Event Organization and Communications Specialist

International Potato Center POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Ref.: 17-18 CS/NRS/CCCAP

Event Organization and Communications Specialist The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking a self-starting, motivated, detail-oriented Event Organization & Communication Specialist for its facility (called CCCAP) in Yanqing, Beijing, China. The responsibilities of the position include organizing and planning a range of national and international scientific and educational conferences, workshops and events to be held at CCCAP. The individual will also coordinate and arrange the participation of CCCAP’s scientific team in national or international conferences and events. The Specialist in Event Organization will also lead CCCAP’s external communications efforts. These communication efforts will be geared towards keeping our regional stakeholders (regional potato/sweetpotato smallholder farmers, potato/sweetpotato industry groups, national/international research groups at universities or other institutions, general public, government officials and donors) well informed about CCCAP’s and CIP’s work, goals and achievements. Also, the Specialist will prepare and execute a communication’s strategy and plan (in coordination with HQ) with the aim to provide a positive impact in CCCAP’s fundraising efforts.

The Center: CIP is a not-for-profit international agricultural research-for-development organization with a focus on potato, sweet potato, and Andean roots and tubers. CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved well-being, and gender equity for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world. CIP works with partners to contribute high quality science, technology, and capacity strengthening for sustainable science-based solutions. CIP is headquartered in Lima, Peru, with staff and activities in over 30 locations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. CIP is a member of the CGIAR consortium. CGIAR coordinates the work of 15 research centers, and their hundreds of partner organizations. CIP is in the process of opening a sizeable R&D facility in Beijing (Yanqing District) called the CIP-China Center for Asia-Pacific (CCCAP). CCCAP is planning to start hiring scientists and staff. The aim of CCCAP is to accelerate poverty reduction and improve food security through research and capacity strengthening.

The position: This position will be based in Yanqing District, Beijing, China. The position will report to the Chief Scientist CCCAP, but will also coordinate with the Head of Communications in HQ. The successful candidate will identify potential conference needs, work closely with National and International scientists,donors, event organizations, universities and government officials to plan, run and monitor all aspects of conferences. Also, this position will support CCCAP and CIP with communications in Asia-Pacific.

Duties and Responsibilities:

70% Event organization

• Develop a 3-year CCCAP Event Strategy Plan, with goals, milestones and KPIs.

• Develop a 3-year event calendar with national/international events to be organized by CCCAP and

national/international events where CCCAP needs to participate.

• Prepare and present in a timely manner a budget for all events to be organized by CCCAP as well

as a separate budget to cover all costs related to the participation of CCCAP in events organized

by others.

• Define and organize the participation of CCCAP personnel in events outside CCCAP.

• Define the goals of CCCAP and of individual CCCAP team members for each event, ensure the

goals of the event for CCCAP are reached. After each event, present the impact balance of

CCCAP’s participation.

• Lead/own the organization of events and conferences to be held at CCCAP’s facilities, according

to the Event Strategy Plan and CCCAP’s event agenda.

• Communicate and manage timelines, workflow and responsibilities to effectively execute events.

• Build strong working relationships with national and international partners to ensure a high standard

of quality for each event.

• Identify and book locations for the events, liaise with local providers for booking, housing,

transportation, media coverage, cleaning, security, catering and logistical arrangements.

• Plan and execute the promotion of events in a comprehensive, timely and appropriate manner to

maximize their impact.

• Coordinate all materials for the conferences, including arranging and overseeing translation where

required, and arranging timely shipping of material to venues.

• Manage the event on the day, including setting up, instructing external contractors and internal staff

assistance.

• Develop and track multiple event budgets and overall expenses and guarantee that each event is

correctly closed from the accounting point of view.

30% Communication

• Regularly prepare communication material, press releases, website improvements, PPTs and any

other communication tool to ensure the work and goals of CCCAP are well communicated to the

different stakeholders.

• Establish a communications plan in association with the Head of Communications HQ.

• Report bi-monthly to the Chief Scientist CCCAP the communication progress and achievement

reached according to the communication plan.

Selection Criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Business or related disciplines. Master’s degree

in related fields is a plus;

• At least 5 years of experience in similar positions;

• Relevant experience in organizing international events, external relations and marketing;

• Excellent spoken and written English and Mandarin are required. Knowledge of Cantonese

is a plus;

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; • Must be highly organized, solutions-oriented, detail-oriented and adept at managing multiple

complex projects simultaneously;

• Ability to effectively prioritize requests and customer needs;

Conditions:

• Non- nationals are allowed to apply to this locally based position. All applicants must have a

residency status or work permit for China.

• The employment contract will be for a two-year term with possibility of renewal.

• CIP prides itself on its collegial and supportive working environment, which allows space for

personal and professional growth.

• The successful candidate will receive a compensation package comparable with similar

organizations and in line with the candidate’s qualification and experience.

Applications: Applicants should apply online through our CIP’s Job Opportunities website

(http://cipotato.org/open-vacancies/), attaching the following documents in English:

• cover letter summarizing their relevance to this position,

• a full C.V with the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of

the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience

Screening of applications will begin on September 11, 2017 and will continue until the post is filled. All

applications will be acknowledged, however only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Learn more about CIP by accessing our web site at http://www.cipotato.org.