Communications Officer

Jhpiego; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 75,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Jhpiego seeks a Communications Officer to support communications for large-scale USG/DOS health programming. This project-based role embeds with project leadership and coordinates with Jhpiego’s global communications team to craft updates, briefs, web content, and event materials across multiple countries.

The successful candidate translates complex program information into clear, engaging content, ensures accuracy and donor compliance, and builds strong relationships with technical teams,

Qualifications

• BA with 5-7 years relevant work experience.
• Proven experience in public affairs and marketing communications.
• Prior experience with social media tools and websites.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Experience with USG funded global health programming (e.g. HIV; maternal, newborn, and child health, global health security, and/or other relevant programmatic areas).
• Working knowledge of Photoshop, InDesign and Canva.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, a high level of organization and ability to balance competing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to project a professional image and communicate positively and effectively as a representative of Jhpiego, both within Johns Hopkins University community and external organizations and donors.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 20%.
• Familiarity with WordPress, HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to development and maintenance of project communications plans in coordination with project leadership and Jhpiego communications colleagues.
• Work with project and country teams to identify and prioritize communications opportunities based on project priorities and available resources.
• Coordinate communications activities (including maintaining a communications calendar) and track products through development, review, approval, and dissemination.
• Participate in relevant project meetings to stay informed of program priorities, milestones, results, challenges, and emerging communications opportunities.
• Build strong relationships across project leadership, technical teams, country teams, and GECO to ensure alignment and complementarity across project and organizational communications.
• Identify and develop compelling content to demonstrate project results and impact, ensuring alignment with DOS and project strategic communications priorities.
• Draft, edit, and proofread communications materials, including project updates, announcements, talking points, presentations, briefs, and social media/web content.
• Coordinate photography, video, graphics, and other visual content as appropriate.
• In collaboration with project leadership, country, and technical teams, apply sound editorial judgment to ensure content is compelling, accurate, and appropriate for donor-funded programming, including avoiding unsupported claims, sensitive information, or language that could create programmatic or reputational risk.
• Coordinate reviews and approvals of communications materials with relevant Jhpiego and donor representatives.
• Escalate sensitive, high‑risk, or potentially contentious communications issues to appropriate project and GECO leadership.
• Ensure that DOS project branding and acknowledgments are applied appropriately to program documents and communications products.
• Lead development and/or refinement of project branding and marking plan.
• Serve as primary point of contact for country teams to review and advise on application of project branding and marking requirements.
• Develop or refine project templates incorporating appropriate branding.
• Support communications planning and execution for workshops, webinars, technical meetings, and other external activities.
• Capture key messages, results, and stories from events and translate them into follow‑up communications.

Skills

Public affairs

Marketing communications

Social media tools

Writing & editing

USG funded global health

Photoshop

InDesign

Canva

WordPress

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

Travel up to 20%

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Photoshop

InDesign

Canva

WordPress

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

Job description

Jhpiego is seeking a Communications Officer to support communications for large-scale, multi-country U.S. Government / Department of State (DOS) global health programming. This project-based position will report to the project’s Director of Program Management and Delivery, and will coordinate closely with Jhpiego’s global communications team. Jhpiego’s USG/DOS global health programming supports integrated health services including maternal, newborn, and child health; HIV; Global Health Security (GHS) and other priority health areas across multiple countries.

The position serves as an embedded communications partner to project leadership, helping identify and communicate project achievements and innovations. Working closely with Jhpiego’s technical teams, country teams, and communications colleagues, the Communications Officer develops and coordinates communications products and activities, including project updates, presentations, briefers, digital content, webinars, workshop and conference materials, and other materials.

The role translates complex technical and programmatic information into clear, engaging content while ensuring communications are timely, accurate, consistent, and aligned with Jhpiego, project, and U.S. Government (USG)/Department of State (DOS) requirements.

The ideal candidate can quickly understand complex programs, build trusted relationships with technical and program teams, exercise sound editorial judgment, and navigate donor requirements related to review, clearance, branding, visibility, and appropriate use of program information.

Responsibilities

Communications Planning & Coordination

• Contribute to development and maintenance of project communications plans in coordination with project leadership and Jhpiego communications colleagues.
• Work with project and country teams to identify and prioritize communications opportunities based on project priorities and available resources.
• Coordinate communications activities (including maintaining a communications calendar) and track products through development, review, approval, and dissemination.
• Participate in relevant project meetings to stay informed of program priorities, milestones, results, challenges, and emerging communications opportunities.
• Build strong relationships across project leadership, technical teams, country teams, and GECO to ensure alignment and complementarity across project and organizational communications

Content Development and Quality Assurance

• Identify and develop compelling content to demonstrate project results and impact, ensuring alignment with DOS and project strategic communications priorities
• Draft, edit, and proofread communications materials, including project updates, announcements, talking points, presentations, briefs, and social media/web content
• Coordinate photography, video, graphics, and other visual content as appropriate.
• In collaboration with project leadership, country, and technical teams, apply sound editorial judgment to ensure content is compelling, accurate, and appropriate for donor-funded programming, including avoiding unsupported claims, sensitive information, or language that could create programmatic or reputational risk.
• Coordinate reviews and approvals of communications materials with relevant Jhpiego and donor representatives
• Escalate sensitive, high‑risk, or potentially contentious communications issues to appropriate project and GECO leadership.

Branding and Marking Plan Management

• Ensure that DOS project branding and acknowledgments are applied appropriately to program documents and communications products
• Lead development and/or refinement of project branding and marking plan
• Serve as primary point of contact for country teams to review and advise on application of project branding and marking requirements
• Develop or refine project templates incorporating appropriate branding

Events & Webinars

• Support communications planning and execution for workshops, webinars, technical meetings, and other external activities.
• Capture key messages, results, and stories from events and translate them into follow‑up communications.

Required Qualifications

• BA with 5-7 years relevant work experience
• Proven experience in public affairs and marketing communications
• Prior experience with social media tools and websites
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Experience with USG funded global health programming (e.g. HIV; maternal, newborn, and child health, global health security, and/or other relevant programmatic areas)
• Working knowledge of Photoshop, InDesign and Canva
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, a high level of organization and ability to balance competing priorities
• Strong attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to project a professional image and communicate positively and effectively as a representative of Jhpiego, both within The Johns Hopkins University community and external organizations and donors
• Ability to travel internationally up to 20%
• Familiarity with WordPress, HTML, CSS and JavaScript

The salary range for this role is expected to be: $74,867 - $92,924

Total Rewards

The referenced salary range is based on Johns Hopkins University’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/

Job Description

Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines:

• Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre‑employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice‑involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate’s conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job‑related qualification or function.

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion .

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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Accommodation Information

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