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 voice

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

How can you make a difference:

The successful candidate will be 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.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS 

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.

Key End Results:

1. Communication strategy:

The Country Office has a clear communication strategy and associated work plan to get children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, and enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.

2. Media relations:

The Country Office has a well-managed country communication team that maintains and continually develops a contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of UNICEF’s cooperation to a wider audience. New ways are identified to increase positive exposure and leverage that prominence for new opportunities for UNICEF.

3. Networking and partnerships:

The Country Office has a well-managed country communication team that maintains and continually develops a contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora, whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the communication strategy. Network is developed, strengthened, and maintained with the UN Country Team, UN communication counterparts and high-level counterparts in key partner organizations.

4. Celebrities and special events:

The Country Office has a well-managed national celebrity relations programme with a well maintained and continually developed contact list of appropriate, nationally known personalities who have been identified, engaged and support UNICEF’s efforts and who actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals. Among these high-profile individuals a handful are identified whose recognition level extends beyond national borders and co-ordinate closely with DOC and the regional office in extending their impact and use beyond national borders.

5. Global priorities, advocacy, and campaigns:

The Country Office has an effective process in place for integrating and acting on UNICEF’s global communications and advocacy priorities, campaigns and partnerships, disseminating these elements in a locally appropriate way, as well as providing/enabling coverage of the work in the country for global use.

6. Resource mobilization support:

Global and country level fund-raising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategy and activities.

7. Management:

The human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management, and monitoring) for the communication section of the Country Office and are both effectively managed and optimally used.

8. Monitoring and evaluation:

Communication baselines are established against which the objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy, approach and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

9. Capacity building and support:

The Representative and the country programme team are provided with expert advice on all aspects of external relations communication as required Opportunities for development among the country communication team and other colleagues are identified and addressed; opportunities to build communication capacity among media and other relevant partners are identified and addressed.

10. Advisory support and communication for strategic results:

Develops communication approaches and guidelines, including those most effective for gender mainstreaming across all programmes.

QUALIFICATION and COMPETENCIES

Education

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

• Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, or other related fields of disciplines.
• Ten years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience. International and national work experience in both developed and developing countries.
• Professional experience in communications and media, print, broadcast, social media.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency situations
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Solid experience and/or familiarity with emergency responses and humanitarian working conditions.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic) is an asset.
• Extensive experience working with international and national level media organizations

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
1. Builds and maintains partnerships.
2. Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness.
3. Drive to achieve results for impact.
4. Innovates and embraces change.
5. Manages ambiguity and complexity.
6. Thinks and acts strategically.
7. Works collaboratively with others.
8. Nurtures, leads, and manages people.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

*The 7 core competencies are applicable to all employees. However, the competency Nurtures, Leads and Managers people is only applicable to staff who supervise others.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

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.