UNICEF recruits 01 Chief of Communication, (P-5)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a future.

Under the general guidance of the Representative, accountable for developing, managing, coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on a regular and 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 and at a global level and those of the UN Country Team. Post will also manage the Communication for Development (C4D) Manager who is responsible for the design, management, execution, monitoring and evaluation of a behaviour change and social mobilization strategy in support of the country programme.

How can you make a difference?

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.
• Draw on extensive strategy development experience and ensure optimum leverage and impact of communication activities on programme, policy and advocacy activities. UNICEF’s rights- and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products. Strategy and work plan incorporate and reflect key programme priorities and processes.
• Ensure adequate and ongoing assessment of trends, social and political change and public interest. Factor these environmental variables back into communication strategy and refining its execution.
• Maintain close coordination with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall collaboration in communication strategy.

2) Media relations

• Manage a country communication team that effectively executes a proactive and comprehensive media relations work plan encompassing the elements noted below.
• 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. Develop, maintain and grow partnerships with key media outlets/organizations for local and global use. Seek new ways to increase positive exposure and leverage that prominence for new opportunities for UNICEF.
• 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, consistency and appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners, public and other audiences.
• 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 with regional and HQ communication colleagues.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

3) Communication, networking and partnerships

• Manage a country communication team that effectively executes a proactive and comprehensive networking and partnerships strategy encompassing the elements noted below.
• Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database. Develop, maintain and grow partnerships with organizations for local and global use. Identify among the partners a handful of organizations whose reach extends beyond national borders and co-ordinate closely with Division Of Communication (DOC) and the regional office in extending their impact and use beyond national borders.
• 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 and evaluate results and effectiveness of working with partners and share results and findings with regional and HQ communication colleagues.
• UNICEF to be a reliable partner in national programme planning and development, pursuing gender mainstreaming and principles of gender equity.

4) Celebrities and special events

• Manage a country communication team that effectively develops, maintains and updates celebrities contact list/database.
• In close co-ordination with DOC’s celebrity relations staff, identify, develop, maintain and grow relationships with personalities with reach beyond national boundaries for local and global use.
• 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. Apply country communication resources to highlight the achievements of the country programme. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
• Monitor and evaluate results and effectiveness of working with celebrities and share results and findings with regional and HQ communication colleagues.

5) Global priorities and campaigns

• Manages the work of the country communication team to include support for UNICEF’s 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.
• Use established contacts, networks, resources and processes to support these global elements.
• Use country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify and draw attention to effective relevant 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

• Develop, deploy and mobilize country office communication team capacity to support and gather/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts that support national and global resource mobilization efforts. Use the opportunity to identify and draw attention to effective relevant programme activities and results.
• Ensure 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 of funds, make sure that funds are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.
• Identify, recruit and supervise communication staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary.
• Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.
• Participate in the Country Office’s broader planning and budgeting exercises.

8) Monitoring and evaluation

• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary. These may have multiple uses 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 colleagues so best practices and insights can 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 the capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.
• Build the Country Office communication capacity to independently produce, transmit and distribute content in multiple media formats – print, photos, audio, video, web etc. – for local and global use, adhering to the quality standards and production guidelines set by DOC.
• 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, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or other related fields of disciplines.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience.
• Professional experience in communication, print, broadcast, new media.
• International and national work experience in both developed and developing countries.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.
• Fluency in English and French is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are:

Core Values:

• Commitment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Integrity

Core Competencies:

• Communication [III]
• Working with People [III]
• Drive for Results [III]

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and Supervising [III]
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts   [III]
• Analyzing [II]
• Relating and Networking [III]
• Persuading and Influencing [III]
• Entrepreneurial Thinking [III]

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

 

Remarks:

* Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

* Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

* The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within 31 days of receiving an offer.

Employment is conditional upon receipt of medical clearance, any clearance required, the grant of a visa, and completion of any other pre-employment criteria that UNICEF may establish. Candidates may not be further considered or offers of employment may be withdrawn if these conditions are unlikely to be met before the date for commencement of service.