Job Title: Communications Assistant, External Relations & Communications

Department: External Relations and Communications (ERC)

Based: Washington, DC

Reports to: Senior Manager for Strategic Communications

Travel: Up to 5%

Who we are

With nearly 50 years of experience, working in over 55 countries Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization. PSI is reimagining healthcare, by putting the consumer at the center, and wherever possible – bringing care to the front door. We are working to fix market failures, shape future health markets and shift policy and funding to better support consumer powered healthcare.

There are over 8,000 “PSIers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds – from the medical industry to the music business – all with unique skills we bring to the job.

Join us!

PSI’s External Relations & Communications department positions PSI as a development NGO of the future and thought leader working to get to Universal Health Care. We nurture strategic relationships with donors and partners, support global services and in-country teams with external relations and provide strategic advocacy support. We work hard and laugh a lot together.

PSI’s External Relations & Communications (ERC) team is looking for a Communications Assistant to provide key support for the department with administrative and communications activities. The position would support all three cones of the department including the Strategic Communications, Advocacy and Creative Services teams.

Sound like you? Read on.

Your contribution

Reporting to the Senior Manager for Strategic Communications, the successful candidate will have excellent organizational and administrative skills with special attention to detail; proven ability to manage large workloads and organize work efficiently; ability to prioritize and perform multiple tasks within deadlines; demonstrated willingness and ability to work independently and on a team in a cooperative, problem-solving capacity; excellent oral and written communication skills.  

• Support External Relations & Communications department on all administrative tasks, including budgeting, invoicing, procurement, meeting planning, travel coordination, and scheduling 
• Lead in sourcing content and writing for PSI’s weekly email newsletter 
• Schedule, write, and/or edit content for PSI’s blog
• Liaise with PSI staff for blog edits and approvals
• Assist in implementing communications campaigns, specifically on the blog and social media 
• Provide editing and dissemination support for Impactmagazine 
• Support social media manager as needed
• Provide priority conference support 
• Plan ERC employee morale activities 
• Assist the Associate Content Manager with management of PSI.org
• Assist with the organization and management of PSI’s photo database 
• Manage ERC’s Sharepoint site 
• Assist ERC team members with research for external vendors 
• Other general support as needed.

What are we looking for?

The candidate we hire will embody PSI’s corporate values:

Measurement: You use hard evidence to make decisions and guide your work. You set clear goalposts in advance and explain clearly if you need to move them. 

Pragmatism: You’ll strive to deliver the best possible result with the resources available. You won’t be paralyzed by a need to make things perfect. 

Honesty: You own your mistakes and are open about your shortcomings – it’s the only way you’ll learn and improve. 

Collaboration: You’ll quickly establish a mental map of whom you can rely on for what, on your team, at headquarters, and in our country offices – if you try to do it all yourself, you won’t succeed. 

Trust: You accept limits to your sphere of control and give colleagues the benefit of the doubt

Commitment:  You are in it for the long-haul and want to grow with the organization, just like PSI serves its consumers and partners with host-country governments through thick and thin

The basics:

• Strong interest in women and girls, poverty alleviation or global/public health.
• Bachelor’s degree required,preferably in a communications-related or international development field of study
• 1-2 years experience working in a fast-paced office environment, particularly in an editorial or communications role, internships will be considered as experience
• Exposure to digital communications and/or social media planning and strategy
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint)
• Ability to juggle multiple competing deadlines without getting flustered and with a sense of humor.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States. PSI will not consider work visa sponsorship for this position. 
• References will be required. 
• The successful candidate will be required to pass a background check. 

What would get us excited?

• Understanding of global health and development desired.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or French
• A do-er who can get their bearings quickly.

STATUS

• Non-Exempt 

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to: newhiresupport@psi.org or call (202)785-0072.