the projected slate of Mission programs and activities.
- Content Analysis: In coordination with the Missionโs monitoring and evaluation specialist, plans and implements outreach and communications to raise awareness of USAID and U.S. foreign assistance activities. Performs performance monitoring to the extent it supports the Missionโs learning, communications, and outreach requirements. The mission understands situations change and ad hoc needs will need to be accommodated throughout the year. To the extent possible, indicators should be created, measured, and reported to illustrate the impact of communications and outreach efforts, and applied to subsequent yearsโ strategic planning.
- Strategic Planning: Develops a social media strategy in line with the Missionโs Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and Mission Communications Strategy that is tailored to specific platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) to reach various audiences. Develops an annual communications and outreach strategy and implementation plan, with resource demands and activity leads, in-line with LPAโs Mission Communications Plan guidance and the Embassy Public Affairs Sections (PAS).