ABOUT THE COMPANY:

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist Governments with developing policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines

The Communication Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in the Republic of Tajikistan and Project Lead Technical Officers (LTOs)/ Project managers, the REU and SEC communications teams, and in close collaboration with the FETAJ Office colleagues.

Technical Focus

The Specialist will support the Communications and Outreach efforts of the FAO Representation in Tajikistan and various FAO projects in the country.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Prepare and help implement regular (monthly) communication plans for the FAO Representation in Tajikistan;
•    Assist Project Task Forces (PTFs) in the preparation and implementation of project communication work plans; 
•    Write news releases, human interest stories and other content to share with regional, national and local media; 
•    Maintain and regularly update FAO-Tajikistan media contacts list, and share the list with the regional communication team if requested;
•    Disseminate news releases; 
•    Organize project site visits for journalists, and other public information events and press conferences, as necessary;
•    Conduct media monitoring of the coverage of project activities and FAO general visibility in Tajikistan;
•    Create and maintain an up-to-date database of communication materials (including publications, press releases, photographs, audio-visual materials, web resources, etc.);
•    Help with the creation and running of an FAO Tajikistan website, until which keep the FAO Tajikistan country profile news updated;
•    Be responsible for regularly preparing and posting tweets on the FAO Tajikistan X account;
•    Develop local language versions of corporate communication materials (news releases, op-eds, brochures, etc.);
•    In close coordination with project management and technical units, assist in conducting visibility events, including World Food Day, but also as outlined in the Communication Strategies of respective projects;
•    Follow-up on the development and production of promotional materials (caps, pens, folders, etc.), obtain technical clearance for the content, and ensure that they meet FAO and donor requirements and standards in terms of quality, consistency and relevance; 
•    Ensure dissemination of promotional materials to local communities, government officials, other partners and the media; 
•    Provide inputs to all major technical documents and reports to ensure they are well-written, clearly communicate the messages and comply with organizational and donor visibility requirements;
•    Liaise with the UN Country Team in Tajikistan for enhanced visibility of FAO’s work, including on UN Tajikistan resources;
•    Other related duties, as required.

Liaison with the OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, appropriate review and clearance processes. 

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including: 
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en   
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia    
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en  
FAOSTYLE: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en  
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm  
FAO Names Of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en    
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).

Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements  
  
•    Advanced degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Social /Behavioural Sciences or any other related field;
•    At least 5 years of work experience in the field of Communications; 
•    Working knowledge of English, Russian and Tajik..
•    National of Tajikistan or resident in the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Extent and relevance of experience in communications and journalism, including media relations, online communication and social networks, along with direct experience in journalism; 
•    Demonstrated communication (spoken, written, public speaking and presentational) skills, including the ability to convey and present sensitive issues/positions;
•    Excellent computer skills including Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet, etc;
•    Work experience with international organizations will be an asset;
•    Analytical skills and ability to write clear and concise reports is considered a strong asset;
•    Ability to work under pressure and to carry out several tasks in a timely fashion and under tight deadlines with minimum supervision;
•    Courtesy, tact and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. 

Selection Criteria

•    Fluency in Tajik will be an asset.