Communications Lead Specialist - VPC

Location

Post of duty: Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

The IDB Vice Presidency for Countries and Regional Integration (VPC) is seeking an experienced Communications Lead Specialist to strengthen the IDB´s regional positioning by deepening stakeholder engagement and leading strategic communications. This role requires a proactive individual who can align, oversee, guide, and support the VPC communications team. The Communications Lead Specialist will be embedded within VPC and work under a dual-reporting model with both VPC and the Communications Division (DCC), ensuring alignment between regional priorities and the IDB Group's corporate communications strategy. The ideal supervisor will have a deep understanding of regional communications dynamics, IDB stakeholder engagement, and institutional messaging, while fostering a collaborative work environment and providing mentorship to team members.

What you’ll do

• Supervise and Lead the VPC Communications Team:
  • Oversee and coordinate the work of the Regional Communications Senior Specialists, providing strategic guidance and feedback to ensure alignment with the Bank’s priorities and that the corporate messaging is well represented in public discourse at a country level.
  • Foster a collaborative and supportive environment within the team, ensuring high-quality work and synergy with country and regional teams.
  • Lead the development and refinement of communication strategies that reflect the institutional goals, supporting the Bank’s visibility and reputation.
  • Evaluate the performance of the communications team, offering feedback, support, and professional development opportunities to strengthen the team's capacity.
  • Draft, edit, and clear high-level communications products, including press releases, media lines, op-eds, speeches, talking points, briefing notes, blogposts, social media, and web content relevant to VPC priorities.
  • Ensure quality control and final clearance of all VPC priority communications outputs prior to publication or release.

• Strategic Oversight and Advisory:
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, including VPC, the Communications Division, and regional managers, on communication strategies and stakeholder engagement.
  • Ensure consistent and cohesive messaging across countries to reinforce the Bank’s mission, goals, and impact.
  • Provide guidance on navigating complex communication challenges, particularly during crisis or high-stakes environments.
  • Support leadership with hands-on preparation of communications materials (talking points, speeches, Q&As)

• Crisis Management and Reputation Safeguarding:
  • Provide oversight and guidance on communication during crises, including contributing to or clearing key messages such as press lines, statements, and internal communications, ensuring the timely and accurate dissemination of information to protect and maintain the Bank’s reputation.
  • Coordinate rapid response communications across headquarters and country offices to coordinate crisis responses, ensuring consistency and alignment with institutional messaging.
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• VPC Strategic and Executive Communications:

• • Coordinate the planning, design, execution, and monitoring of VPC’s communication external and internal strategy and resources, including content production and dissemination across blogs, websites, social media, and media engagements
  • Lead the communications plans for regional initiatives, including overseeing the preparation of written and audiovisual content, digital assets, and outreach materials.
  • Lead VPC’s two blogs, supervising the work of the editor and serving on the editorial committees for both, including coordinating editorial planning, reviewing and prioritizing content, ensuring quality and strategic alignment, and overseeing publication, design, and dissemination.
  • Support the Vice President’s executive communications, with any task related to the area of ​​communication and information, including drafting and editing op-eds, talking points, blogs, and internal messages, and keeping the Vice President and team up to date with public opinion and facts that may affect the IDB Group, its objectives, or operations.

What you'll need

• Education: Master’s degree (or equivalent advanced degree) in communications, journalism, marketing, international development, or other fields relevant to the responsibilities of the role.
• Experience: At least six years of relevant professional experience, preferably ten years of experience, including in a leadership role in communications and/or external affairs matters in private or public national/international organizations. Experience in a multilateral development bank or in developing regions is preferred.

• Strong experience working in communications with the IDB member countries, with a deep understanding of its socio-political dynamics and key stakeholders.
• Proven track record in strategic communications, communications teams working remotely, and with a demonstrated ability to lead, design, and implement communication initiatives aligned with institutional objectives.

• Other skills and competencies:

• Cultural Sensitivity: Strong understanding of cultural and political nuances in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the ability to communicate effectively across diverse audiences.
• Strategic Planning: Demonstrated ability to translate high-level goals into actionable and adaptable communication plans that support organizational priorities.
• Exceptional Communication Skills: Capability to clearly articulate complex concepts
• Collaborative Leadership: Strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and emotional intelligence, with the ability to work in close coordination with multiple units.

• Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.

Requirements

• 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 the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

• Staff: International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee's life. These benefits include:

-A competitive compensation package, including an annual base salary expressed on a net-of-tax basis.

-Leaves and vacations: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender-neutral parental leave.

-Health Insurance: IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs.

-Pension plan: defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and support employees in planning for their future.

-We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.

-On-site position with the occasional flexibility of teleworking.

-Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center that provides preventive care and health education for employees.

-Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile, such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others.

-Other office amenities (as available): Lactation Room, Daycare Center, Gym, Bike Racks, Parking, spouse career support, and others.

Our culture

At the IDB Group, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.