Location:

Maputo, Mozambique
Salary:

$35,000 - $48,000 / YEAR
Job type:

FULL_TIME
Posted:

4 months ago
Category:

Communication and Advocacy
Deadline:

06/09/2025

JOB DESCRIPTION

Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)
Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts
Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background

Mozambique is highly susceptible to weather-related hazards and climate change, ranking third among African countries affected. Over the past four decades, it has endured over 80 types of hazards, including floods, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, and tropical cyclones, exposing over a quarter of its nearly 30 million inhabitants to these risks. Cyclones pose the greatest recurrent threat, particularly in coastal areas like Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Zambézia, Manica, and Sofala, affecting up to 2 million people. Recent events, such as Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019, caused significant casualties, displacement, and infrastructure damage. These disasters disproportionately impact women and children, exacerbating gender inequalities, vulnerability to gender-based violence, early pregnancies, and child marriages due to economic hardships and reduced security. To enhance resilience, a gender-responsive disaster risk reduction (DRR) approach is crucial. Moreover, Mozambique faces additional challenges to effective disaster risk reduction, including a rise in violent attacks by insurgent groups, primarily in Cabo Delgado.

These incidents, ongoing since 2017, have resulted in civilian casualties, displacement, and recruitment of youth into armed groups, contributing to insecurity. Tensions also exist between political parties in other vulnerable provinces like Sofala and Manica. The convergence of disaster, conflict, and economic shocks, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitates a coordinated approach to disaster risk reduction, humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding to build lasting resilience and peace.

Based on this context, UNDP is implementing a project together with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Government of Mozambique that will address the pressing need to build resilience of communities to multiple risks, with an emphasis on pressing risks related to disasters and conflict, while bridging the gap with humanitarian response and recovery. The project, to be jointly implemented by the unit for Environment, Climate, and Resilience (ECR)and the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD), will work support capacity development of the government at the national and local level, emphasizing the needs of women and girls with engagement of the civil society in the provinces of Cabo-Delgado, Nampula, Niassa, Manica and Sofala. Leveraging on the disaster risk reduction and humanitarian-development-peace nexus, the project will seek to support two main areas: 1) strengthening risk governance mechanisms, including for a multi-dimensional risk analysis, to ensure a coherent policy and programmatic approach; and 2) Improving community resilience to disasters and conflict through community engagement to leverage local knowledge in resilience building and conflict prevention.

Scope of Work

Support the formulation and implementation of the project communications strategy and advocacy, ensuring alignment with UNDP and donor guidelines;
Regularly prepare and provide comprehensive reports and updates on the progress, achievements, and impact of the Disaster Resilience and Social Cohesion project to UNDP, KOICA, Government;
Organizing publicity, advocacy, knowledge-sharing events, and promotional opportunities for relevant programs/projects of the unit;
Support the Disaster Resilience & Social Cohesion personnel and the ECR Unit in identifying and documenting project impact, success stories, best practices, and lessons learned for dissemination across various channels, channels (UNDP website, events, communication materials, technical meetings);
Strengthen relationships with the media to enhance the visibility of UNDP-KOICA- Mozambican Government and ECR unit initiatives by organizing meetings and sharing press releases;
Collaborate with the UNDP Country Office communication Team on digital outreach activities, including contributing to update UNDP website and social media channels, to promote results, achievements, and the progress of programs/projects relevant to the project and Unit;
Be responsive and creative to promptly address client needs and explore new communication approaches as needed;
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning ofthe Office and the Organisation.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Unit (ECR) and direct supervision of the Project Manager (PM), the Communication Associate should develop the project communications strategy and facilitates its implementation in line with UNDP-KOICA and Government key rules with a view to showcase the project outputs and influence the development agenda related to resilience and social cohesion.

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Administration & Operations

Documents and records management
- Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving.

Business Management

Communication
- Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
- Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Communication

Mobile Design and Development
- Ability to design, code, develop and create effective digital experiences for mobile users

Administration & Operations

Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings)
- Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

Administration & Operations

Inventory management
- Each office to ensure sufficient inventory items are available for use as well as reporting for items which are beyond the corporate threshold of $5K and above.

Business Management

Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
- Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers” needs.
- Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
- Look for ways to add value beyond clients” immediate requests.
- Ability to anticipate client”s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Development

Knowledge Generation
- Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
- Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches.
- Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Minimum Qualifications

Min. Education requirements

Completion of Secondary School is required; Or A University Degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Min. years of relevant work experience

Minimum of 7 years (with secondary school education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience at national level in providing communication services to promote the activities of state institutions / international organizations / CSO or business sector.

Required skills

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, good knowledge, and experience in handling of web-based;
Demonstrated experience in research, writing, editing and social media experience;
Experience working in the field of development or communications for a social development purpose;
Familiarity with creative desktop and mobile tools, such as the Adobe Creative Suite, and/or online tools such as Canva or Figma.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

Familiarity with UNDP editorial guidelines and templates is desired;
Experience in media relations is desired;
Experience in working with international organizations, within or outside of Mozambique is an asset;
Experience in working providing communication services to UNDP or UN Agencies is an asset.

Required Language(s)

Fluency in Portuguese and English (written and spoken) is required.

Professional Certificates

Strategic Communication, social media, professional certified marketer, or any relevant certificate to ensure quality communication of the project outputs will be desirable.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

This job has expired.