Regional Communications Consultant

Inter-American Development Bank; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Leave and vacation

Health insurance

On-site with telework flexibility

Professional development

Health services access

Job summary

The Inter-American Development Bank seeks a communications professional to strengthen strategic outreach for the IDB Group in Central America. You will advise senior management, shape messaging, and manage visibility of institutional priorities across diverse audiences.

Based in a national consultancy, the role collaborates with regional offices and partners, supporting media relations, events, and knowledge products while upholding IDB brand standards and governance.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or International Relations is required.
• Minimum five years in strategic communications or public relations, ideally with international organizations.
• Fluency in Spanish and English; knowledge of French or Portuguese desirable.

Responsibilities

• Advise country leadership on communications priorities and risks.
• Develop annual communications work plans aligned with regional agendas.
• Design visibility strategies to communicate development impact.
• Manage communications risks and coordinate crisis responses per IDB protocols.
• Draft press materials and coordinate approvals with internal stakeholders.
• Monitor media coverage and provide regular insights to management.
• Build strong media relationships and coordinate outreach and briefings.
• Oversee production life cycle of communications materials with partners.
• Track indicators of reach and relevance for future planning.

Skills

Strategic communications

Media relations

Stakeholder engagement

Content development

Education

Master’s degree in Communications or related field

Job description

Posting End Date: November 03, 2026 (12:00 AM EST)

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

As part of the IDB Group's institutional transformation and the enhanced role of the Vice Presidency for Countries and Regional Integration (VPC) and the Department Central America, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and Dominican Republic (CID) , the Country Offices in Costa Rica , Panamá and Nicaragua seek to hire a communications professional with a strong development communications background, a strategic communications mindset, a deep understanding of the local sociopolitical context, and the ability to provide communications advice to management while engaging effectively with diverse IDB stakeholders.

The aim of this consultancy is to support the strategic positioning and visibility of the IDB as a trusted partner for sustainable development. The role will support the Country Office Management Team and relevant business units in the strategic external communication of institutional priorities, regional programs, partnerships, operations and knowledge products.

In close collaboration with VPC, the Regional Department and the Communications Division, this role will require creativity, strategic vision, sound judgment and adaptability to drive effective messaging across diverse audiences and channels in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.

While the position is housed within the IDB, it is designed to support communications efforts across the entire IDB Group.

What you’ll do

• Advise the Country Representative and management team on communications priorities, opportunities and risks, ensuring alignment with IDB Group communications policies, guidelines and approval processes.
• Develop and execute an annual communications work plan aligned with the Country Office, the Regional Department, VPC, the IDB Group institutional agenda and relevant regional programs.Develop and maintain a mapping of key stakeholders: government counterparts, private sector, civil society, media, donors, academia, influencers and other relevant audiences.
• Design and implement results-based visibility approaches that communicate the development impact of IDB operations, partnerships and knowledge products in a targeted, accessible and context-relevant way.Design communications strategies for high-visibility public and private events, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, protocol requirements, brand standards and approved messaging.
• Support the management of communications risks and crisis situations under IDB protocols, acting as the country-level communications liaison and coordinating in a timely manner with the Senior Regional Communicator, the Communications Division, VPC and the Country Office Management Team.Implement visibility strategies for partnerships and regional programs, ensuring appropriate use of the IDB Group brand, visual identity and messaging, including partner-facing and co-branded materials.
• Monitor and report on implementation, providing regular updates, insights and recommendations to management and relevant communications counterparts, and track basic indicators of reach, quality and relevance to inform future planning.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with priority media contacts, journalists, editors and opinion leaders, in coordination with the Senior Regional Communicator and the Communications Division and in line with IDB Group policies.
• Coordinate approved media outreach, briefings, interviews and placements, ensuring all external engagement follows the established corporate workflow and clearance process.Draft and coordinate press releases, media responses, talking points and other media products, and support their clearance through the Senior Regional Communicator, the Communications Division and relevant internal stakeholders.Monitor the IDB Group’s reputation, visibility and representation in local media and relevant public conversations, flagging risks and opportunities in a timely manner.
• Prepare and circulate media monitoring updates, news digests and evaluation reports to inform communications strategy and management decision-making.Act as the Country Office focal point for brand and visual identity compliance, ensuring communications products, events and partner-facing materials adhere to IDB Group guidelines and standards.
• Conceptualize, draft, edit and coordinate high-quality communications products: press releases, presentations, speeches, talking points, stories, opinion articles, blogs, social media inputs, newsletters and web content.Identify and generate compelling social media content with the Communications Division through the established approval workflow, ensuring posts are cleared, timely and aligned with institutional messaging.
• Oversee the full production life cycle of communications materials, including coordination with designers, photographers, videographers and agencies, ensuring quality, consistency and compliance with IDB standards.

What you'll need

Education : A Master’s degree (or equivalent advanced degree) in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, International Relations, or a related field is required. A combination of a Bachelor’s degree and an additional two years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience : A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in strategic communications, development communications, or public relations. This experience should ideally be within a media outlet, strategic communications agency, private foundation, or the communications office of an international organization or multilateral institution. Demonstrated professional experience working in or with Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua is highly desirable. A strong understanding of the local cultural environment and diplomatic protocol would be a significant asset.

Full professional proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.

Requirements

Citizenship: Must be eligible to work in job location(s) without the need for sponsorship.

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

National consultant Full-Time, 12 months (up to 48 months).

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.
• Leave and vacation: 2 days per month of contract, plus gender-neutral parental leave.
• Health insurance: The IDB Group provides a monthly allowance toward the purchase of health insurance.
• On-site position, with occasional telework flexibility.
• Professional development support: We offer learning opportunities to enhance your professional profile, including seminars, individualized career coaching, and much more.
• Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center, which provides employees with preventive care and health education.

Our culture

At the IDB, 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 [e-mail] .