We are a specialist division of M&C Saatchi.
Our aim is to harness the power of cutting-edge marketing, communications, and creativity, so that they become key tenets of social and behaviour change activity throughout the International Development sector.
Together with our local partners we are focussed on tackling some of humanity's most challenging and important problems, in fragile states and developing countries.
If you are looking for a career with purpose, fascinating topics, and travel, that will challenge you and develop your skillset, we would love to hear from you.
Job purpose
- Work with Regional Director exploring new areas for business growth and capabilities within our remit of social change communications with third sector organisations.
- Leverage existing network of government and NGO contacts.
- Support, where appropriate or needed, existing work, and any other contracts that become active over the course of employment, to ensure project delivery at the highest quality possible, on time and within budget.
- Assist the Regional Director, and others in the wider team, on project delivery or wider business success. Assistance should encompass all aspects of a communications campaign life cycle.
Main Accountabilities- Strategy
- Be seen as the strategic partner of the client, helping them to navigate their business challenges and offering fresh opinions and insights that unlock new opportunities.
- Have a clear understanding of the broader strategy on the business in which you work.
- Be familiar with research insights, previous campaign evaluation and the impact that has on live projects. Be able to talk confidently and clearly about strategic issues and considerations with your clients and team.
- Take an active interest in the sector and any issues or current affairs that may impact the strategy, including an understanding of different communications models and channels – and proactively share your point of view.
The Work
- Be confident in having healthy and constructive debate with your strategy, and creative colleagues, and present to clients in a manner that is clear and articulate. Have the ability to sustain debates and discussions about the work in a way that is constructive and intelligent.
- Be bold, and lead by example by sharing your passion for good work. Continuously seek to inspire your team by demonstrate proactivity and capability. Be a completely ‘safe pair of hands’ who can oversee production, including managing timings, budgets, quality control of delivery, spotting out of scope projects or potential new, more productive ways of working.
The Agency
- Contribute and lead new business presentations including authoring and presenting. Dive into detail of bid paperwork ensuring all criteria are met prior to submission.
- Constantly keep one eye on the wider industry and stay familiar with the latest trends and debates taking place. Monitor the heartbeat of the market.
- Take the more junior members of the department under your wing, particularly those on your team. Helping them to get to grips with their role, to become part of the agency culture and, where relevant, inducting them on your business.
- Be kind, generous, and enthusiastic member of your team.
Relationships
- Have established, strong relationships with your clients. You should clearly demonstrate your knowledge of the region and the sector, ensuring that you are trusted implicitly to keep their interests at heart.
Business Impact
- Constantly scope out opportunities and work with your Regional Director and Business Director to develop proposals. Be confident in presenting them to the client and comfortable to negotiate where necessary.
- Be effective at managing up, as well as down, actively developing the more junior members of the team and ensuring the more senior members of your team can relax, knowing you have the day-to-day management of the account or project covered.
- Be comfortable having difficult conversations with both the team internally and, following sense-checking with your team, the client as appropriate. Follow your instincts on what is right.
Situational Awareness:
- Build on an in-depth understanding of the media and political environment in the Southeast Asian context in order to understand the wider risk factors and adapt decisions accordingly.
Essential:
· Knowledge of Strategic Communications.
· Knowledge of the media industry, creative production, and media dissemination.
· Knowledge of Southeast Asian communications tools and trends.
· A firm interest and understanding of geo-politics and International Relations.
· Knowledge of behaviour change communications theory.
Experience and Qualifications and Core Skills:
· Experience of working with Government(s) or third sector organisations.
· Experience in a similar working environment i.e. marketing, advertising, media.
· Undergraduate Degree in Politics, History, International Relations, Media, or a similar/related topic.
· Postgraduate degree in business or similar.
· Fluent in written and spoken English.
· Practical understanding of commercial operations.
· Excellent oral and written communications skills (English).
· Proficient in all components of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel).
· Demonstrable liaison skills across the numerous sectors normally associated with working in developing countries.
· Experience working in the US / with US organisations.
· Experience of managing media projects or communications campaigns.
· Fluency in another Southeast Asian language.
· Cultural knowledge of Southeast Asia.
Additional Key Qualities
Essential:
· Excellent communication skills to enable him/her to support work with senior stakeholders and to understand client requirements.
· Understanding of the company’s culture and business area.
· Sense of responsibility to towards the organisation’s reputation.
· Ability to travel and work independently.
· Forward leaning attitude in support of the team and for involvement in high-profile and developmental projects.
· Willingness to learn and participate in a comprehensive training and development program for transferable, communications specific skills.
· Anticipation of challenges and show of initiative across all projects.
