The Communications Specialist is responsible for leading the development and implementation of communication, outreach, and advocacy strategies and plans for the region, encompassing Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) and Country Offices (COs). This role ensures robust media relations, effective digital presence, production of high-quality advocacy materials, and coordination of regional knowledge sharing initiatives, all while maintaining corporate standards and promoting a gender perspective. The incumbent will also lead a team of two personnel.
Key Functions and Accountabilities
1. Lead the development and implementation of communication and outreach/advocacy strategies and plans for the region, including for MCOs and COs:
- Conduct communication needs assessments for the Regional Office, including projects, programmes, and corporate change initiatives.
- Design, develop, and implement communication and outreach/advocacy strategies, including media strategies, ensuring a gender perspective.
- Integrate communication, advocacy, and outreach strategies into proposals for project/programmes and other initiatives.
- Participate in UN inter-agency Communications Group meetings and contribute to UN system efforts.
- Launch in-country UN Women/UN system corporate and local/regional campaigns and special events.
- Provide advice and guidance to and coordinate with CO/MCOs in the region.
2. Lead the development and dissemination of public advocacy materials for the region:
- Develop and produce communication and advocacy instruments and materials, including briefing materials, press releases, and articles, and coordinate their dissemination through effective channels according to UN Women corporate standards.
- Identify and leverage opportunities, activities, approaches, platforms, and partners.
- Provide advice on advocacy materials and coordinate the launch of flagship initiatives and publications in the region.
- Lead the engagement and supervision of video producers and other communication specialists to produce audio/visual material on UN Women’s regional work.
- Develop brochures, factsheets, and stories from the field to inform media and the general public at the regional level.
- Follow guidelines from and report to HQ.
3. Coordinate regional communication knowledge building and sharing initiatives:
- Coordinate with HQ Communications regularly, through meetings, updates, and calls to ensure timely adaptation of corporate communications priorities.
- Attend trainings hosted by HQ Communications to stay abreast of corporate policies and workflows.
- Ensure leadership and coordination from the Region to communications personnel in MCOs and COs in the region.
- Provide training and workshops on communication and advocacy as appropriate to MCOs and COs, based on corporate communications policies.
- Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned from RO, COs, and MCOs to ensure the exchange of information.
- Monitor and analyze media, web, and social media and prepare analytical reports.
4. Manage web, social media and news media relations for the Regional Office:
- Ensure media strategies are implemented in line with corporate guidelines to enhance the positioning of UN Women with the media, with a special focus on regional priority areas of concern.
- Lead relationship building with press in the country; maintain and update a database of relevant contacts.
- Respond timely and clearly to media inquiries and to a variety of inquiries and information requests; identify impactful success stories/issues, media talking points, news-related development, and coverage of interest.
- Facilitate interviews with senior and thematic managers; connect media with UN Women subject experts.
- Pitch and write impactful programme stories for corporate platforms: global website, social media channels regularly.
- Provide technical and coordination support to the expansion of UN Women’s Media Compact in the region.
- Organize press conferences and press briefing sessions with internal experts and external partners.
5. Build and maintain communications and advocacy focused partnerships:
- Identify and develop new communication partnerships and alliances to enhance visibility; manage and nurture existing partnerships.
- Liaise with advocacy partners and undertake outreach to civil society organizations, governments, and other groups to ensure that newsworthy information reaches the public and donors.
- Guide and collaborate closely with communication colleagues in other offices to ensure consistency with corporate policies, messaging, and initiatives.
- Provide inputs to resource mobilization leads with programme/results-oriented communications.
6. Oversee the RO’s web/online presence and social media platforms:
- Oversee and maintain (regional) websites, including developing content regularly.
- Keep the RO’s web-presence updated and in line with corporate web policy.
- Oversee and manage (regional) social media accounts in line with corporate social media policy.
- Coordinate the management of regional social media accounts in line with corporate social media policy or provides inputs to global corporate social media accounts.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities
The incumbent will lead a team of two personnel.
Competencies
Core Values:
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Respect for Diversity
Core Competencies:
- Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
- Accountability
- Creative Problem Solving
- Effective Communication
- Inclusive Collaboration
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Leading by Example
Functional Competencies:
- Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively, and creatively across different constituencies.
- Strong knowledge of managing web-based knowledge management systems.
- Strong understanding of production, graphic design, and photography standards.
- Strong knowledge of social media platforms and experience in social media outreach.
- Strong oral and written communication and editing skills.
- Strong communication, networking, and advocacy skills.
- Ability to provide advice and be strategic and analytical.
- Good knowledge of local country media landscape.
- Knowledge of gender and human rights issues is desirable.
Required Qualifications
Education and Certification
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in communications, public relations, journalism, or a relevant field 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.
Experience
- At least 5 years of professional work experience at national or international level in public relations, communications or advocacy, including in media relations is required.
- Experience in the use of social media is required.
- Experience in media relations is desirable.
