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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) – Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (IMF-CEF) based in Kuwait is seeking to hire a Communications Officer. The position of Communications Officer is a full-time local contractual position with an initial appointment term of one year, renewable.

Basic Function of the position:

The Communications Officer will lead the CEF’s efforts to strengthen its outreach in Kuwait and, more broadly, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Officer will achieve this by leading the effort to develop the CEF’s communication strategy including impact analysis, establishing deeper contacts with media and other relevant stakeholders (local, regional, and global) to enhance the visibility of CEF’s operations and increase synergies with other institutions; developing the CEF website and social media strategy, managing digital communications in consultation with the relevant COM teams in HQ to improve the real-time provision of CEF information; and facilitating outreach events. Additionally, the Communications Officer is expected to serve as a lead administrator and project manager for specialized CEF programs. This involves consulting with CEF partners to ensure smooth organization and execution of joint training programs, engaging with ICD to streamline CEF program-related admin and IT tasks, and sharing IMF best practices on course design and delivery with the Course Administrators (CAs) while ensuring a good fit of these practices to regional needs. Reporting: The Communications Officer will report to the CEF’s management (the Director and Deputy Director), who set the Officer’s work assignments and priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the CEF’s management, the selected candidate will:

• Consult with the relevant COM teams in HQ to develop a digital communications strategy tailored to the CEF’s objectives and target audience, covering both social media engagement and website management and optimization. Conduct analytics to track the performance and effectiveness of digital communication efforts. Coordinating the preparation and communication of value creation stories on CEF program impact. Provide training to the team involved in managing the website.
• Strengthen links with local and regional media to enhance coverage of CEF’s events. Establish contact with the relevant organizations and extend invitations to attend CEF events. Leverage social media platforms to increase the reach and visibility of CEF events. Coordinate post-event follow-up and coverage and assess the effectiveness of outreach efforts in a timely manner and within reasonable deadlines.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen synergies with IMF and non-IMF partners and other institutions (such as universities and think tanks). Initiate dialogue and explore collaboration opportunities with these institutions. Identify specific thematic areas where collaboration can add value and generate impact.
• Coordinate the periodic review of the CEF’s contact list, identifying any outdated or incorrect information, reflecting any recent organizational changes, and adding new contacts.
• Oversee the management of the Center website and provide real-time support to the CEF’s outreach efforts in the MENA region, including by distributing and publishing CEF information and other communication material on both the website and social media during Kuwait business hours.
• Manage Moodle; CPI; PATS; CVENT at the CEF and collaborate with the CEF Senior IT Officer for higher level IT support.
• Research, recommend, and implement innovative solutions to further streamline training administration (e.g., the use of course management systems). Oversee the work of Course Administrators (CAs) on new initiatives; provide training and guidance as needed; and supervise the smooth introduction of new processes in consultation with the CEF management.
• Collaborate with Program Officers to communicate IT program details and training activities utilized by the ICD-Training Administration Section. Provide training and initial troubleshooting for IT issues while coordinating with CEFIT and TGS for advanced IT support.
• Coordinate training programs with partner organizations, especially the Arab Monetary Fund.
• Lead efforts to launch participant and directors of training surveys at CEF and report results to CEF management; this may require supervising assigned duties to staff involved in the exercise.
• Report training data to the CEF Director and Budget section, using data-mining techniques (e.g., PeopleSoft queries).
• Work closely with CEF management, ICD-TAS and IMS as the lead administrative coordinator on online learning initiatives while assisting in monitoring online course websites and facilitating accessibility to CEF course participants.

Competencies:

The selected candidate will be expected to demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge of and practical experience in a range of communications strands, such as media relations, message targeting, stakeholder management, and marketing communications.

Familiarity with digital communication management (website and social media) and online writing techniques.

• Excellent writing, editing and research skills, and an ability to produce high-quality and engaging material for both internal and external consumption.
• Ability to think strategically and to rapidly synthesize information from various sources into concise conclusions and recommendations. Big picture thinking, with strong problem-solving skills, while maintaining a pulse on the details.
• High levels of initiative, judgement, and decisiveness in accomplishing tasks; and ability to work independently under stress and to juggle multiple tasks on tight deadlines.
• Strong diplomatic, interpersonal, and teamwork skills. Demonstrated willingness to assist others and perform whatever tasks necessary to help the team achieve its goals.

Qualifications and Experience:

• BA / BS / MA in a relevant field of study, including communication, public relations, media studies, mass communication, advertising, or equivalent combination of academic background and relevant experience.
• Five or more years of relevant work experience in a multi-cultural environment, preferably with background on communications, project management, and programming.
• Demonstrated IT skills with Fund standard softwares. Solid analytical skills and proven knowledge of databases (Access/Peoplesoft), including creating and running complex queries. Knowledge of course management systems (CMS), particularly Moodle is a must. Ability to effectively use the Internet and quickly grasp new technologies.
• Proficiency in both English and Arabic languages is a must.

This position is based in Kuwait. Applicants must hold current work authorization.

Interested candidates should submit (i) their cover letter and (ii) curriculum vitae (CV) accompanied by (iii) identification documents (passport and/or national identity card) and (iv) two professional references with contact details.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Department:

ICDAI CE IMF-Middle East Center

Hiring For:

A

The IMF is committed to achieving a diverse staff, including age, creed, culture, disability, educational background, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, nationality, race, religion and beliefs, and sexual orientation. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process.