The Media Relations Manager leads a team of staff, including consultants and affiliate personnel, and provides expert guidance on media relations to UN Women communication staff globally. The role includes designing and executing media strategies for high-profile global moments, flagship reports, emergency responses, and reputational issues, working closely with HQ divisions, regional and country offices, and external partners. The incumbent plays a key leadership role in close coordination with the social media specialist and website editor, and as a key member of the wider UN Women communication and advocacy team.
Responsibilities:
Leads the development of a global media engagement strategy for UN Women in close cooperation with relevant internal stakeholders.
Oversees implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the media engagement strategy.
Manages internal and external resources, including a global media team consisting of staff and consultants in different locations to plan and execute activities in a cost-efficient and effective manner.
Ensures that UN Women has a well-maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets across all platforms – print, TV, radio, web, etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and collaboration with the media.
Develops, maintains, and updates media relations contact list/database.
Establishes, documents, reviews, and refines processes for media engagement, including press conferences, events, media materials, etc.
Collaborates with mass media through media activities, including press conferences, interviews, and facilitation of field visits.
Oversees media monitoring for UN Women; evaluates the reach, quality, and impact of media coverage and shares results and insights with leadership.
Maintains close collaboration with Regional and Country Communications Focal Points for effective overall coordination.
Coordinates with UN system partners and advises on inter-agency positioning and media response during crises.
Leads media engagement strategies in key strategic regions including North America and Europe.
Provides high-level strategic guidance to senior management on media positioning, reputational risk, global media trends, and emerging sensitive issues.
Leads the development of high-quality media materials, including press releases, media advisories, Op-Eds, and media kits.
Coordinates the development of talking points on key programmatic areas for UN Women in close coordination with programme units.
Develops and pitches news and feature ideas and secures high-profile media coverage.
Ensures rapid and accurate information dissemination to media, partners, the field, and other appropriate audiences.
Proactively identifies news angles, packages, and pitches key content pieces to media; develops, distributes, and evaluates a variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats.
Ensures all media materials align with UN Women’s brand and corporate priorities.
Reviews and clears all international media materials issued by regional and country offices to ensure political sensitivity and alignment with corporate messaging.
Education:
Advanced university degree in communications, journalism, public relations, international relations, or other related discipline.
A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in media relations at the international level is required
In-depth understanding of different media markets is required.
Experience in designing and implementing effective media relations strategies on complex development issues is required.
Experience in producing content for a global news media audience is required.
Demonstrated experience in working with journalists from top-tier international media across sectors, channels and geographies and achieving impactful news and feature coverage is required. Demonstrated experience in designing global media campaigns is required.
Experience in using professional media monitoring software and mass mailing tools required.
Experience in international development, gender equality and the empowerment of women, human rights, humanitarian action is desirable.
Active personal network of media contacts is desirable.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of other UN Language (Russian, Arabic, Chinese) is desirable.
Knowledge of French or Spanish is considered an asset.
