Scope of Work
Position Title:
Acting Communications Manager
Contract Name:
Feed the Future Market Systems & Partnerships (MSP)
Contract No:
7200AA20C00054
Period of Performance:
March 3, 2025 – July 31, 2025
Place of Performance:
Remote
Maximum Level of Effort (LOE):
93 days
Project Description: The Feed the Future Market Systems & Partnerships (MSP) Activity is a dynamic program that provides USAID/Washington, USAID Missions, and other U.S Government operating units and their international and local implementing partners with the evidence, capacity, tools, technical assistance, and services required to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate market systems development (MSD) and private sector engagement (PSE) activities. MSP is a DC-based contract with a global footprint.
MSP four core objectives (i) facilitate nearly 50 private sector partnerships globally that create shared value from the alignment of core business objectives and development goals; (2) support USAID in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of MSD and PSE activities; (3) advance learning through developing theoretical frameworks and practical implementation tools; and, (4) strengthen capacity of USAID and implementers to design, implement, monitor, evaluate, and learn from MSD and PSE activities.
Context of the Position and General Technical Requirements: This key position will provide coverage while MSP’s long-term Communications Manager is on parental leave. To meaningfully advance MSP’s four objectives, MSP must continuously consult, learn from, support, influence and strategically communicate with a diverse set of stakeholders, including various segments within USAID, implementing partners, and market actors (especially the private sector). As an Activity, a key measure of our legacy will be the extent to which other industry stakeholders accessed, absorbed, adopted, sustainably applied, and further adapted key learning products and technical resources (e.g. tools, frameworks, job aides). Communications functions are a critical element of this strategy and the professionalism and quality of our communications and products is paramount. The Acting Communications Manager is therefore a pivotal member of our team and of our impact logic.
The Acting Communications Manager will provide leadership during the period in the execution of the project’s overall communications plan, provide creative leadership and delivery for strategic communication initiatives, and directly supervise and manage the communications team, which includes a full-time Communications Specialist and a part-time Communications Consultant. The Acting Communications Manager will oversee the communications team to advise and support communications for individual pieces of work, create tailored MSP communications materials, ensure adherence to the MSP Branding Strategy and Marking Plan (including consistent application of USAID or Feed the Future branding requirements), oversee MSP’s online presence (website, social media, events, etc), support routine communications and reporting efforts (e.g. regular newsletters, quarterly partnership reporting, semi-annual reporting) and provide day-to-day quality control of technical deliverables and products through copyediting, formatting, and basic design/layout assistance.
The successful candidate will be a go-getter, self-starter, roll-up-my-sleeves individual with well-respected competence in communications. S/he/they will bring a curious, problem-solving, and collaborative orientation to a complex, exciting high-profile program, which is operating at the heart of innovation and evolution within USAID’s approach to inclusive economic development. S/he/they will also have demonstrated skills in managing others—ging assigned work flows, reviewing deliverables, addressing quality control, motivating and building capacity in staff, etc.
Job Description Requirements:
Tasks and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Lead implementation of MSP’s communications efforts during the period of April – July 2025 (with a training/onboarding period during March 2025).
- Oversee and coordinate all communications workflows, including learning product development and dissemination, partnership communications, and project-wide communications and reporting. Collaborate closely with the communications team and the broader MSP team to ensure smooth progress of all tasks, leveraging the communication team's project management tool, ClickUp, to stay organized and on track.
- Manage the communications team, which currently includes supervising a full-time Communications Specialist and long-term Communications Consultant—prioritizing and distributing tasks and deadlines, monitoring work-flows and resource utilization, proactively planning and responding to resource gaps including through engaging specialized vendors or consultants for surge support or specialized needs, motivating staff, and providing quality control oversight and regular feedback.
- Coordinate and communicate with other MSP team members who are the engagement manager or technical lead on the below tasks, providing updates on timelines and available bandwidth of the communications team.
- Take on design and other tactical tasks (examples provided below) when the Communications Specialist is traveling for partnerships site visits during this period.
- Note that a handover plan will provide an overview of products and a timeline of anticipated tasks, though additional requests and tasks will likely arise during this time. The Acting Communications Manager will be responsible for adding these to team’s workflow and managing delegation and prioritization with existing tasks.
Learning products development and dissemination:
- Oversee and ensure the quality of all learning products developed, published, and disseminated during this period. Manage the Communications Specialist and Communications Consultant in their respective learning product assignments, while also assisting with tactical tasks such as writing, copyediting, design, and coordination with surge support consultants as needed. A handover plan will provide an overview of products and a timeline of anticipated tasks, though additional requests from team members may arise during this time.
- Supervise the posting of products on Agrilinks and Marketlinks as well as the implementation of dissemination strategies for each product including developing and posting LinkedIn posts, hosting webinars, and other promotion activities.
- Ensure quality control in copy editing and formatting services provided by the Communication Team, conducted in compliance with USAID style guide, USAID / Feed the Future branding and marking guidance, and MSP norms.
- Ensure published products are 508 compliant and oversee USAID clearance process of MSP communications as relevant.
Partnership communications:
- Oversee the implementation of existing private sector partnership communications plans which include success story and blog development, short video series, social media campaigns, and other materials requested by the client.
- Provide quality checks of partnership communications materials before they are shared with the client or posted.
- As needed, contribute to success story development and day-to-day management of communications plans for specific partnerships.
- Support with development of success story vignettes and other related materials from site visit trips happening during the period.
Project-wide communications and reporting:
- Supervise a number of ongoing tasks, providing input and review as needed, while the Communications Specialist and Communications Consultant manage the day-to-day execution, including: the social media calendar and regular updates of MSP’s LinkedIn page, MSP’s bi-monthly newsletter, partnerships quarterly reports, and regular updates of MSP’s website on Agrilinks.
- Manage development of the design of MSP’s semiannual report, due April 15. This will involve supervising the design of the content as well as overseeing copyediting and quality review checks. Additionally, support on the design tasks required for the report, as needed.
Required Qualifications
- Experience managing communications teams
- Bachelors degree in communications, business, international development, or related discipline and at least five years of prior work experience in communications and/or knowledge management-related work.
- Practical experience working with teams to develop/refine and implement communication initiatives
- Experience applying and maintaining style guides, with strong preference for direct experience applying USAID and/or Feed the Future branding requirements
- Strong written and oral communications skills in English; demonstrated expertise in proofreading and formatting
- Excellent aesthetic sense combined with experience applying basic visual design skills to serve business communication objectives
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Reliability and ability to work independently and in a team environment
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
- Demonstrated experience using Adobe Creative Suite or Canva to create simple visual aides (e.g. icons, infographics, etc) to enhance communication of key messages and the user experience with information
- Ability to work in the US
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with economic growth, agriculture, or finance programming within a USAID or other donor context
- Experience contributing to design of participatory virtual events and exchanges
Place of Performance : Remote work. Ability to overlap with EST working hours preferred. This role is for a consultant to provide short term technical assistance. It is expected that the Acting Communications Manager will work part-time hours from March 3 – 31, 2025 and be available to work full-time hours from April 1 – July 31, 2025.
Reporting: The Acting Communications Manager will report to the Senior Systems Learning Advisor who will also formally approve invoices.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.
DAI and its employees are committed to confronting discrimination in all forms, nurturing respect for our
interpersonal relationships, and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company
and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting
and retaining the best employees from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in our continued effort to
become a better development partner.
DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation,
abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to
stringent vetting and reference checks.
DAI ORGANIZATION AND VALUES
DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom,
EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and
economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability.
DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact.
We are committed to shaping a more livable world.
DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for
positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and
work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in
our continued effort to become a better development partner. DAI upholds the highest ethical standards.
We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other
ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.
DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veter an.
