E (most hardship)

Non Family

Non FamilyDanger Pay

GS5

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2024-09-18

October 3, 2024

Senior Communications Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Communications Assistant is normally supervised by a Communication Officer or other position as decided by the senior management in the area of responsibility. The supervisor provides the incumbent with regular guidance. The incumbent will have frequent contacts involving the exchange of a wide range of information with colleagues within UNHCR as well as media, international organizations, academic institutions and private individuals.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
– Regularly monitor media and local situation regarding UNHCR.
– Follow-up on administrative and logistical arrangements to organise press briefings and other events, such as workshop and conferences.
– Contribute to the production of information materials for public awareness campaigns and for the preparation of in-house bulletins, newsletters and information kits by contributing to articles, reports and other information gathered from various sources.
– Liaise with printers concerning brochures and publications published by the office.
– Draft routine correspondence and texts for the office’s website and maintain information databases.
– Compile and distribute a daily news clipping service.
– Distribute press statements and similar information to media, to other offices locally as well as to Headquarters.
– Maintain up-to-date filing system and appointments diary.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G5 – 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
International Relations; Journalism; Political Science;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Some work experience relevant to the position. Communication and computer skills. Excellent drafting skills as well as translation and interpreting skills.

Desirable
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of position.

Functional Skills
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
CO-Drafting and Documentation
IT-Web Content Management
CO-Digital content production
CO-Social Media Publishing/Monitoring/Marketing tools
IT-Web publishing
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

The ideal candidate should have a background in communications, journalism, or a related field, with solid experience in the production of digital media content for professional use.

Essential
• Strong drafting and editing skills in English and Arabic.
• Solid translation and interpreting skills.
• More than 3 years of hands-on experience in photography and video production/editing for professional use.
• Minimum 3 years of first-hand experience in production of social media content for UN agencies, government or other official/public entities (not for private/personal social media accounts).
• Proven experience in gathering, analyzing and summarizing data/information.
• Thorough experience in managing website, social media and other online platforms.
• Familiarity with the latest social media trends and techniques.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Adobe Premiere.

Desirable
• Communications/PI experience in UNHCR or other UN agencies
• Familiarity with humanitarian operations in Syria and/or UNHCR Syria’s activities

Arabic

,

English

,

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The Senior Communications Assistant (G5) is based at the Country Office, playing a crucial role in supporting the communication and advocacy efforts of the organization. The incumbent will be supervised by the Communication Officer or another designated senior staff member, receiving regular guidance and support. The Senior Communications Assistant needs to work collaboratively with different departments and offices within the operation to implement a cohesive and effective communication strategy. The role requires strong writing and editing skills, video production and editing skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Responsibilities: Monitor media coverage and prepare daily media scanning (the Syria News Highlights) on major developments in the country. Draft social media content both in English and Arabic. Coordinate with the field offices to gather information and content, and compile and transform those into communication products. Support the field offices to produce compelling communication products, including social media posts, photos, and videos among others. Conduct field missions to gather contents including photos, videos and stories. Initiate and follow up the procurement of UNHCR’s visibility items and equipment and coordinate with relevant units in the office. Manage an inventory and distribution of UNHCR’s visibility items. Monitor UNHCR Communications mailbox and flag any inquiries that need attention. Support the administration of UNHCR Help site and update the site. Attend internal and external communication meetings as required.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Certifications

International Relations – Other, Journalism – Other, Political Science – Other

Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Innovation & creativity, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

No late applications will be accepted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance