Communications Officer at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves. It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.

Headquartered in New York City, the status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Communications Officer

Job ID: 34293
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Post Level: SB-4
Type of Contract: Service Contract
Duration of Initial Contract : 1 year

Background

• UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
• In Nigeria, the UN Women Country Office contributes to the realization of Nigeria’s development vision towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which informs the systemwide United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework, as well as UN Women Strategic Plan. The Nigeria Country Office aims to achieve the following results: (i) increased women’s leadership and participation in governance; (ii) strengthened women’s economic empowerment; (iii) increased protection of women & access to justice for women; and (iv) strengthened women’s leadership in peace building and humanitarian response. UN Women further leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action globally and works to build and expand effective partnerships with civil society, private sector and other stakeholders.
• Under the overall guidance and direction of the Country Representative, the Communications Officer contributes to the implementation of the UN Women corporate communications strategy, as well as the development, management and implementation of the Country Office communications and  advocacy strategies which are geared towards the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women, promote public and media outreach, and increase the visibility of key programmatic results, and UN Women global campaign initiatives in Nigeria.
• She/he works as part of the Country Office communications team in close collaboration with the country programme and operations teams, UN Women Communications Teams at regional and Headquarters level, the UN Communications Group in Nigeria, media and journalists in ensuring successful implementation of UN Women’s communications strategy.

Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:

• Planning and design of internal and external strategies for communications and outreach;
• Implementation of advocacy and visibility strategy;
• Implementation of the publications strategy and plan;
• Build communications partnerships and media alliances;
• Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management.
• Ensures UN Women Nigeria is represented in UN Communications Group
• Manage UN Women media/press relations;
• Oversee and maintain online outreach and produces information materials for public outreach;
• Provide advice and support to UN Women special events and campaigns;

Description of Functions
Provides support to the planning and design of internal and external strategies for communications and outreach focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Carry out communications needs assessments for UN Women Nigeria Office (projects, country programme and corporate change initiatives/campaigns, etc.); analyze requirements and synthesize proposals for elaboration of the country office communications and outreach strategy;
• Play a lead role in the design of the country office communication strategy and communication and advocacy instruments including country programme briefs, monthly donor bulletins etc., in coordination with supervisor;
• Develop/produce communication and advocacy tools and materials (newsletters, brochures, etc.) for education and awareness-raising campaigns;
• Strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships and visibility and communication initiatives with government, multilateral and bilateral donors, women-led civil society organizations, community leaders, private sector, amongst others in line with UN Women corporate communication policy.

Ensure the effective implementation of the UN Women country advocacy and visibility strategy:

• Guide the effective implementation of the country office advocacy and visibility strategy and ensure that content publications, including project-specific publications are produced in line with the UN Women brand guidelines;
• Support programme managers to define and highlight the communications and visibility components of their programmes, and support the integration of advocacy and communication strategies in the formulation of new programmes
• Provide regular, constructive and timely advice/recommendations on both general and emerging issues related to the communications and visibility component of the thematic programmes in line with UN Women Corporate Communication policy;
• Facilitate the systematic documentation, monitoring and evaluation of visibility activities at all levels, as an integral component of the overall Programme M&E framework and in line with UN Women corporate policy.

Ensures implementation of the Country Office publications strategy and plan focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Implement the Country Office publications strategy and plan, based on the corporate publications policy;
• Identify storylines for publications and drafting of substantive articles contributing to debates on key development issues;
• Coordinate and manage the Country Office publication activities, such as content management, norms for publishing, design, etc;
• Liaise with printers and other suppliers to facilitate production and ensure publications dissemination.

Manage UN Women media/press relations:

• Conceive plan and implement media strategies in line with corporate guidelines to enhance the positioning of UN Women with the local media;
• Draft press releases and media kits and share final products with relevant media outfits;
• Provide clear, consistent and timely responses to media inquiries; issuance of statement and corporate positions to media and other external audiences;
• Maintain and expand contacts with local media and identify topics, background information, news-related developments and coverage of interest to each;
• Serve as the media focal point for the country office.
• Develop & maintain a database and relationships with media outfits (mainstream and independent media represented throughout the country);
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for press conferences and interviews with senior managers and other relevant parties;

Provide advice and support for roll-out of UN Women special events and campaigns:

• Oversee implementation of communications components of UN Women and/or UN campaigns such as Generation Equality, UNiTE 16 Days of Activism and HeforShe campaigns.
• Provide inputs towards conceptualization and organization of UN or UN Women-specific special events with a view to reaching wider audiences.

Oversee and maintain online outreach and produce information materials for public outreach:

• Oversee the Country Office web site technically and editorially, and in line with the corporate web policy;
• Oversee and manage social media accounts in line with corporate social media policy or provide inputs to corporate social media accounts;
• Work with programme team to draft brochures, fact sheets, briefs and stories from the field to inform media, key stakeholders and general public and regulate updates of the same in consultation with senior management;
• Hire and supervise video producers to produce relevant video material on UN Women’s work as required;   
• Effectively manage and channel dissemination of all information products to relevant target audiences.

Build communications partnerships and media alliances: 

• Manage and nurture existing partnerships, and identify and develop new communications partnerships and media alliances to enhance the organization’s visibility and cement UN Women’s role as a thought-leader;
• Strengthen the capacity of implementing partner organization in communications and support them to implement communications activities;
• Identify innovative opportunities and new communications tools and platforms which can serve to highlight the work of UN Women;
• Guide and collaborate closely with Regional/other Country Offices communications officers to advance national and regional  communications partnerships.

Impact of Results:

• The key results have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of UN Women Nigeria’s communications and outreach efforts, enhancing the visibility, raising awareness and understanding of UN Women and its mission with the media and among the general public, building and maintaining supportive constituencies, leading to enhanced political and financial support for UN Women and its strategic areas, thus helping ensure UN Women achieves its strategic goals.

Competencies
Core Values/Guiding Principles:

Core Values

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others  
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent communication skills. Communicates sensitively, effectively and creatively across difference constituencies;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Identifies opportunities and builds strong relationships with clients and partners;
• Demonstrates exceptional ability to remain calm, in control and good humored even under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Outstanding oral and written communications and editing skills, with proven ability to meet tight deadlines;
• Good IT skills, including databases and office software packages
• Ability to supervise and train staff
• Demonstrates very good understanding of and experience in communications and outreach;
• Proven networking skills, and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate;
• Strong initiative-taker;
• Very effective at multi-tasking;
• Focuses on impact and results for the client;
• Interacts effectively with all levels of the organization, including senior management;

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master's degree in media/communication studies, journalism, public relations or other related social sciences with at least 3 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in public relations, communications or advocacy, preferably in social and gender issues.
  OR
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field with at least 6 years of relevant experience

Experience:

• Experience of designing and implementing media and communications strategies, particularly in relation to gender issues and priorities
• Experience of building communications partnerships and working with press and media establishments  
• Experience of writing and managing content for publications, websites and social media sites
• Demonstrated initiative taker and innovator
• Experience launching public advocacy campaigns (print and electronic media) including on gender-related themes

Language Requirments:

• Fluency in English both in speaking and writing.
• Knowledge of the other UN working language is an asset.

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

Important Information / Notice

• All online applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P_11_form_UNwomen.doc).
• Alternatively a UN or UNDP P11 can be filled.
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment which must be the P11 or scan all the documents into one single file.
• Applications without the completed P-11 form are incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment

Application Deadline  22nd February, 2021. (Midnight New York, USA)