Position Title: Communications Specialist

Supervisor: Director, Performance

Long-Term / Short-Term: Short-term advisor

Duration of engagement: 1 June 2025 – 31 December 2025

Position Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Closing Date: 11:59pm (Bangkok time) on Friday 25 April 2025

P4I Background

Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I – the Program) is an Australian Government initiative partnering with Southeast Asia to drive sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth through quality infrastructure. P4I works with and provides services to Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The focus is on the early stages of the infrastructure lifecycle – infrastructure planning and prioritisation, procurement and project preparation, and policy and regulation – using infrastructure advisory services, government partnerships, and knowledge and learning. All services integrate the cross-cutting priorities of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion, and disaster risk reduction and climate change. P4I’s priorities are the economic infrastructure sectors of energy, transport, utilities, telecommunications and digital.

Delivered through a single team, P4I is led by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in collaboration with Ernst & Young, Adam Smith International, The Asia Foundation and Ninti One.

More about P4I is available at www.partnershipsforinfrastructure.org

Summary of Role

P4I is seeking an experienced Communications Specialist to manage the Program’s external communications functions in line with DFAT’s public diplomacy and strategic communications requirements. The Communications Specialist will drive and oversee all communications-related aspects of the program, including implementation of the communications strategy, managing communications processes (e.g. for content development and approval), driving the delivery and quality assurance of communications and knowledge products, and coordinating with relevant internal and external stakeholders involved in generating content, and supervision of communications team and consultants. The position will manage the delivery of long form content, social media and web content, and targeted video and photo production.

Principal stakeholders include P4I activity teams, DFAT Canberra, and Australian embassies around the region.

This position has the option for remote work with some travel required to the Program Hub, with strong preferences for candidates who are located in or who are willing be relocate to Bangkok.

Scope of Work

Strategic Communications (approx. 20% of time):

• Work closely with the P4I Strategic Director and Program Executive to ensure strategic relevance and value for money of communications deliverables.

• Implement P4I Strategic Communications Strategy and Workplan, overseeing and producing content and products to increase engagement, visibility and awareness of P4I for key audiences, across owned and partner platforms. This includes key program messages, feature stories and case studies, digital and multimedia content, factsheets, guidance notes etc.

Communications Team Leadership (20%):

• Drive and oversee all communications-related aspects of the program, including:
• Provide guidance on communications processes and workflow to ensure timely and high-quality communications output;
• Ensure that program communications align with DFAT policy and priorities;
• Ensure that all P4I communications activities aligned to P4I’s brand and co-branding requirements and agreed with DFAT;
• Ensure approval processes for public domain materials are obtained, and processes for engaging with the media followed;
• Contribute to and maintain the program website and social media (updating/generating new content; liaising with relevant service providers to ensure the website is active).
• Oversee the work of the Strategic Communications team (3 staff): the Knowledge Lead, Knowledge Coordinator and Communications Officer, and an external panel of communications consultants, including writers, editors, designers and photographers to ensure a seamless and timely delivery of required communications products;
• Provide technical advice and support to the broader P4I team in planning and developing relevant information and communication products to inform and influence key stakeholders.
• Coordination (30%):
• Coordinate the commissioning of content for communications products, including but not limited to writing and editing, videos, photos, social media content, to third party providers;
• Liaise with P4I country engagement managers, activity teams, and ASEAN and DFAT public diplomacy officers to ensure coherent forward planning of communications materials, and that all the approvals for communications products are obtained ahead of publishing;
• Oversee the publishing of the cleared communications content through appropriate channels;
• Content Production and Quality Assurance (30%):
• Design and deliver high-quality communications products, such as media releases, web stories, social media posts and other outreach, as needed;
• Oversee and quality-assure the quality of the commissioned deliverables;
• Assist in the drafting of communications content where needed;
• Quality-assure articles generated by staff and for reports to donors and partners.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in international relations, communications, journalism or a related field (post graduate qualifications highly desirable);

• Experience working in Southeast Asia highly desirable;

• At least eight years’ experience in corporate or government communications, journalism, civil society/NGO or other types of externally facing communications roles;

• Experience working on Australian development programs and/or on programs funded by other development donors.

• Exceptional, proven writing and editing skills (English) and the ability to summarise and repackage technical information in clear, compelling language;

• Proven experience crafting messages in various formats (articles, press releases, websites, photos, success stories, blog entries, tweets, etc.) targeting a variety of audiences;

• Ability to engage with diverse audiences. This includes donors, governments, the private sector and the diverse P4I team and partners;

• Strong literacy in Microsoft packages with knowledge of Adobe products is a distinct advantage;

• Experience in on-the-job mentoring;

• Self-motivation, creativity, excellent organisational skills, proven ability to perform multiple tasks, and ability to work with both internal and external stakeholders;

• Ability to drive work seamlessly and cordially as a part of a broader team working in a fast-paced environment;

• Resilience to tight deadlines, flexibility in aligning communications products to changes arising from the dynamics of the development sector;

• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality principles.

Reporting Requirements

The Communications Lead will report to:

• P4I’s Director of Performance

• ASI Focal Point on matters related to ASI’s project management, performance and employment.

The position is required to undertake an Adviser Performance Assessment.

(Reporting requirements may yet be adjusted.)

How to Apply:

How to Apply

Interested applicants are requested to submit a CV and a short covering note to https://adamsmithinternational1.recruitee.com/o/communications-specialist

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm (Bangkok time) on Friday 25 April 2025.

Due to the high volume of applications for P4I positions, only short-listed applicants will be contacted.