OTI Communications Team Leader – Washington, D.C (GS-14) At US Agency for International Development

The OTI Communications Team Leader is a full-time Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-14 equivalent level and located in Washington, D.C. Offers for this position are due no later than July 23, 2021 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please read the entire solicitation at www.OTIjobs.net.

INTRODUCTION:

The OTI Communications Team Leader is expected to be dedicated primarily to outreach and communications activities. While the Communications Team Leader may be supervised by any OTI division leader or their designee, the primary supervisor for the position under this solicitation will be OTI’s PLI Deputy Division Chief or their designee.

The Communications Team Leader is responsible for conceptualizing, developing and implementing a wide range of outreach and communications strategies for OTI including ensuring the Communications team’s ability to deliver relevant technical assistance to regional teams. The Communications Team Leader also oversees development of new outreach products and delivery of staff training pertaining to outreach and public affairs. The Communications Team Leader also oversees the generation and maintenance of OTI information on the USAID website and compilation, editing, and dissemination of OTI reports and updates.

While the Communications Team Leader works under the direction of the PLI Deputy Division Chief, he or she must demonstrate a high degree of autonomy and responsibility. The incumbent must be articulate and able to represent OTI in various forums, meetings and seminars and have a sound understanding of USAID’s operational processes in Washington. The Communications Team Leader must have excellent writing, editing, storytelling, and interpersonal skills and an understanding of U.S. policy interests and the role transition programming can play in the mitigation of conflict and the development of democracy. The Communications Team Leader must be able to communicate effectively, in person and in writing, with diverse audiences and is able to accomplish a wide range of assignments on short notice.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and oversee the work of the OTI Communications Team including communications specialists, coordinators, assistants and/or interns and provide effective oversight of management, logistical, budget, administrative, human resources, and contractual issues;
• Provide orientation, training, and mentoring to Communications Team members; assign work, explain how duties are to be performed to meet expectations and communicate how the successful performance of those duties will be measured; evaluate staff performance; recognize good performance; communicate where performance needs to be improved; resolve complaints; approve leave requests and timesheets as well as training, travel, program, and operations requests;
• Develop and implement OTI’s office-level and country-specific strategic communications plans, including OTI’s messaging and branding, social media presence, cultivating strategic outreach opportunities, developing information products, and monitoring/supporting implementation of plans;
• Oversee content creation across OTI’s social media accounts and assist with campaigns involving other USAID offices;
• Oversee production and distribution of OTI print and multimedia materials disseminated through OTI’s external and internal websites and for presentations to internal and external audiences, including updating guidelines for OTI staff and editing documents;
• Manage OTI reporting needs, including but not limited to, OTI’s Annual Report, Congressional Budget Justification, regular/monthly program reporting, and daily/weekly bullets to USAID leadership;
• Initiate, design and deliver training and mentoring for OTI staff and implementing partners to better communicate about OTI and OTI’s programs in both Washington and the field;
• Represent and articulate OTI’s mission and global programs to key players (i.e. select visitors, officials from international organizations, bilateral donors, and national and local foreign government officials);
• Identify, develop, and maintain professional relationships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), implementers, international donors, USAID offices, U.S. government agencies and other organizations of importance to OTI programs in Washington and the field; serving as a liaison to coordinate outreach activities, respond to media inquiries, and assist in the preparation of presentations and briefings;
• Seek out and initiate new forums through which OTI can more effectively engage with key audiences based on the analysis of current outreach efforts, new outreach priorities, and targets identified by OTI country teams and office leadership. Advise OTI country teams and office leadership on improving effectiveness of their outreach to target audiences within USAID and with key stakeholders;
• Coordinate with OTI’s graphic design team to ensure office videography, photography and graphic design needs are met;
• Provide support to OTI country program teams as an auxiliary team member in the field and in Washington, DC, traveling to countries in which OTI works;
• Act as PLI Division Chief during their absence;
• As required, perform services under this scope of work at physical locations other than Washington OTI headquarters, including within other USAID offices, bureaus or other USG agencies for a period not to exceed six months; and,
• Serve on short-term assignments with other USAID offices or bureaus in direct support of OTI programs for a period not to exceed three months.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

At a minimum, the offeror must have:

1. A Master’s Degree with seven (7) years of work experience;

OR

A Bachelor’s Degree with nine (9) years of work experience;

AND

1. Seven (7) years of experience with a U.S. government foreign affairs agency, international or domestic assistance organization, or non-governmental organization developing and implementing strategic communications programs or other communications-related work;
2. Four (4) years of experience with supervising, mentoring, training, and/or guiding staff;
3. One (1) year of overseas field experience working in developing countries.

Please direct questions about this position or the offer process to the OTI Recruitment Team at otijobs@usaid.gov.