Senior Strategic Communications Advisor

Bulgaria Strategic Communications Senior Advisor

Are you looking to make a difference in security cooperation?

Sincerus is looking for an experienced strategic communications professional to provide expert advisory services as an embedded Senior Advisor to the Bulgarian government in support of Global Defense Reform Program (GDRP) initiatives. GDRP is a US State Department-funded program that, in close coordination with US Department of Defense, focuses on assisting Partner Nations with defense reform and civil-military institutional capacity building efforts. The embedded Senior Advisor will work with Bulgarian government and coordinate with all necessary partners, including Bulgarian stakeholders as well as the US Embassy, to conduct assessments, provide recommendations, and support ongoing initiatives, related to strategic communications. The Advisor will serve in a full time, embedded, twelve-month long commitment abroad in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Advisor duties and responsibilities:

The Senior Advisor shall provide expert guidance and the advice and technical assistance needed to develop Bulgaria's strategic communications capacity, including policy, procedure, and protocols. The Senior Advisor shall also advise the Bulgarian government and support the capacity development process.

The Senior Advisor shall:

1. Conduct comprehensive assessments and landscape analysis of existing regulations, staff, policies, and operating procedures related to strategic communications capacity. The assessment phase is aimed at identifying gaps and evaluating the effectiveness of strategic communications processes related to defense and security.
2. Provide guidance and advisory to address identified capacity gaps; this may include:
   • Developing communications strategies and plans directly tailored to meet identified gaps.
   • Mentor, train, or lead workshops/events to build the capacity of Bulgaria's strategic communications personnel.
   • Mentor and advise these personnel in message development, media relations, crisis communications, and other communications components.
   • Collaborate with Bulgarian government stakeholders to develop interagency coordination for strategic communications lines of effort.

1. Develop strong professional working relationships with key stakeholders in the Bulgarian government and then act as a trusted advisor to them. This includes participating in any related working groups and/or initiatives already underway which contribute to the overall objective(s).

1. Collaborate closely with Bulgarian stakeholders to design and implement more efficient and effective strategic communications processes for defense and security structures.
2. Actively engage in change management by collaborating with leadership to manage the change process and mitigate obstacles and disruptions during reforms.
3. Establish metrics and monitoring tools to evaluate the progress of capacity building efforts, including understanding impact and identifying course corrections as needed to ensure objectives are met.
4. Share expertise and recommendations with Bulgaria's defense institutions relevant to strategic communications efforts and developing this capacity.

REQUIRED Qualifications:

1. U.S. citizen.
2. Master's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Public Administration, Business, International Relations, National Security, or related studies AND at least six (6) years of U.S. military and/or civilian professional experience with strategic communications. --- OR --- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Administration, Business, International Relations, National Security, or a related studies field AND at least ten (10) years of U.S. military and/or civilian professional experience with strategic communications.
3. Have reached, at a minimum, the rank of O-5 in the military, or equivalent in a civilian capacity (i.e., FS-02/GS-14 or industry equivalent).
4. Experience working on strategic communications or public relations including strategy, policy, or procedures at a senior level within the military, civilian government, private sector or industry, or equivalent organizational level.
5. Experience working with senior foreign military officials, senior foreign civilian law enforcement officials, or senior foreign government officials.
6. Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance issued by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) prior to contract/task order performance.

PREFERRED Qualifications:

1. Two (2) years of experience living and working in Eastern Europe or the Balkans.
2. Two (2) years of experience developing and implementing capacity building initiatives in a bilateral and/or multilateral environment.