Communication Specialist The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) - An intergovernmental organization, FAO has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance inter alia, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Communication Specialist
Vacancy Announcement: 2002455
Location: Nigeria-Abuja
Organizational Unit: FRNIR
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Grade Level: N/A
Duration: Up to 11 months

Organizational Setting

• Under the general oversight of the FAO Representative (FAOR), and in close collaboration with the Communications / Outreach Officer, the emergency programme officers, the M&E officer and the national officers, with regular consultation and functional reporting to the FAO Regional Communication Officer in Accra, Ghana and the Communication Expert of the Sub-regional Resilience Team for West Africa / Sahel (REOWA), in Dakar, the Communications Consultant shall contribute to strengthen FAO‘s communication functions and outreach in Nigeria.

Reporting Lines:

• The consultant reports to the FAO Representative in Nigeria.

Technical Focus:

• Capacity to prepare and implement annual & quarterly communication/visibility plans
• Preparation of annual results report and update of county program framework
• Generation of content from technical programmes, policies and program/projects reports and news report.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• In consultation with OCC, lead the development/updating of the Communication Strategy and its implementation plan;
• Establish contact database and strengthen partnership with local, regional and international media to raise the profile of FAO’s work and its impact in Nigeria through organizing press conferences/media briefings, FAOR’s courtesy calls to media houses, and journalists’ field visits, among others.
• Organize and coordinate partners’ field visits to communicate impact.
• Support resource mobilization efforts by documenting and disseminating success stories and testimonials from the field.
• Represent FAO Nigeria in UN Communications Group meetings and other forums
• Organize and support visibility events in collaboration with programme colleagues (handle protocol issues, prepare speeches, branding and visibility, photo and video taking) to raise the profile of FAO in Nigeria.
• Lead and coordinate the preparations for celebrating the 2020 World Food Day and FAO’s 75th Anniversary in collaboration with communications colleagues at RAF and FAO Headquarters  
• In consultation with OCC, promote and increase followers and traffic on FAO Nigeria’s social media platforms and website.
• Establish and strengthen internal and external communications through the introduction of staff e-news bulletins, quarterly e-newsletters, conducting staff information sessions on communication and outreach.
• Undertake other duties as might be required.

Candidates Will be Assessed Against the Following
Minimum Requirements:

• Advanced University degree in Journalism, Media Studies, Communications or related field;
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Public Information/ Communication, in the area of agriculture or related field;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of French or one of the other FAO official languages.

FAO Core Competencies:

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

Technical / Functional Skills:

• Excellent command of written and spoken English;
• Extent of experience in Communications and media relations;
• Excellent communication, writing and presentation skills;
• Extent of experience in communication, diffusion strategies and techniques, reporting and documentation, and media.
• Ability to work efficiently in a team while establishing and maintaining effective working relationships in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Extend of experience in UN or similar settings would be considered an asset;
• Extent of experience in creating content for various communication products
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English for various audiences.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work in emergency situations with tight deadlines;
• Experience in drafting/editing a variety of humanitarian and development public information products;
• Strong overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.);

Additional Information:

• FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
• If you are in possession of language certificate/s from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT), please attach the certificate/s when submitting the application.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Important Notice

• Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
• Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
• FAO is a Non-smoking environment

Application Deadline 15th November, 2020; 11:59:00 PM.