Deputy Team Leader – Communications (Strongim Bisnis)

Program Overview

Program: Strongim Bisnis

Location: Honiara, Solomon Islands, with provincial travel as required

Duration: Full-time, initial contract until 30 June 2027, with possible extension to 2029

Reports to: Team Leader

Background to the Strongim Bisnis Program

Strongim Bisnis is the Australian Government’s flagship private sector development program in Solomon Islands, delivered through the Solomon Islands–Australia Partnership. Since 2017, it has used an innovative Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to stimulate inclusive and sustainable economic growth across high-potential sectors including cocoa, coconut, tourism, timber, horticulture (including seaweed), and targeted GEDSI-focused business investments.

With a strong commitment to ensuring women, youth, and people with disabilities benefit from economic opportunities, Strongim Bisnis is helping build a resilient, diversified, and competitive Solomon Islands economy powered by a dynamic private sector.

Working in a dynamic environment marked by a small domestic market, dispersed islands, and high business costs, Strongim Bisnis partners with businesses, government, civil society, and industry associations to address systemic constraints, strengthen business practices, catalyse innovation, and expand market access.

All interventions focus on commercially viable, demand-driven, and socially inclusive outcomes. The program is also continuing its successful collaboration with Australian Indigenous businesses.

Position Description Summary

Deputy Team Leader – Communications

The Deputy Team Leader – Communications is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and executing Strongim Bisnis’ strategic communications, public diplomacy, and knowledge management in line with DFAT requirements and the program’s overarching direction.

Working closely with the Team Leader and senior management, the role provides high-level guidance that strengthens program visibility, protects reputational integrity, and enhances influence among stakeholders across the Solomon Islands and the region.

The role ensures the communications function is underpinned by strong systems, clear standards, and a forward-looking strategy. It oversees integrated communications products, evidence-based storytelling, and impactful engagement that showcase program achievements and partnerships. The position also builds internal capability, ensuring staff have the tools, skills, and information needed to communicate effectively and consistently.

As a member of the program’s leadership team, the Deputy Team Leader – Communications contributes to program-wide planning and risk management (particularly reputational and communications risks), champions culturally grounded and inclusive approaches, and promotes a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

This is a full-time role based in Honiara, with responsibility to lead both directly and through influence to ensure communications are strategic, timely, and aligned with Strongim Bisnis’ development objectives.

Key Responsibilities

(a) Strategic Communications Leadership
Lead the design and delivery of the communications strategy, ensuring alignment with DFAT public diplomacy priorities and program objectives, and plan annual priorities.

(b) External Communications & Visibility
Develop and implement targeted messaging, creative assets, and marketing approaches that effectively promote Strongim Bisnis and its interventions across digital, public, and social media channels.

(c) Media Relations & Public Diplomacy
Build and maintain strong relationships with local and regional media. Manage press releases, media inquiries, and high-profile communications that support public diplomacy and safeguard program reputation.

(d) Storytelling & Content Production
Oversee high-quality written and visual content including stories, videos, photos, newsletters, publications, and infographics, ensuring accuracy, consistency, cultural appropriateness, and measurable reach and engagement.

(e) Activity-Linked Communications & Evidence-Based Storytelling
Work closely with business advisers and activity leads to translate program achievements into compelling products grounded in qualitative and quantitative evidence generated by the Monitoring & Results Measurement (MRM) team.

(f) Knowledge Management & Staff Capacity Building
Strengthen internal knowledge-sharing and communication systems. Upskill staff through training and coaching and maintain accessible tools, templates, key messages, and core program information.

(g) Event Planning & Stakeholder Engagement
Coordinate and manage public events, launches, and stakeholder engagements to highlight program achievements, partnerships, and lessons, ensuring consistent messaging and strong brand presence.

(h) Crisis & Disaster Communications
Develop and implement crisis communication protocols. Ensure rapid, clear, and culturally sensitive communication in high-risk or emergency contexts and advise leadership on reputational risk.

(i) Monitoring, Analysis & Reporting
Track media coverage, public sentiment, and communications trends. Assess performance against targets and provide timely insights, dashboards, and advice to management and DFAT to support decision-making and risk mitigation.

(j) Cross-Team Collaboration & Advisory Support
Provide strategic advice to teams and activity leads. Ensure interventions are supported by strong messaging, coherent narratives, and fit-for-purpose communications products.

(k) Australian Indigenous Partnerships & Cultural Exchange
Lead and strengthen collaboration with Australian Indigenous businesses by coordinating structured mentorships, peer-learning exchanges, and new commercial linkages. Ensure partnerships are culturally respectful, strategically aligned, and contribute to emerging value-chain opportunities.

Skills and Experience Required

The ideal candidate will have:

• A tertiary qualification in communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field.

• Experience working in Solomon Islands or another Pacific country.

• Extensive work experience in communications in a developing country context and working cross-culturally.

• Demonstrated project and event planning and management skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and a range of suppliers and contractors.

• Ability to engage with diverse audiences including businesses, associations, civil society organisations, donors, senior government officials, and the Strongim Bisnis team and its partners.

• Strong English writing skills, with the ability to summarise and repackage technical information in clear, compelling language.

• The ability to write engaging human interest and news stories.

• The ability to manage events with a good understanding of audience management, venue selection, speakers, and media exposure.

• Demonstrated experience in website content management, social media and media releases, graphic and document design, photography, video production, editing, event management, and broadcasting.

• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, youth empowerment, disability inclusion, and do-no-harm principles.

• Willingness to undertake occasional travel for field missions, including to remote areas.

The following skills and experience would be an advantage:

• Experience in an M4P or MSD program (ideally), or another private sector development program.

• Experience working on Australian Aid-funded projects or other donor programs in the South Pacific, working closely with broader business, government, and donor ecosystems.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted by 11:59pm (Sydney time) on 24 March 2026. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

Any questions should be sent to danya.salinas@adamsmithinternational.com. Please use the following subject line:
Enquiry DTL – Communications Strongim Bisnis

Applications should include:

• A one-page cover letter addressing the required qualifications, experience, and attributes

• A CV of no more than four pages

• Contact details of three professional referees

This position will be recruited through Adam Smith International (ASI).

ASI is committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention, and development of a diverse range of talented people. Women, people with disabilities, Indigenous and ethnic minority groups, and nationals of Pacific countries are encouraged to apply. We want people to be comfortable bringing their whole self to work and recognise that inclusion brings further opportunities for innovation and creativity.