Chief Communications Officer

Communications Division

Grade: 1

Location: Lisbon

The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) is looking to hire a Chief Communications Officer to offer his/her services with overseeing and managing all communications and public affairs activities for KAICIID and with performing other related duties. You will be headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, and work with an engaged and multicultural team of passionate individuals to deliver on our global mandate.

AN INTRODUCTION TO KAICIID

The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) is a unique International Organization which brings together religious leaders, policymakers, and experts with the aim of finding common solutions to shared problems. Our vision is a world where there is respect, understanding, and cooperation among people, justice, peace and reconciliation, and an end to the abuse of religion to justify oppression, violence, and conflict.

KAICIID aims to create a more peaceful world by promoting dialogue and supporting religious leaders and communities in tackling our most pressing problems. We do this through education and training, convening religious leaders and policymakers, and carrying out research to encourage and enhance interreligious and intercultural dialogue. We work with our partners to build their capacities, connections, and confidence.

Our work focuses on four pressing and linked issues that challenge humanity: violent conflict; migration; the climate emergency, and social cohesion. We bring together religious leaders with policymakers to find constructive ways to address these issues through dialogue. Our work respects and values the differences between faiths and cultures but promotes the idea that we share a common humanity and a collective need to address these problems. Through all our work run three threads: youth engagement, gender, and policy development.

YOUR TEAM

The KAICIID Communications Division promotes the role of dialogue in securing peace around the world, share inspiring stories and to promote the work of the Centre. We promote dialogue through different types of media across our numerous channels such as our social media accounts, newsletter and website. The goal is to win support for the Centre’s mandate and a positive reception of the outcomes its work achieves.

In coordination with the Programme Division, the Communications Division engages KAICIID’s audiences with information that fosters an up-to-date, actionable and relevant understanding of the Centre’s mission and work. As such, it is a vital part of advancing strategic communications across the organization, attracting positive attention, strengthening recognition of the Centre’s work and raising the profile of the organization.

YOUR ROLE         

This is a key position within the organization, ensuring strategic and effective communications, helping to oversee the development and implementation of the Centre’s communications strategy and its alignment with the Centre’s Strategic Plan, and to shape organizational communications priorities and improve the Centre’s branding, programming, messaging and public positioning.

The Chief Communications Officer reaches out to religious and secular media, as well as to the public via public lectures, presentations, speeches, web and social media broadcasting, digital publishing, multimedia and print publications. The Chief Communications Officer reports directly to the Secretary General.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication Strategy & Planning

• Leading the development and implementation of Centre’s communication strategy;
• Strengthening the Centre’s capacity to communicate effectively its programmatic work to public, partners and influential audiences;
• Identifying and recommending opportunities for strategic positioning on national and international platforms;
• Developing the media outreach plan, in close collaboration with the Programme Division;
• Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with key media outlets and journalists;
• Managing reputational risk and media relations;
• Advising, developing, ensuring the quality and consistency of its implementation and innovating Centre’s communication on all relevant channels;
• Managing the Centre’s branding including corporate identity guidelines and templates and overseeing their implementation.

Senior Leadership Contribution:

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) contributing to the reflections on continuous improvement to the Centre at an operational and human level; to the development of the Centre’s multi-years’ strategy and providing regular and substantive input on various proposals for resources mobilisation and communication products and supports;
• Advising the SLT and all staff on the design and delivery of external communications to ensure clarity and consistency regarding the information about the Centre’s activities and its position on key, relevant topics.

Budget & Operations Management

• Developing and implementing the annual budget and operating plan for the Division;
• Ensuring that all activities are in line with Centre’s policies and procedures;
• Overseeing cross-team collaborations on major advocacy/outreach campaigns in key policy/thematic areas of the Centre’s work.

Publications & Digital Products

• Leading the development, design and production of effective publications (print and online) as well as broadcast of digital products; including proactive and reactive communications strategy and crisis communications, taking account of the Centre’s website, social media presence and other opportunities;

Team Management & Staff Development

• Ensuring quality and consistency in the development and roll out of training tools and toolkits covering all aspects of communication;
• Inspire, coach, and support the Communications Division staff;
• Foster teamwork and communication within the team;
• Facilitating capacity-building for the Centre’s staff.

Representation & Partnership

• Represent the Centre at policy level meetings and workshop;
• Maintaining active relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Undertaking continual monitoring to identify opportunities, liabilities and propose means to address these liabilities in the best interest of the Centre’s public and stakeholder perception.
• Performing any other duties as required.

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Advanced university degree in Communications, Public Relations, Media, Journalism, or other related field;
• At least twenty (20) years of progressively responsible professional experience in leading communications teams in international or intergovernmental organizations,
• Proven experience in leading high profile communication strategies and media outreach;
• Strong and extensive network of top-level media contacts globally;
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and operational plans;
• Experience in team leadership and staff development;
• Experience with and knowledge of interreligious and intercultural dialogue is desirable;
• Demonstrated communication skills, including ability to interact independently with internal and external stakeholders and to speak in public;
• Flexible work attitude and ability to work well under pressure and meet unexpected demands;
• Experience as a journalist would be an asset as well as working in developing countries and field experience in international development contexts;
• Demonstrated conceptual and analytical skills, strategic thinking and the ability to rapidly learn and apply new concepts;
• Ability to build constructive working relationships and partnerships within and outside the Centre, at all levels, in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment, with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

*This vacancy has been reopened to broaden the pool of candidates. All previously submitted applications will be considered. Please do not reapply if you have already submitted your application.

LANGUAGES

• English proficiency (written and spoken) and knowledge of one of the following languages would be desirable: Arabic, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

KAICIID offers fixed-term contracts of one year with a possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance and the continuing need for the position. The monthly salary for this role is EUR 10,076 (Grade 1, Step 1) and is exempt from income tax in Portugal. Other benefits for eligible staff members who are not nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station include housing allowance, education allowance, relocation allowance, home leave travel and private health insurance.

As part of the recruitment process candidates will be evaluated against the KAICIID values and competencies framework.

KAICIID is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds to apply.