Team Leader (SARDI) / Керівник_ця команди (Державне агентство відновлення та розвитку)

Chemonics International Inc.  

SCOPE OF WORK  

USAID Transformation Communications Activity  

Job Title: Team Leader for the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine 

Estimated Period of Performance/Level of Effort: 13 months (up to 40 hours per week within 13 months)

Background: 

In January 2023, the Government of Ukraine established the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure (hereinafter referred to as “SARDI” or “the Agency”). SARDI has been tasked with ensuring the efficient and transparent implementation of projects aimed at the country’s current rapid recovery and future post-war reconstruction. 

The Agency was created by merging the State Agency of Highways of Ukraine and the State Agency of Infrastructure Projects. Both agencies have a history of construction projects, primarily focused on building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects. However, the mission and scope of the newly created agency include not only transport infrastructure but also critical infrastructure, energy infrastructure, housing, and social infrastructure. At the same time, the Agency’s staff currently only consists of 190 positions, in contrast to the former Ukravtodor’s (State Agency of Highways of Ukraine) 172 positions. This creates enormous pressure and challenges for the Agency’s team. The government has officially announced that Ukraine plans to invest at least UAH 110 billion of its own resources to support infrastructure restoration in 2023, and plans to raise six times that amount from the international community for other vital recovery projects (including housing and essential social infrastructure).  

Given the challenges mentioned above, it is necessary to strengthen the capacity of the newly created agency to ensure efficient, effective, and transparent spending of the above-mentioned funds and to obtain quick and high-quality results in the restoration process with the help of a team of experienced and knowledgeable experts. For this purpose, the Capacity Building Office (hereinafter referred to as “the CBO” “the Office”) has been established under the Head of the Agency. The Office is an Advisory Body consisting of independent experts who provide their knowledge and support, develop policies, conduct analysis and oversight, and support the implementation of projects on the ground on a day-to-day basis. The Office comprises five key sectors: Integrity and Anti-Corruption, Procurement, Communications, Organizational Development, and Projects Implementation Unit. 

The key tasks of the Communications Unit include ensuring public control over the Agency’s activities, establishing transparent communication with stakeholders, civil society and the broader public, ensuring timely publication, and providing access of society to all the relevant information about Agency’s activities. In order to complete the above-mentioned tasks, the proper Communications Team Leader has to be engaged.  

Responsibilities 

Strategy and Capacity Building: 

•  Develop and implement the communication strategy of the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine to support Agency’s mission and goals achievement, building relationships with key stakeholders and managing the agency’s reputation in the public sphere. 
• Manage the Agency’s communication efforts, ensuring that messaging is consistent and effective across all channels, and supporting the agency’s overall goals and objectives.
• Act as Agency’s Communication Team Leader to create and implement a coherent communication strategy to amplify Agency’s voice in media, social media, and other priority communications channels. 
• Manage the communications team of the Agency, providing guidance and direction, and ensuring it is equipped with the necessary tools and resources to perform its roles effectively.
• Build systems and tools to ensure ethical communications, transparency, and quality control for agency messaging. 
• Identify target audiences, creating messaging, and selecting appropriate communication channels for each of them.
• Manage the Agency’s reputation by monitoring media coverage, responding to inquiries and timely addressing negative publicity.
• Highlight the anti-corruption efforts of the Agency in its activities.
• Establish Anti-crisis communication protocol: responding to crisis situations by developing communication plans and messaging to address potential risks and mitigate damage to the agency’s reputation as necessary.
• Provide media relations support, being the point of contact for journalists and media outlets seeking information or interviews with agency officials. Provide timely and accurate responses to media inquiries while balancing the agency’s interests and ensuring ethical and transparent communications.
• Maintain control over production and distribution of content, such as press releases, newsletters, speeches, and social media posts to promote the agency’s activities and initiatives.
• Ensure inclusive communications, utilizing best practices for Gender and Social Inclusion to ensure Agency messaging is effectively reaching audiences in marginalized groups. 
• Collaborate with other agency departments to ensure that communication strategies align with overall organizational goals and objectives.

 Reporting and TCA Support: 

• Plan working hours according to Ukrainian legislation and report on results to TCA weekly and monthly.
• Provide written reports on a monthly, and as-requested basis on the progress of their work within the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.
• Support USAID Transformation Communications Activity (TCA) in developing and strengthening established partnerships with Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.

Primary Deliverables/Outcomes:  

• Communications strategy for the Agency for one year and recommendations on adjusting the strategy after one year (if necessary). The strategy shall include written guidelines, processes, tools, and templates that can be used by the Agency’s future communications team and Agency staff at-large.
• System of collaboration with other members of the Agency to ensure that communications cover all fields of the Agency’s work and that all members of the Agency contribute to communication. 
• Map of target audiences with selected appropriate communication channels for each. Updated map in one year or more frequently if appropriate. 
• Map of stakeholders and established relations with stakeholders (list of contacts, realized activities). 
• Content plan covering the agency’s social media channels. Content plan for 2 months after one year of work (so that the Agency could smoothly continue communications in social media) Recommendations/guidelines for Agency’s communications team to ensure effective operations. 
• Final reports to the Agency and TCA which includes best practices of one year, lessons learned, recommendation for the next two months after the end of the contract. 

Requirements  

• At least 10 yearsof experience in communications.
• Master’s degree (preferably in communications, law, economics, marketing or other relevant field related to PR and Communications). 
• Professional Ukrainian writing and speaking.
• Advanced English writing and speaking.
• Strong leadership, facilitation< and communication (written and oral) skills, ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Proven ability to train, mentor, and build capacity. Ability to unite people around common goals. 
• Experience in developing communications strategies is International experience preferred. 
• Proven organizational skills.
• Strong analytical skills, risk assessment and anti-crisis communication skills, exceptional attention to detail.
• Proactive, results-driven approach, track record of successfully working in a reform-driven environment.
• Ability to work both in a team and autonomously with minimum supervision but with respect to given constraints and guidelines.
• Advanced computer literacy.
• Experience in working with government bodies and donor-founded projects is highly preferred.  

Application instructions:

To apply, please submit your application via the following link no later than July 19, 2023. https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/6116f86e2e7d442f96cc45447742b1d6. 

Please complete the required information and upload your cover letter and CV for consideration. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.

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