OPPORTUNITY: Communication Specialist

POSITION TITLE: Communication Specialist
DURATION OF CONTRACT: One Year (renewable)
DEPARTMENT: Programmes
DUTY STATION: ACB Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
REPORTING TO: ASEAN ENMAPS Project Manager

TERMS OF REFERENCE

A. BACKGROUND

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence established through an agreement among the Governments of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2005. The ACB facilitates cooperation and coordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organisations, on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such biodiversity in the ASEAN region. Since its establishment, the ACB has lived up to its mandate of strengthening national and regional capacity for biodiversity conservation.

The ACB is the Implementing Partner of the GEF project, Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in Large Marine Ecosystems in the ASEAN Region (ASEAN ENMAPS), which is designed to address the coastal and marine ecosystem challenges in the ASEAN region through enhanced collaborative management of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other integrated coastal management and ecosystem-based fisheries management approaches. The objective of the project is to develop and improve the management of networks of MPAs and marine corridors within selected Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) in the ASEAN for the conservation of globally significant biodiversity and support for sustainable fisheries, and other ecosystem goods and services. This regional project will have a strong upscaling focus, including engagement with ASEAN working groups and LME governance mechanisms, as well as leveraging complementary investments across the ASEAN region. The ASEAN ENMAPS will be implemented for five (5) years, beginning in March 2024, in selected marine protected areas and marine corridors with high conservation importance across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The ACB is seeking dynamic, innovative and committed candidates for the position of Communication Specialist that will ensure that knowledge and communications are managed in such a way as to allow the project to learn effectively from other experiences and initiatives, while supporting the scaling up of project results at regional and national levels.

B. SCOPE OF DUTIES

The Programmes Department is the primary oversight of the ASEAN ENMAPS project with the technical and management support of the Project Management Unit (PMU). The Communication Specialist will be working under the PMU, directly reporting to the ASEAN ENMAPS Project Manager, and with technical guidance and supervision of the Director for Communication.

The Communication Specialist shall perform the following specific roles to ensure that the project objectives are efficiently achieved:

1. Provide technical assistance for the development and implementation of the project knowledge management and communication strategy and action plan to support effective learning and adaptive management, and to maximise outreach and scaling out of project results through the identification and effective targeting of key audiences;
2. Promote the project among national and regional stakeholders, ensure consistent communication materials and tools, and work with the National Technical Specialists and Project Associates in delivering national and local specific approaches;
3. Take the lead in the development and dissemination of outreach and promotional materials with consistent messaging, such as brochures, fact sheets, presentations and quarterly bulletins, and take the lead in designing event materials, briefing packets and press releases;
4. Document, package, and disseminate lessons learned during project implementation;
5. Facilitate Internet and social media linkages;
6. Engage with complementary projects and initiatives, facilitating contributions and cross-learning across the three countries and the broader ASEAN community; and
7. Perform other related tasks that may be assigned by the supervisor(s) from time to time.

C. QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Work Experience

• Master’s degree in mass communication, development communication, advertising, journalism or any other related fields and 5 years of related work experiences or its equivalency requirements:
  • Completed academic requirements in Master’s programme in mass communication, development communication, advertising, journalism or any other related course and 7 years of related work experiences; or
  • 18 units earned in Master’s programme in mass communication, development communication, advertising, journalism or any other related course and 9 years of related work experiences; or
  • Related bachelor’s degree in mass communication, development communication, advertising, journalism or any other related course and 12 years of related work experiences, or
  • Non-related Bachelor’s degree and 15 years related work experience.
• At least five years work experience in strategic communications, with two years supervisory experience
• Work experience in a reputable international or regional (ASEAN) environmental organisation is preferred
• With an existing network of media contacts in ASEAN is advantageous
• Good working knowledge of environment, forestry, ecosystems restoration, or biodiversity issues in the ASEAN is an advantage

Skills

• Proficiency in a variety of communications strategies and tools and products, especially in development communication
• Excellent verbal and exceptional written communication skills in English are is required, knowledge of other ASEAN languages is an asset
• Excellent in the use of Microsoft, Adobe, and other applications used in communications
• Able to prioritise, work well under pressure
• Efficient team player in a culturally diverse organisation
• Must have good leadership skills;
• Must have the ability to comply with work quality and deadlines
• Must provide assurance of the functionality of outputs
• Adept at working with international partners
• Adept at working within a multicultural working environment
• Ability to work independently and to manage effectively different tasks

Nationality

• Must be a national of any of the ASEAN Member States

D. COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS

Core Values

• Integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity
• Cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly
• Prudence, dependability, and accountability

Core Competencies

• Communication, teamwork, planning, and organising, accountability, commitment to continuous learning, and technological awareness

E. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants should prepare the following and send all to acb.hr@aseanbiodiversity.org:

1. A letter of intent of no more than two pages, elaborating how his/her qualifications and experiences make him/her suitable for the position. Address the letter to Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim. JP 2024-15 Communication Specialist should be indicated in the aforesaid letter.
2. Updated curriculum vitae, and diploma, or transcript of records
3. A completed Job Application Form (which can be downloaded here)

(**if the link does not download automatically, please RIGHT-CLICK on the link and select OPEN LINK IN NEW TAB or SAVE LINK AS)

Deadline for submission of completed applications is on 10 April 2024. Only applications with complete documentary requirements (Letter of Intent, completed Job Application Form, and curriculum vitae) will be processed. Applications received beyond this date will not be considered. All applicants will be given notice as to the status of their application. Previous applicants may apply again.

F. ADDITIONAL PROCEDURE

The ACB does not ask for payment at any stage of its recruitment process (application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee) nor authorises anyone to officially receive applications from prospective candidates, except through the ACB Human Resources Division. The public is strongly advised to be vigilant when dealing with financial transactions online and to report any suspicious individuals or accounts representing the ACB.

This job posting is intended for active pooling of candidates who will become part of the ACB’s talent pool. Applicant’s qualifications will be assessed against both current and future job openings of the ACB. The ACB Human Resources Division will reach out to the applicants whose knowledge, skills, and work experience are aligned with the ACB’s requirements.