About the Role

Culmen International LLC is seeking to hire a Senior Advisor for Public Affairs and Communications support for a Department of State contract onsite in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Senior Advisor will be embedded at the Government of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense and focused on building a sustainable strategic communications capability across the Bulgarian military. Providing expert guidance and technical assistance needed to develop, implement, and sustain a strategic communications capability in the MOD. Advising the MOD in contributing to, as appropriate, national level strategic communications and countering foreign malign influence efforts within the Government of Bulgaria.

This position does require living in Sofia. Culmen does provide local furnished housing to include utilities and high-speed internet in safe and secure location, transportation accommodations, Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance and International SOS coverage.

What You’ll Do in Your New Role

Provide recommendations for establishing a new strategic communications framework within the MOD.
Collaborate with the MOD to develop a strategic communications strategy aligned with national objectives.
Offer advice to the Government of Bulgaria on effective partnerships with the MOD to implement strategies for countering malign information.
Assist in formulating strategic communications plans, engaging target audiences, addressing vulnerabilities, and establishing communication channels.
Recommend best practices for countering misinformation and identifying future effective campaigns.
Help the MOD assess workforce needs for strategic communications and create career pathways to enhance recruitment and retention.
Advise on supporting national efforts to counter foreign malign influence.
Foster strong relationships with key stakeholders in the Ministry of Defense for effective collaboration.
Work with MOD officials to identify gaps in strategic communications and consult with relevant government entities.
Share expertise on necessary reforms and propose legislative, policy, and training enhancements for a robust communications capability.
Assist in developing procedures that incorporate legal considerations into operational decision-making.
Identify barriers to change in strategic planning, offer recommendations, and collaborate on solutions to achieve desired outcomes.

Required Qualifications

U.S. citizen.
Active Secret clearance
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).
Master’s degree in areas such as National Security Policy/Affairs, International Affairs, Security Studies, Public Administration, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Diplomacy, Communications, Foreign Area Studies, or a similar field AND at least six (6) years of U.S. military and/or U.S. civilian professional experience on countering foreign information manipulation through strategic communications.

Bachelor’s degree in National Security Policy/Affairs, International Affairs, Security Studies, Public Administration, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Diplomacy, Communications, Foreign Area Studies, or a similar field AND at least ten (10) years of U.S. military and/or civilian professional experience working on countering foreign information manipulation through strategic communications.
Experience conducting organizational, mission, and workforce needs assessments on communications capabilities for large organizations (100+ personnel).
Experience developing high level, organization-wide communication strategies.
Experience coordinating and implementing strategic and operational plans involving a variety of stakeholders.
Experience in using a data-centric approach to develop, execute, and assess communications campaigns.
Experience managing or implementing communication campaigns in multiple channels.
Experience in the field of countering mis/disinformation and/or foreign malign influence.
Experience advising senior officials in government, military, and/or other large institutions (100+ personnel).

Desired Qualifications

Proficiency in speaking/reading/writing in the Bulgarian language (Foreign Service Institute (FSI) score of 3 or higher, a Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) score of 3/3/3 or higher, or a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) score of C1 or higher.)
Experience in building or sustaining a culture of effective communications.
Strong interpersonal skills, including demonstrated experience navigating complex problem sets with diverse and difficult stakeholders.
Experience in interagency coordination, advising, and stakeholder outreach.
Experience identifying, analyzing, and countering mis/disinformation.
Experience developing high level, organization-wide communication strategies designed to protect security.
Familiarity with foreign malign influence activities and strategic intent, tactics, techniques and procedures in Europe or elsewhere.
Experience working with press and social media platforms.
Experience establishing career pathways that build a capacity, capability, and force structure in communications.

About the Company

Culmen International is committed to enhancing international safety and security, strengthening homeland defense, advancing humanitarian missions, and optimizing government operations. With experience in over 150 countries, Culmen supports our clients to accomplish critical missions in challenging environments.

To learn more about Culmen International, please visit www.culmen.com.

At Culmen International, we are committed to creating and sustaining a workplace that upholds the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). We believe in the importance of fair treatment and equal access to opportunities for all employees and applicants. Our commitment to these principles is unwavering across all our operations worldwide.

Senior Advisor - Public Affairs & Communications

About the Role

What You’ll Do in Your New Role

Required Qualifications

Desired Qualifications

About the Company

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