United Nations - UNOCHA Job in Nigeria for a Public Information Officer
•This temporary position is intended to fill the
functions of short-term duration for a period of six months with the
possibility of extension, and the selected candidate is expected to
start as soon as possible.
•The duration of the appointment is subject to the availability of funds.
•Candidates
should have no expectation of any fixed-term appointment possibility
after the end of this temporary assignment. If the selected candidate is
an internal staff member of the UN Secretariat, the selection will be
recorded as a temporary assignment.
•Subsequent to the initial
temporary appointment, new and successive temporary appointments may be
granted for service in the same office or in a different office any
number of times, for any duration, provided that the length of service
does not exceed the period of 364 calendar days.
•Upon
separation from service, including, but not limited to,
expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed-term,
continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be
ineligible for re-employment on the basis of a temporary appointment for
a period of 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation
from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible
for re-employment for a period of three months following the separation.
This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, with respect to a former or
current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another
entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who
applies for a temporary position with the Secretariat.
•A current
staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing
appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level
above his or her current grade. However, a current staff member who
holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary
positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3
level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the
position.
•A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall
be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions,
and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to
section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff
member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related
categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For
full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5
of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. In its resolution
66/234, the General Assembly further “stressed that the
Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily
filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General
Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to
Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis,
and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation
of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed a period
of one year, effective 1 January 2013…” Consequently, eligible
candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary
job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the
competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis
endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other
suitable candidate could be identified.
•While this temporary
assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to
gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a
limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the
prevailing conditions of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3,
as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary
appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on
a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one
year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current
position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This
provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary
appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in
duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special
political missions.
•The expression “Internal candidates”, shall
mean staff members who have been recruited after a competitive
examination under staff rule 4.16 or after the advice of a central
review body under staff rule 4.15.
•For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1.
•For
information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17.
The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances
governing staff appointments can be viewed at:
http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English
•Applicants are urged to
follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment
platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to
the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional
Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on
"Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of Inspira account-holder
homepage.
•Applications are pre-screened by the system according
to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the
information provided in the application.
•In relation to the
requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and
accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their
education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must
bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications
may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job
opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be
conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications
cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious
consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking
process to verify the information provided in the application.
•Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
This
position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) in Abuja, Nigeria. The incumbent reports to the Deputy
Head of Office. OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat
responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a
coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a
framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response
effort.
Within
delegated authority and depending on location, the Public Information
Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
•Conducts
reporting and analysis, by establishing and maintaining reporting
system within the country; drafting and distribute regular reports on
the humanitarian situation; ensuring flow of information and analysis of
developments in the country/region, including tracking trends and
sharing reports with HQ, and key partners.
•Ensures implementation
of information programmes to publicize priority issues and/or major
events, to include drafting information strategies, coordinating
efforts, monitoring and reporting on progress, taking appropriate
follow-up action, and analyzing the outcome.
•Monitors and analyzes
current events, public opinion and press, identifies issues and trends,
and advises management on appropriate action/responses.
•Produces or
oversees production of a specific type or types (e.g. print, broadcast,
etc.) of information communications products (e.g. press kits, press
releases, feature articles, speeches, booklets, brochures,
backgrounders, audio-visual materials, radio spot programmes, etc.), to
include proposing topics, undertaking research, determining appropriate
medium and target audience, preparing production plans, writing drafts,
obtaining clearances and finalizing texts, editing copy, and
coordinating design approval, printing procedures and distribution.
•Undertakes
activities to promote media coverage (e.g. press conferences, press
releases, interviews, press seminars and other special activities) of
priority issues and/or major events, to include development of a media
strategy and action plan, initiating pro-active media outreach efforts,
proposing and arranging press conferences/media coverage, disseminating
materials and consulting with press on approach/story angle and other
information requests, undertaking appropriate follow-up action and
analyzing and reporting on the impact of coverage. Contributes content
to and maintains appropriate and timely web and social media outreach.
•Prepares,
on the basis of official UN documentation and other sources, initial
drafts of articles or chapters for inclusion in UN newsletters,
periodicals, reports and books.
•Initiates and sustains professional relationships with key constituencies.
•Acts as focal point on specific issues, monitoring and reporting on developments, responding to inquiries, etc.
•Provides guidance to, and may supervise, more junior staff.
•Performs other duties as required.
•
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the full range of communications
approaches, tools, and methodologies essential to planning and executing
effective campaign strategies and programmes, e.g. campaign management,
media operations, marketing and promotion, audience outreach, message
targeting. Ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information
from varied sources. Ability to identify public affairs issues,
opportunities and risks in an international environment. Ability to
diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and
cultivate productive relationships. Knowledge of relevant internal
policies and business activities/issues. Ability to produce a variety
of written communications products in a clear, concise style. Ability to
deliver oral presentations to various audiences. Shows pride in work
and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of
subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments,
observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional
rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with
difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring
the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
•
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with
agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments;
adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and
resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for
contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as
necessary; uses time efficiently.
• COMMUNICATION: Speaks and
writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets
messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to
clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors
language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates
openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
An
advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in
communication, journalism, international relations, public
administration or related area is required. A first level university
degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience
may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A
minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in public
information, journalism, international relations, public administration
or related area is required. Humanitarian experience in the field
(actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in
emergency situations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is
required. Experience with crisis communications is desirable. Experience
working within the UN common System is desirable.
English
and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
For this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is
required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
The
United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men
and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of
equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United
Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a
non-smoking environment.
THE
UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT
PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, TRAINING OR ANY
OTHER FEES). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION
ON BANK ACCOUNTS.