Speechwriter and Content Editor (English and Spanish) – Communications Senior Specialist/Specialist

Job Description

Background: Our Strategic Communications Unit, within the Office of the Presidency, is currently looking for a bilingual communicator to join our team in Washington, D.C. You will be a part of a small group of professionals responsible for the IDB Group’s executive and internal communications. Your creative, storytelling and writing skills in Spanish are essential to the role. Candidates should also enjoy working under pressure and have a demonstrated ability to produce content in multiple formats under tight deadlines.

The team: The Unit´s main responsibility is to support the communications of the Office of the President, contribute to develop the Bank’s corporate communications priorities, coordinate, and provide guidelines for internal communications and community relations, and develop cross-cutting messages to help position the IDB Group and promote its mission. The Unit maintains close coordination with the Communications Division, within the Knowledge, Innovation and Communications Sector, to ensure proper alignment and coordination of all communication efforts with our country offices, operational sectors, corporate functions, IDBLab, and IDBInvest.

ABOUT THE IDB:

At the Inter-American Development Bank, we are devoted to improving lives. Since 1959, we have been a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We do more than lending though. We partner with our 48-member countries to provide Latin America and the Caribbean with groundbreaking research about relevant development issues, policy advice to inform their decisions, and technical assistance to improve on the planning and execution of projects. For this, we need people who not only have the right skills, but also are passionate about improving lives.

OUR CULTURE:

Our people are committed and passionate about improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean, and they get to do what they love in a diverse, collaborative, and multicultural work environment. We are the first Latin American and Caribbean development institution to be awarded the EDGE certification, recognizing our strong dedication to gender equality. We encourage women, afro-descendants, Indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ+ Community, and persons with disabilities to apply. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job interview process. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at HRSC@iadb.org to request a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.

What you will do:

The selected candidate will be a proven leader in helping senior executives succeed with internal and external communications that position them as thought-leaders, engage key audiences and fulfill their strategic communications objectives. Specific responsibilities would be:

• • Work with senior leaders and staff to determine key points, themes, positions, and core messages for speeches and public statements.
  • Advise on strategic opportunities for speeches and public statements.
  • Develop outline with compelling narrative, including relevant examples of IDB Group activities and results.
  • Write speeches, briefings, testimonies, talking points, presentations, and other communications for executives.
  • Research, verify content, and transform complex concepts into clear, meaningful, and influential communications.
  • Gather, develop, and check the accuracy of information with thorough research and through interviews with subject matter specialists, program officials, and translate technical subjects into easily accessible narratives.
  • Write/edit articles, white papers, fact sheets, blogs, web content, and other publications, translating complicated concepts and ideas into clear language.
  • Strategically develop communications plans, engagement strategies, and messaging to communicate the IDB’s mission and activities.
  • Draft video scripts, production plans, and other communications materials while working with teams and vendors to produce multi-media communications products.
  • Work with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders to research, writer, and develop communications to promote IDB business internally and externally.
  • Use storytelling, creative messaging, and change management skills to manage projects, complete deliverables, and collaborate within a diverse communications team.
  • Translates the ideas, objectives, corporate position, and management philosophy into messaging that relates to the topic, speaker, and intended audience.
  • Compose editorials, press releases or articles representing management.
  • Handle unique internal/external projects that surface, including work with external partners and organizations to coordinate engagements.
  • Work with peers in the Communications Division to craft messages, speeches and ensure alignment and coordination to internal and external communicational efforts.
  • Promote continuous improvement and efficiencies in business and, people process, as well as the judicious use of financial and budgetary resources of the Institution.
  • May assist executive with speech delivery preparations.
  • Perform other duties related to the core functions of the role.

Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.

Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Education: You hold a master’s degree (or equivalent five years’ “Licenciatura”) in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Business Administration, or related field.

Experience: At least 5 years of proven experience related to the key responsibilities of the position. Including experience in executive and internal communications working with senior leaders, public relations, or journalism, preferably in an international institution or multinational corporation.

• Excellent writing skills, including experience in creating, editing, and proofreading within a professional organization.
• Understanding of the varied political and policy contexts in which the IDB Group operates.
• Excellent time management to meet strict deadlines and ability to work under pressure. Be flexible, resilient, and able to thrive in a dynamic, rapid-paced environment.
• Ability to synthesize information from a wide range of sources to develop thoughtful and original ideas.
• Very high rigor and ability to understand/research data, facts, trends, examples, and stories.
• Knowledge and practical experience with international organizations is an asset.
• Strong crisis communications and event planning experience desirable.
• Experience in LAC countries is strongly preferred. Knowledge of Washington D.C., regional and international media preferred.
• Outstanding social and communication skills with the ability to consult, partner and work effectively with senior leaders and business partners across countries, sectors, and group members.

Other relevant skills and knowledge

• • Professional experience writing speeches of various lengths and technical detail for a wide variety of audiences.
  • Demonstrated understanding of standard project management tools and concepts.
  • Strong skills in creative writing and storytelling across multiple platforms, proposal development, speeches, editing, and report writing.
  • Possess a strong understanding of the latest forms of modern communication from digital media/social media, to understanding the media landscape.
  • Strong digital literacy and MS Office abilities with an ability to work productively in SharePoint to accomplish tasks.
  • Ability to influence through meaningful insights and recommendations.
  • Understanding of our mission, organizational strategy, and business model.
  • Ability to interpret and apply policies and frameworks in a manner that is suitable to the involved parties and in the best interest of the IDB is a plus.
  • Pro-active, self-starter with ability to organize, prioritize and implement multiple projects across multiple partners simultaneously in a high-pressure environment.
• The deadline of applications is on 8 August 2022.

About the Organization

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the largest and leading source of financing for regional development in Latin America and the Caribbean among multilateral organizations. The IDB has a Country Office in each of the 26 borrowing countries, whose main responsibilities are: a) develop a close relationship and dialogue with public and private sector institutions to identify country development needs and goals attuned with its demand and context; b) Develop, implement, and monitor Bank's country and regional strategies; c) Formulate and coordinate the design and execution of projects; d) Oversee the delivery of country and regional operational programs and measure performance of sectors and support services.