Director, Corporate Communications & International Relations – Financial Sector Institution

• Career level: Executive(VP, Director)
• Skills: Technical and non-technical communication, Excellent interpersonal and communication skills required, Strong communication, influencing, and problem-solving skills., Communication Sciences, communication sciences journalism, Excellent interpersonal, networking, and communication skills.
• Experience: ['Above 12 years']

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Financial Sector / Institutional Organization
Reports To: Senior Executive Leadership

About the Role

We are recruiting on behalf of a leading institution in Ethiopia which is seeking an experienced Director of Corporate Communications & International Relations to lead its corporate communication, public relations, stakeholder engagement, international relations, media relations, protocol, branding, and digital communication functions.

The successful candidate will provide strategic communication leadership, advise senior management on communication and reputational matters, and oversee high-level engagement with local and international stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the Corporate Communications and International Relations function.
• Develop and implement corporate communication strategies aligned with institutional objectives.
• Ensure consistency across internal and external communication, public relations, corporate branding, and institutional messaging.
• Develop communication standards, guidelines, and procedures.
• Advise senior leadership on communication strategy, stakeholder engagement, reputation, and sensitive communication matters.
• Lead media relations and serve as a key contact for local and international communication inquiries.
• Coordinate media engagements, interviews, campaigns, public statements, and institutional communication activities.
• Oversee website, social media, and other digital communication channels.
• Strengthen internal communication systems and ensure timely, clear, and consistent communication with employees.
• Lead stakeholder engagement with government institutions, regulatory authorities, international organizations, development partners, diplomatic missions, media, and other strategic stakeholders.
• Lead international relations, protocol activities, official missions, high-level meetings, and international engagements.
• Monitor international trends, stakeholder perceptions, and opportunities for strategic collaboration.
• Coordinate high-level representation and international engagements.
• Lead annual planning, budgeting, reporting, and risk management for the directorate.
• Manage, mentor, and develop the communications and international relations team.
• Establish performance objectives and support staff capability development.
• Oversee communication-related projects and ensure effective implementation of approved initiatives.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or above in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 5 years in a managerial or leadership position.
• Strong experience in corporate communication, public relations, international relations, media management, stakeholder engagement, or institutional communication.
• Experience within a financial-sector institution, regulatory environment, government institution, international organization, development institution, or similarly structured organization is highly desirable.
• Strong strategic communication and institutional messaging capabilities.
• Strong experience in media and public relations.
• Strong understanding of international relations, protocol, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience handling sensitive issues and crisis communication.
• Proven leadership and people-management capabilities.
• Strong digital communication, website, and social media management experience.
• Strong planning, budgeting, reporting, and risk-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Amharic.
• Strong judgment, discretion, professionalism, and ability to manage sensitive institutional matters.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a senior communications and stakeholder-engagement professional with substantial experience working with senior leadership, institutional stakeholders, media, international organizations, regulatory or financial-sector environments, or other high-profile organizations.

Candidates with a strong combination of corporate communications + international relations + stakeholder engagement + senior leadership experience are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV for consideration.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or above in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 5 years in a managerial or leadership position.
• Strong experience in corporate communication, public relations, international relations, media management, stakeholder engagement, or institutional communication.
• Experience within a financial-sector institution, regulatory environment, government institution, international organization, development institution, or similarly structured organization is highly desirable.
• Strong strategic communication and institutional messaging capabilities.
• Strong experience in media and public relations.
• Strong understanding of international relations, protocol, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience handling sensitive issues and crisis communication.
• Proven leadership and people-management capabilities.
• Strong digital communication, website, and social media management experience.
• Strong planning, budgeting, reporting, and risk-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Amharic.
• Strong judgment, discretion, professionalism, and ability to manage sensitive institutional matters.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a senior communications and stakeholder-engagement professional with substantial experience working with senior leadership, institutional stakeholders, media, international organizations, regulatory or financial-sector environments, or other high-profile organizations.

Candidates with a strong combination of corporate communications + international relations + stakeholder engagement + senior leadership experience are particularly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV for consideration.