Public Relations Officer at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• The Public Relations Officer is responsible for developing and executing strategic communication and public relations functions that enhance and protect the Bank's reputation, manage its public image, and foster positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. This role involves overseeing internal and external media relations, and crisis management to support the Bank's mission and objectives.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Planning

• Develop and implement integrated public relations and communication strategies aligned to the Bank’s corporate strategy and market positioning.
• Formulate and implement comprehensive annual and multi-year communication plans with clearly defined objectives, performance indicators, priority audiences, and coherent messaging frameworks that support the Bank’s strategic and developmental outcomes.
• Provide strategic counsel to management on public relations priorities, reputational considerations, and emerging communication risks and opportunities.
• Plan, manage and optimise the public relations and communications budget responsibly to ensure alignment with the Bank’s priorities, efficient allocation of resources and maximum impact.

Communication Management

• Manage and proactively strengthen the Bank’s reputation across traditional, digital, and stakeholder platforms.
• Oversee consistent corporate messaging and brand positioning across all internal and public-facing communications.
• Develop high-quality content and communication for press releases, reports, speeches, website content, and communication materials.
• Manage internal communication initiatives where external messaging alignment is required.
• Drive compliance with governance, regulatory, and approval processes for internal and external communications.

Media and Public Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets to ensure positive coverage of the Bank’s activities.
• Draft and distribute press releases, ensuring timely and accurate dissemination of information.
• Monitor media coverage and analyse its impact on the Bank’s reputation, and where required, implement responses to mitigate adverse impact.
• Support engagement with key internal external stakeholders, including employees, government, regulators, investors, partners, and communities.
• Manage responses to public, media, and stakeholder enquiries in a manner that upholds the brand and reputation of the Bank.
• Advise executives and management on public relations, media engagement, and reputational risk matters to ensure informed and consistent external communication.
• Provide training, coaching, and awareness sessions to executives and employees on media protocols, brand positioning, crisis communication, and appropriate public engagement.
• Develop and disseminate communication guidelines, toolkits, and key messaging to support staff in representing the Bank effectively across all platforms.
• If required, act as a spokesperson for the Bank, delivering clear, accurate, and consistent messages to the media and stakeholders in line with approved communication strategies and governance protocols.
• Coordinate and manage spokesperson activities, including preparing talking points, key messages, and briefing notes for executives and designated representatives.
• Oversee and direct all public statements, interviews, and responses to media enquiries in line with the Bank’s strategic objectives, brand positioning, and reputational risk management requirements.

Crisis Management

• Develop and implement crisis communication plans to protect the Bank’s reputation during adverse events.
• Maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders during crises.
• Coordinate communication responses during reputational risks or crises to protect the Bank’s credibility.
• Provide rapid, accurate, and consistent messaging during high-risk or sensitive situations.

Stakeholder Management

• Foster positive relationships with key stakeholders, including government entities and the public.
• Implement mechanisms to gather and respond to stakeholder feedback.
• Support engagement with key internal and external stakeholders, including employees, government, regulators, investors, partners, and communities.
• Coordinate public-facing events, briefings, and stakeholder communication initiatives.
• Manage responses to public, media, and stakeholder enquiries in a timely and professional manner.

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning to maximise individual and collective potential.
• Drive talent development initiatives, including coaching, performance management, and career pathing, to build and retain a skilled and motivated team.
• Provide direction and management to the team, to enable strategy execution.
• Attract, retain, develop talent and ensure sufficient capacity and capability in critical functions, supporting diversity strategies and initiatives as well.
• Promote DBSA values and a culture of high performance through implementing performance management in line with the planned strategic objectives, goals, quality standards and agreed key performance measures using sound performance management principles.
• Contribute to building synergies and cooperation across functions in the DBSA.
• Live the DBSA values.

Reporting and Monitoring

• Produce accurate, insightful reports and continuously monitor key metrics to assess progress against objectives.
• Analyse data to identify trends, inform strategic decisions, and provide stakeholders with clear, actionable information that supports ongoing performance improvement and accountability.
• Prepare reports for committees and governance structures on critical public relations events.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Delivery of integrated public relations and communication strategies and plans that demonstrably support the Bank’s corporate strategy, development mandate, and market positioning within approved timelines and budgets.
• Measurable improvement and sustained strength in the Bank’s reputation, brand consistency, and media sentiment across traditional, digital, and stakeholder platforms.
• Quality, clarity, and consistency of internal and external communications, including effectiveness of messaging, content standards, and alignment across all communication channels and platforms.
• Effectiveness and quality of media relations, including timely, accurate media outputs, constructive media coverage, and professional handling of media and public enquiries.
• Compliance with governance, regulatory, and approval processes, including effective management of reputational risk and credible communication responses during crises or sensitive situations.
• Quality and impact of stakeholder engagement, reflected in positive stakeholder feedback, successful public-facing initiatives, and responsive, professional communication with key audiences.
• Performance, capability, and engagement of the communications team, evidenced by achievement of objectives, talent development, collaboration across the Bank, and demonstration of organisational values.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations or Communications or Journalism, or Marketing

Experience

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 10 years’ progressive experience in public relations, corporate communications, or journalism within medium to large organisations, including demonstrated responsibility for strategic communication planning, media relations, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience in acting as a spokesperson or communicating on behalf of the organisation.
• In-depth demonstrated experience in media engagement, reputation management, and crisis communication.
• Excellent stakeholder and media relationship management.
• Proven track record in a leadership role managing PR teams and projects within the corporate environment.
• In-depth understanding of PR practices and methodologies.
• Familiarity with the media landscape in South Africa and a strong network within the environment.
• Extensive experience engaging with the CEO, Executives, Board members, and senior stakeholders across multiple sectors.

Desired Requirements

• Previous experience in the financial services or development finance sector.
• A postgraduate degree in Public Relations or Communications or Journalism, or Marketing
• Public relations experience at international level