If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.
For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.Purpose of the Position
Accountable for developing, managing, coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children's and women's rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office/regional office/media hub, and at a global level and those of the UN Country Team.
Key Expected Results
Within the delegated authority and the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be accountable for all or assigned areas of the following major duties and end results.
1. Communication strategy
Develop, maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.
UNICEF's rights- and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products.
Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
2. Media relations
Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by carrying out media, information and education activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.
Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.
Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.
Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.
Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination
3. Networking and partnerships
Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.
Establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.
Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.
4. Celebrities and special events
Develop, maintain and update celebrities contact list/database.
Establish, document, review and refine process of working with celebrities, including special events, media opportunities, field trips etc.
Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc. including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
5. Global priorities and campaigns
Support the UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.
Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results.
Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
6. Resource mobilization support
Mobilize country office communication capacity to support and gather/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fund-raising.
Mobilize resources for fund-raising support by regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions
7. Management
Develop a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.
Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.
Identify, recruit and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary. Conduct and Implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.
Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.
8. Monitoring and evaluation
Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.
Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.
Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings with country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF's communication work.
9. Capacity building and support
Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.
Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.
Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
An advanced university degree (Master's) in Communication, Journalism or Public Relations is required.
A relevant first-level university degree (Bachelor's), in combination with 2 years of additional relevant work experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible and relevant international and national professional work experience in communication, journalism, print, broadcast, and/or new media is required.
Experience in private fund-raising is considered an asset.
Previous experience and familiarity with emergency situations is highly desirable. Previous working experience in MENA Region is considered an asset.
Fluency in English (written & verbal) is required. Working knowledge of Arabic is considered an asset. Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is considered an asset.
Competencies of Successful Candidate
Core competencies:
Communication (Level 3)
Working with people (Level 2)
Drive for results (Level 2)
Functional Competencies:
Leading and supervising (Level 1)
Relating and networking (Level 2)
Applying technical expertise (Level 2)
Formulating strategies and concepts (Level 2)
Persuading and influencing (Level 2)
Entrepreneurial thinking (Level 2)
To view our competency framework, please clickhere.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF. This position is classified as "rotational" which means the incumbent is expected to rotate to another duty station upon completion of their tour of duty.UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
