Communications Specialist Business Development

Gigi Sidiqi 617-***-**** *******.********@*****.***

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Results driven Communications Specialist with over 12 years of corporate and non-profit experience. Proven leadership, team management and communications skills, development, health and humanitarian communications and branding. Track record of designing impactful communication strategies and executing creative marketing campaigns for international and local organizations resulting in enhanced brand recognition, increased fundraising, and heightened public awareness. I am dedicated to driving transformative communication initiatives that foster growth, influence positive change, and elevate the impact of projects. I have 4 years’ experience with start-ups and streamlining communications process and workflows in a start up environment.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Imperial Hospitality Services, Inc.

Manager Business Development & Communications (March 2024- Present)

• Developed and executed strategic initiatives resulting in a 72% increase in annual revenue.

• Expanded client base by 98 % through targeted outreach and relationship-building efforts.

• Managed HUB and MWBE certifications process.

• Led cross-functional teams to successfully create proposals and submit towards government contracts (through RFPs), with a monthly submission towards 10 RFPs

• Government and local contracts won worth up to 2 million USDs

• Negotiated key partnerships and contracts, resulting in new business opportunities with SBEs and big businesses.

• Analyzed market trends and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities and market gaps.

• Mentored and coached a team of 8 professionals, fostering a collaborative and high- performance culture.

• Analyze market data and customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and innovation in products or services.

• Coordinate with cross-functional teams, including product development, sales, and customer service, to ensure alignment and synergy in business development efforts.

• Stay abreast of best practices and emerging trends in business development, communication, and marketing to maintain a competitive edge. Strategic Communications Specialist (September 2023 – March 2024) GOLDBELT – APEX Project: COVID-19 Health Center (HC) Response Program

• Developed communications strategy to onboard and facilitate 10,371 health centers nationwide to provide access to COVID-19 testing and vaccination services to marginalized communities.

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• Researched and developed written and oral communication products for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) streamlining information to over 10,730 participating HC sites. Provided communications support to 1,900 community events facilitating dissemination of 231,309 COVID-19 Tests, 110,429 COVID-19 vaccines, and 2,930 COVID-19 antiviral kits at no cost to special populations.

• Updated over 42 communication products and over 100 technical products; facilitated work group for biweekly program update content and co-managed the HRSA monthly webinar. Maintained 508 complaint site content, and created engaging materials leading to increased participation by 75+%.

• Troubleshooting HC issues captured through Salesforces tickets. Updated existing publications, monthly newsletters, data records with the data team in the Health Partner Ordering Portal (HPOP) and developed training material for HC’s.

• Directed HRSA monthly webinar to engage and inform participating HC’s of key programmatic updates, processes, sharing publication resources, and pharmaceutical market trends. Facilitated question and answer sessions and created post-event follow up reports.

• Transitioned health centers to ASPR’s COVID-19 Response Program, phased site content and outreach strategies to new government leads; assisted in outreach communication strategies to manage the Pfizer/Merck commercialization of COVID-19 therapeutics and reconciliation of vaccines projects.

• Managed and led project closeout deliverables by analyzing data, developing methodology, and translating information into milestones for the Final Report. Harnessed data analytics to quantify and reflect project impact in all final deliverable content for HRSA.

Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC Health), Boston, MA Communications and Network Development Manager

08/2022 to 08/2023

• Lead and oversee vendor identification, selection, and vendor relationship management including oversight of all interactions and deliverables from relevant partners

• Provide guidance and training to team members, partners/stakeholders, and communities on COVID testing requirements

• Provide strategic vision and direction to the company on expanding and procuring new business contracts

• Define, develop, and oversee adherence to project timelines, including documentation and communications

• Lead behavioral change communication campaigns in multiple languages to create awareness for COVID testing, wastewater management and air testing services among communities

• Create a networking process from identifying to onboarding throughout project lifecycle

• Perform data analysis and tracking of all project activities related to developing COVID testing

• Lead project implementation through staffing over 3,000 testers on site onboarding, training, and orienting to be prepared for testing and vaccinations in 2500 plus schools 3

• Coordinate with CIC Health partners, and state departments for weekly updates on testing efforts

• Participate in team member recruitment, on-boarding and lead ongoing training and coaching of team members

• Develop, coordinate, and conduct workshops, seminars, and other public meetings for COVID testing awareness

• Express self effectively in writing including preparing technical educational literature and related printed material

Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC Health), Boston, MA Network Development Manager

08/2021 to 08/2022

• Define and develop program and plans for assigned projects

• Lead operational activities and manage their execution to ensure completion according to timelines, anticipating potential study problems and preparing contingency plans

• Establish strong partnerships with external vendors and subcontractors to ensure ongoing activities are executed in a timely manner and with high quality

• Implement and maintain working processes to promote high quality, efficient, and compliant systems, and tools for project management

• Organize and lead project operational meetings

• Maintain internal testing databases and document repositories

• Maintain project timelines

• Assist in determining the activities to support a project’s priorities within functional area

• Provide administrative oversight regarding staff roles and instructions for each project

• Participate in planning, development, and invoicing for projects

• Maintain effective relationships with staff, public officials, public and private agencies, and community groups.

Communications Specialist (November 2014 – August 2021) Take-5 Consultants, Houston, Texas Worked with diverse clients for marketing, communications, and branding needs including NACS streetwear, UN-Habitat, Better Humans, Express Movers.

• Creating social media and digital content, tailored specifically for each client.

• Managing and repositioning brands, using data to identify gaps in marketing and strategy

• Managing internal teams to facilitate with public relations and media engagement from our roster of media contacts

• Creating three and five year communication campaigns to maximize client reach

• Developing crisis communication plans to mitigate unexpected events and emergencies.

• Collaborating with stakeholders, including community organizations and businesses. Integrating corporate social responsibility in strategy of clients in alignment with their corporate ethos

• Metrics and evaluations to measure communications effectiveness Communications Specialist (March 2013-July 2014)

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USAID - The Agribusiness Project & The Teacher Education Project The Agribusiness project was a U.S. Government funded project that provided grants to underprivileged farmers to provide economic opportunities within underserved communities.

• Communications Specialist, for $90 million Teacher education Project with Columbia University

• Created and implemented nationwide strategy for capacity building among small and medium enterprises.

• Writing, editing of publications.

• Nationwide communication strategy development

• Content creation and report writing for the purpose of marketing and donor reporting. Communications Officer, (October 2005-March 2013)

UNITED NATIONS Human Settlements Program

• Headed the Communications department communications

• Created and implemented communication strategy for $75 million humanitarian project.

• Writing and editing content (social media content, articles, op-eds)

• Prioritized Millennium Development Goals, policy and sustainable urbanization in strategy.

• Wrote and produced publications, fundraising proposals, meetings, and events.

• Consultant for documentary film production and direction strategically aimed at promoting achievements of UN-HABITATs and ERRA’s Post earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation work.

• Managing street theater activities for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program and other promotional activities for rural sector.

• Managed the communications department and all public information activities.

• Disaster risk communications campaigning to the affected communities.

• Creating a strategy that would be implemented over a period of 4 years to achieve the long-term goals of UN-HABITAT.

EDUCATION:

• Lesley University. Bachelors, Liberal Arts and Sciences. GPA 3.6

• New York Film Academy. Kings College, London. U.K. Diploma Film Making

• SKILLS: •

• Content generating and marketing

• Creative and technical writing

• Proof reading & editing content

• Editing film on Final Cut Pro X

• Microsoft Office

• Proficient in Excel, Google sheets, Google Tables, Word Press, Teams 5

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