UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a champion

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations.

The newly established UNICEF Country Office in Greece is expanding its mandate to cover a wide area of programmatic interventions and partnerships with government entities, local governance, independent authorities, civil society, the private sector and youth. GCO’s first ever Country Programme Document (CPD) for the period 2022 to 2026 was drafted and endorsed by the Greek Government.

The CPD includes national targets for children in areas such as poverty, education, health, social protection, justice and youth employment, jointly agreed upon with Greece Country Office (GCO) counterparts in the country.

With a multifaceted communication, partnerships and advocacy plan to support the implementation of the five year CPD, the Office seeks to strengthen its Communication and Advocacy Section with the addition of two Communication Officers to support with the planning, impelentation and monitoring of a wide range of public partnership communication and visibility initiatives.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance of the Head of Communication Section, the Communication Officers will perform the following key tasks:

1. Strategy Development and Coordination
   • Develop and implement communication strategies and action plans for the obesity and mental health programmes, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s global and regional communication objectives.
   • Coordinate with the Ministry of Health, stakeholders, and relevant partners to ensure consistency and integration of communication initiatives.
   • Provide technical support in the design of public information campaigns, advocacy materials, social media initiatives, and other communication outputs for the programmes.
2. Content Creation and Media Engagement
   • Create, edit, and disseminate high-quality communication materials (press releases, reports, human-interest stories, social media content, etc.) that highlight the progress and impact of the obesity and mental health programmes.
   • Foster media relations and engage with local and national media outlets to ensure coverage of key programme milestones and issues related to child health.
3. Digital and Social Media Management
   • Develop and implement digital communication strategies, including management of social media channels and UNICEF’s web presence in relation to the health programmes.
   • Monitor and analyze online engagement metrics and adjust strategies as needed to increase reach and impact.
4. Event Management and Public Engagement
   • Organize and support media events, press briefings, public engagement campaigns, and other activities that increase public awareness of the obesity and mental health programmes.
   • Ensure participation in relevant national and international observances related to child health, such as World Mental Health Day or World Obesity Day.
5. Capacity Building and Staff Management
   • Supervise and provide mentorship to junior staff, consultants, and interns working on communication activities.
   • Provide capacity-building support to Ministry of Health counterparts and partners on communication approaches, ensuring sustainability of efforts.
6. Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation
   • Develop and manage a monitoring system to evaluate the effectiveness of communication initiatives and activities.
   • Prepare reports and presentations on communication efforts for internal and external stakeholders, documenting success stories and lessons learned.
7. Performs other duties as required

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:  University degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field.

Required Work Experience:

• A minimum of 2 years experience in communication, public relations, or a related field.
• Proven experience in campaign coordination, content creation, and digital communication is required.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities within specified timeframes.
• Very strong, and proven, editorial and writing capabilities in English and Greek.

Desired Experience:

• Experience in communication strategy development and implementation in the areas of public health, obesity, mental health, or related fields is highly desirable.
• Previous work experience in a development or humanitarian context, preferably with UN agencies or international organizations, is an asset.

Language Requirements: Fluency in Greek and English.

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…

(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.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

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

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.