Communications Officer
JOB DETAIL
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB/the Bank) is seeking to recruit a dynamic professional for the role of Communications Officer (CO). The successful candidate will be based at CDB’s headquarters in St. Michael, Barbados.
THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Communications and Corporate Affairs (DCCA) portfolio includes corporate communications, corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate events, media and other stakeholder relations and supporting the advocacy work of the Bank. The Department shapes CDB’s internal and external voice and amplifies its impact through effective partnerships, high-impact thought leadership, and institutional storytelling. Core to the work of the Department is delivering programmes that inspire connection, ignite conversations, and advance CDB’s work and brand.
THE ROLE
Reporting to the Director, Communications and Corporate Affairs, the Communications Officer (CO) will plan and execute internal and external communication strategies and tactics that will improve employee engagement, strengthen the Bank’s brand, broaden awareness of its programmes, projects and priorities, and increase the knowledge of the impact of its work across key stakeholder audiences. In particular, the CO will play a key role in promoting the work of the Projects Department. The CO will plan and execute internal and external communication strategies and tactics to enhance project visibility, engage stakeholders, and strengthen the Bank’s brand. This role will also align with the Bank’s broader communications strategy to amplify its work across the region.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The CO will be required to:
- Develop and implement a communications strategy that effectively showcases the impact of the CDB’s Projects Department, across various platforms, ensure all communications reflect the Bank’s commitment to sustainable development, environmental, climate resilience, and social equity, aligning them with the broader goals of the SDGs, ensure the communications strategy complies with CDB’s strategic plan, corporate communications policy and the visibility guidelines of strategic funding partners.
- Support the implementation of the Bank’s communication programme and develop action plans, tools, and assets to engage and inform target audiences.
- Establish, maintain, and improve influencer and media relations to earn coverage and mentions of CDB-funded projects, programmes, and other activities. Actively promote media opportunities around key milestones, events, and successes related to the work of the Projects Department. Coordinate press conferences, media visits, and interviews to increase visibility of CDB’s contributions to regional development
- Collaborate with project teams to gather content and craft stories that highlight the impact of technical assistance and infrastructure projects on livelihoods, gender equality, and climate resilience.
- Contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of the Bank’s brand guidelines and key corporate messages.
- Produce information and knowledge products, including media kits, news releases, feature articles, impact stories, blogs, reports, speeches, booklets, brochures, newsletters, and videos.
- In collaboration with the Events and Conferences Officer, organise special events and activities such as roundtables, knowledge-sharing and promotional events, news conferences and briefing sessions.
- Create, edit and update content for CDB’s publications, website and other digital platforms.
- Measure and evaluate the results of DCCA’s communication programme to inform communication strategy and planning.
QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
The CO should have experience and an excellent track record in producing compelling content and demonstrated ability to consistently produce impactful communication plans and tactics. The CO should possess superior speaking, writing, editing and research skills. The CO should be able to work well independently as well as in teams and be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a deadline-driven environment.
The successful candidate should have:
- A postgraduate degree in communication, public relations, journalism, marketing, and a first degree in a related discipline.
- A minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in the field of corporate communications, strategic communications, or public relations, including demonstrable knowledge and competence in digital communications, social media management, web content management and analytics.
- A good understanding of international development issues.
The following are considered assets for this position:
- Experience working in regional and/or international media, and in a global development context.
- Experience in graphic design and video production.
- A second language competency (preferably French or Dutch).
COMPETENCIES
Function-specific Competencies
The CO must demonstrate capabilities in:
- Exceptional research, writing, editing, verbal and interpersonal communication
- Strong leadership, diplomacy and negotiation
- Verbal, written and interpersonal communication with the ability to effectively tailor language, tone, style and format to align with target publics, including the media.
- Research and editorial skills with knowledge of Associated Press style, and the ability to review, edit and write content for publication on wide-ranging channels.
- The design and implementation of complex internal and external communications projects.
- The production and editing of videos and other multimedia content for multiple platforms.
- Adobe Creative suite or other similar graphic design applications, still photography and video.
- Event production and management, with both strategic and tactical competencies.
Behavioural Competencies
| Competency | Definition |
| Delivering High Quality Work | Critically reviews work processes to ensure quality; addresses problems that could impact quality; makes sure project deliverables and services meet all requirements and expectations; does not make the same mistakes twice. |
| Displaying Technical Expertise | Keeps his/her technical skills current; effectively applies specialised knowledge and skills to perform work tasks; understands and masters the technical skills, knowledge, and tasks associated with his/her job; shares technical expertise with others. |
| Acting Strategically | Aligns day-to-day activities around broader organisational goals and objectives; prioritises resources based on the strategic objectives of the organisation; recognises and rewards people based on how their actions support the broader needs of the organisation. |
| Acting Decisively | Moves quickly to make decisions and commits to a clear course of action; comfortable making decisions based on partial information; willing to take risks in order to maintain momentum; shows a strong bias toward action. |
| Communicating Effectively | Consistently communicates with clarity and thoroughness to optimise audience understanding. Communicates information in a clear, concise, and timely manner. Demonstrates effective speaking and presentation skills. |
| Driving for Results | Bottom-line oriented and pushes self and others to achieve results. Keeps current on project status; makes sure people are aware of project status and what they need to do to keep things moving; redirects project resources and activities to overcome setbacks; elevates project concerns to senior levels of leadership when appropriate. |
| Acting as a Champion for Change | Actively identifies problems and opportunities for change and implements solutions where appropriate. Maintains effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; and supports people in their efforts to try new things. |
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
This role is a full-time position with the successful candidate being contracted on a two-year basis in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal. The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The benefits package includes a pension plan, life and medical insurances.
Before you proceed to apply, please consider the following requirements:
- You must be a national of one of CDB’s member countries.
- You will be required to produce evidence of any educational and professional qualifications to support your application if you are selected for an interview.
- All appointments are subject to satisfactory background checks and references.
CDB fully respects the need for confidentiality of information supplied and assures you that we will not discuss your background and interest with anyone including references, without your prior consent.
The deadline for submission of applications is November 18, 2024 at 11:59 pm AST.
The Caribbean Development Bank is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious, cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, or disabilities. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Bank provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities who participate in the job application or interview process. Please contact us to request such accommodation.
