1.INTRODUCTION:

About Expertise France:

Expertise France is a public agency part of the AFD Group, merging six agencies under the supervision of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Finance with a strong inter-ministerial vocation. EF offers programme engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. EF operates in various development and institutional cooperation fields, including safety and security reform, post-crisis/stability, public health, human rights, strengthening of institutions and NGOs, and governance.

Expertise France designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action.

2.DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:

The overall aim of the IWEE project, financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), is to contribute to the economic empowerment of Iraqi women and reduce gender inequalities by increasing their income. The objective will be pursued through three components: supporting the structuring of the female entrepreneurial ecosystem, supporting the creation of micro-enterprises and the development of existing businesses created by Iraqi women.

3.JOB SUMMARY:

Expertise France is recruiting an Ecosystem and Communication officer for a one-year contract, as part of the Iraqi Women Economic Empowerment (IWEE) project, and this contract will be renewable according to the project needs. The Ecosystem and Communication officer will be responsible for the visibility of the project and the availability and updating of project presentation tools regarding the strengthen of the Iraq entrepreneurial ecosystem. Also, he/she will be responsible for setting activities to develop the economic climate and support women to develop in a conducive business environment.

4.PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY / ASSIGNMENT:

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the ecosystem and communication officer will carry out the following activities:

• He/she will design and participate in the implementation of ecosystem entrepreneurial actions to promote the results of the project, provide information to beneficiaries and expand the activities of component 1.
• He/she will work in close collaboration with communication agencies, CSOs specializing in outreach and other communication partners on the project to raise awareness among project beneficiaries of their rights (communication and outreach campaign).
• He/she will ensure that the CSOs partners respect the contractual commitments with EF in terms of communication.
• Monitor the production of communication tools.
• Participate in, monitor and update the project's communication tools (website, communication tools, press documents, etc.).
• In conjunction with the National Female entrepreneurship Expert and the Entrepreneurship and CSOs Capacity Building Expert, the communication Expert and the project's technical partners, design and participate in the implementation of awareness-raising campaigns on women's entrepreneurship.
• Participate in drawing up the project's communication plan (objectives, targets, channels, schedule, person responsible, budget).
• Designing and taking part in events to promote the project's achievements.
• In conjunction with the project's technical partners, ensure that the project's communication rules are respected by the various project beneficiaries.
• Ensure the visibility and good communication of the project in conjunction with the project partners.
• Working with the Monitoring and Evaluation officer updating the project contact database, represent the project and/or support the representation of beneficiaries at events relating to women's entrepreneurship in the Iraq and internationally.
• Support public bodies in disseminating legal texts relating to the rights of women entrepreneurs.
• Ensure that information on the project is properly circulated to all the project's technical and financial partners and to the final beneficiaries.
• Participate in and represent the project at national and international events and/or advocacy events.
• Perform tasks related to coordination and reporting.
• Assist in identifying partnership opportunities and project development related to the IWEE project.
• He/she must possess superior communication and relationship-building skills, the ability to listen, distill complex information, and the capacity to act as a trusted team member to stakeholders.
• He/she will foster an “open-door policy” based on respect, integrity, and teamwork, focusing on creating a learning environment that challenges team members to reach their full potential.
• He/she must be a confident and persuasive communicator, high on emotional intelligence, who can motivate and deliver results through others.

5.TECHNICAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Relevant university/master’s degree in communication or other relevant fields; ideally related to Humanitarian/Development sectors.
• At least 5 to 7 years of experience in fields related to the assignment required.
• Familiarity with ecosystem policy frameworks and processes.
• Proven ability to work in multi-disciplinary groups, including governments, experts, civil society and the private sector.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Capacity to work effectively under time pressure and extended hours, if required and pre-approved by the IWEE Project Manager.
• Willingness to travel within the region, sometimes at short notice.
• Excellent command of English and Arabic (knowledge of Kurdish language would be considered an asset).
• Computer literacy in MS Office packages.
• Excellent organizational and networking skills.
• Team-oriented attitude and ability to work independently.
• Ability to adapt communication to diverse audiences and overview of different communication channels.
• Knowledge of strategic communication practices in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Proven experience in planning, developing, and executing successful communication campaigns and outreach activities.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality content for diverse platforms, including social media, websites, press releases, and reports.
• Experience in collaborating with international donors and organizations to align communication outputs with project objectives.
• Familiarity with gender-focused projects and understanding of the challenges related to women’s economic empowerment in post-crisis regions.
• Strong capacity for mentoring and training local partners in communication and advocacy methods.
• Skills in evaluating the impact of communication strategies and adjusting plans as needed to maximize outreach and project effectiveness.
• Proven experience in applying well-developed problem-solving skills (quantitative, conceptual, analytical)
• Creative problem solver who is interested in understanding different points of view and new ways of approaching problems
• Energetic, self-motivated leader that can cultivate a culture of pride and performance in her team

6.DUTY STATION:

Baghdad - French Institute, with potential travels to the other Iraqi governorates