The Communications Officer will lead the development and execution of a forward-looking communications strategy for the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), amplifying the UN’s recovery and development agenda in Ukraine. This includes targeted engagement with government counterparts, local communities, UN agencies, and international partners to position the UN as a trusted and effective partner on the ground.
Responsibilities:
Provide analysis and advice to the management and/or UN colleagues on strategic communications issues such as opportunities for proactive communications, building support, managing crises and reputational risks, and strengthening information integrity.
Provide insights and analysis from traditional, social, and digital media monitoring, including public narratives and areas of reputational risk to inform communications strategy.
Develop and implement communications strategies that raise awareness, drive engagement, build support and have measurable impact with target audiences.
Draft compelling narratives and messaging on the work of the UN that engage target audiences across different channels and platforms.
Develop media lines, including in crisis situations and on sensitive issues.
Draft and produce communications products, such as press releases, press statements, web stories, reports and infographics.
Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and deliver joint outreach and advocacy activities to advance UN priorities.
Serve as focal point on policy and reporting and prepare inputs for strategic communications in the context of regular reporting to governmental bodies.
Collect and analyse data to identify trends and or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning decision-making, presentation and reporting.
Manage and coordinate the activities of the team, including hiring, training, assigning tasks and responsibilities, evaluating performance and ensuring that deadlines are met.
Provide guidance to team members to promote professional development and a positive team culture.
Advise on public narratives to support senior management decision-making and to steer the communications strategy.
Monitor developing events to identify emerging crises and reputational risks.
Manage insights and analysis based on the monitoring of traditional, social, and digital media, including on risks to information integrity such as trends in mis and disinformation.
Manage the coordination of the crisis communications response with the communications stakeholders at the local, regional, and global levels, including the crisis communications cell and UN Communications Group in country.
Support the development of policy, guidance and training on crisis communications and reputational risk.
Keep abreast of the latest trends in communications and maintain expertise in relevant and emerging technologies.
Create and manage compelling and relevant content for websites, create and moderate engaging and platform-optimized content for social media channels, including live content tailored for digital platforms to advance digital communications priorities and campaigns.
Develop approaches to analyse, monitor and report social media, web, and other digital content to measure results, inform content creation and adjust ongoing initiatives.
Develop and implement social media strategies that measurably raise awareness of UN work with target audiences.
Oversee development and maintenance of the organization's website, ensuring it remains up-to-date, user-friendly and accessible.
Draft and edit clear, concise business intelligence and insights reports on communications outcomes and trends for key stakeholders, including on reputation risks and crisis communications.
Develop recommendations on digital media content and engagement strategies for key stakeholders based on data insights.
Keep abreast of the latest trends in communications and maintain expertise in relevant and emerging technologies.
Coordinate and promote feedback mechanisms that capture staff views and sentiments including surveys, polls and discussion forums, in coordination with management and subject matter experts.
Support management in fostering a safe working environment and a constructive workplace culture, through targeted campaigns and awareness- raising, team building and facilitation.
Develop and implement media relations strategies to shape public perceptions of the UN, its work and impact.
Manage the development of news-driven, authoritative and accurate content to lead the organization’s narrative, such as press releases, statements, op ed, and articles.
Prepare talking points, key messages, and data for media interviews to shape public perceptions of the UN work and its impact.
Monitor, analyse, and report on communications approaches, activities and strategies to assess their performance and effectiveness.
Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and deliver joint outreach and advocacy activities to advance UN priorities.
Education:
Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent or significant comparable professional practice) in communications, journalism, public information, international relations, or related field.
A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public information, or journalism, including at least five (5) years at the international level, is required.
Demonstrated experience working in politically sensitive and crisis-affected settings is required.
Demonstrated skill in developing creative content is required.
Demonstrated knowledge of strategic communications principles and practices is required.
Experience in conducting research, including systematic data collection and analysis from various sources, is desirable.
Demonstrated ability to give constructive feedback is desirable.
Demonstrated knowledge of the current and emerging digital media platforms, their principles and technologies is desirable.
Demonstrated skills to communicate complex and technical matters to diverse audiences is desirable. Demonstrated critical thinking skills are desirable.
Demonstrated ability to write for digital platforms such as social media and websites targeting national and international audiences is required.
Languages:
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
For this job opening, English is required. Russian is desirable.
