Title – Communications Officer
Job ID – 13750
Practice Area – Job Family – HIV and Health
Vacancy End Date – (Midnight New York, USA) – 23/01/2018
Time Left – 12d 17h 7m
Duty Station – Harare, Zimbabwe
Education & Work Experience – G-Bachelor’s Level Degree – 5 year(s) experience
Languages – Required: Desired: English
Grade – GP
Vacancy Type – National Regular UN Volunteer
Posting Type – External
Bureau – United Nations Volunteers
Contract Duration – 11 months
Only open to Zimbabwe nationals
Background
UNFPA is the lead United Nations Agency that expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy sexual and reproductive lives. Our work is aimed at accelerating progress towards universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. including reducing maternal mortality. The unmet need of family planning, eliminating new HIV infections and gender based violence. We also advocate for a Rights Based Approach in all our programing support to Ensure Zero Maternal Deaths; Zero New HIV Infections and Zero Gender based violence in Zimbabwe.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Representative and direct supervision of Communication Analyst. The Communication Officer will play a leadership role in internal and external communication for UNFPA. S/he will work in close cooperation with the Country Office programme team, The ESARO Communications Team, the UN system in Zimbabwe, Government counterparts, development partners, civil society organizations (including cultural and faith-based organizations) and the media to ensure internal and external flow of information. S/he will be responsible for managing UNFPA’s communication activities in the areas of social media, media relations, public information management, internal communications and digital communications. S/he will represent the Country Office in the UN Communications Group. The national UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks :-
Supports the implementation of CO communication strategy and periodic review and revision:
- Raising the visibility of UNFPA in Zimbabwe boldly at all times;
- Supports the development/production of communication and advocacy instruments and materials for marketing and awareness-raising campaigns;
- Contributes to the integration of advocacy and communication strategies into all aspects of UNFPA programmes;
- Supports programme team to design and implement communication for development interventions;
- Actively participates in the UN Communications Group and relevant task forces
Support to business development:
- Ensures constant scanning of UNFPA produced research, surveys, assessments, field visit reports and other such internal information sources to identify and develop communication materials for advocacy;
- Identifies storylines for publications and drafting of substantive articles contributing to public debates on key development issues;
- Promotes and disseminates corporate advocacy materials for launching flagship initiatives and publications such as SWOP;
- Organises high-level missions, events, launches, press conferences, round discussions, UN observances and interviews with journalists, including briefing materials and press releases in coordination with the supervisor;
- Maintains a strong media network and provision of regular newsworthy articles to the national and international media in print, visual and audio;
- Supports the programme through development and implementation of donor funded programme and projects;
- Prepares and disseminates information/newsletters/donor reports to donors and other partners in support of the CO partnership building and resource mobilization;
- Timely and effective responses to inquiries for public information materials
Support to Country Office knowledge building:
- Identifies, synthesizes and documents best practices and lessons learnt linked to country programme;
- Contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice including communications repositories, such as Voice;
- Support the development and maintenance of up to date content for the CO website;
- Ensures the use of new and social networking tools to highlight the CO work as well as provide support to partners in the area as required;
- Supports capacity development of Country Office staff on communication;
- Performing of any other task as may be assigned by the Representative and the management team.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD);
- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
- Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
- Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
- Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers
- Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
Competencies
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Communication
- Empowering Others
- Integrity
- Managing Performance
- Respect for Diversity
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- University degree in social/political sciences, journalism, international affairs, communication and other related field.
Experience:
- Good knowledge of media and public relations;
- At least five years’ experience in communications at a technical level;
- Good and proven experience working with social media e.g. Facebook, twitter, YouTube etc;
- Experience of producing press releases, articles, newsletters or presentations;
- Excellent photography skills;
- Experience with video photography and editing;
- Desktop publishing skills and familiarity with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, InDesign (or similar design software);
- A thorough understanding of UNFPA mandate as well as the current development topics and political issues in Zimbabwe;
- Experience as a spokesperson for an international organisation will be a distinct advantage.
Language:
- Excellent oral and written communications and editorial skills in English
Disclaimer
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.
United Nations Volunteers reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this opening for other openings with United Nations Volunteers with similar assignment description, experience and educational requirements.
More Information
- Job City Harare
