Chief of Communication, P4/FT-Niamey, Niger

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 124,356 USD and 160,331 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, passion

Niger is a landlocked country situated in the heartland of the Sahel region with an estimated population of 20.7 million. More than half of them (58.2%) are children. Around 84 percent of the population lives in rural areas and almost one in two persons (44.5%) lives in poverty. Niger has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world.

Despite some progress, significant economic, geographic and gender-based inequities remain. Limited budget allocations to social sectors and insufficient transfer of resources to decentralized authorities further undermine the social inclusion agenda.

Niger continues to face a prolonged, multidimensional crisis, including recurring armed conflict, displacement, malnutrition, epidemics and climate-related disasters such as floods. In addition, the context is also characterized by structural challenges and the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19.

The Chief of Communication is responsible for ensuring that Niger Country Office has a clear communication strategy and associated work plan to get children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives, and enhance the organisation’s credibility and brand.

For more information, please visit our webpage: https://www.unicef.org/niger/

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Representative, the incumbent will be accountable for developing, managing, co-ordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office/regional office/media hub, and at a global level and those of the UN Country Team.

Under the supervision of the Representative, the incumbent will be accountable for developing, managing, co-ordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office/regional office/media hub, and at a global level and those of the UN Country Team.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks: Communication strategy

1. Communication strategy

Ensure that the Niger Country Office has a clear communication strategy and associated work plan to support the country programme objectives and get children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives, and enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences, messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact, success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.
• Draw on extensive strategy development experience and ensure optimum leverage and impact of communication activities on programme, policy and advocacy activities. UNICEF’s rights- and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products. Strategy and work plan incorporate and reflect key programme priorities and processes.
• Ensure adequate and ongoing assessment of trends, social and political change and public interest. Factor these environmental variables back into communication strategy and refining its execution.
• Maintain close coordination with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall collaboration in communication strategy.

2. Media relations

Ensure a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of UNICEF's cooperation to a wider audience.

Duties & Tasks

• Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by carrying out media, information and education activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
• Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.
• Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.
• Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.
• Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.
• Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

3. Digital engagement and Social Media

Play a leading role in establishing and refining UNICEF’s editorial style and voice on digital platforms and lead an audience driven social media strategy for the country office

Duties & Tasks

• Ensure that the Country Office has a clear digital and social media strategy and associated work plan to support the country programme objectives

• Support the office in identifying and recruiting digital influencers and create conversations around issues related to UNICEF Niger mandate, keeping its digital community engaged in dynamic, interactive and meaningful ways.

• Conceptualise and pilot campaigns with the aim of generating conversations on digital and social media platforms around children’s rights and UNICEF advocacy priorities.
• Foresee and analyse risks as they relate to digital engagement and protecting the UNICEF brand.

4. Networking and partnerships

**Ensure a well maintained and continually developed contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora (including Government, UN, and bilateral counterparts), whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the communication strategy*****.***

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.
• Establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.
• Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
• Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.

5. Celebrities and special events

Ensure a well maintained and continually developed contact list of appropriate, nationally-known personalities who have been identified, engaged and support UNICEF’s effort and who actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals.

• Develop, maintain and update celebrities contact list/database.
• Establish, document, review and refine process of working with celebrities, including special events, media opportunities, field trips etc.
• Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc. including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

6. Global priorities and campaigns

In addition to local/national campaigns, ensure an effective process in place for integrating and taking action on UNICEF’s global communications priorities and campaigns, both disseminating these elements in a locally-appropriate way, as well as providing/enabling coverage of the work in the country for global use.

Duties & Tasks

• Support the UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.
• Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results.
• Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

7. Resource mobilization support

Ensure that global and country level fund-raising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategy and activities.

Duties & Tasks

• Mobilize country office communication capacity to support and gather/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fund-raising.
• Mobilize resources for fund-raising support by regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

8. Management

Ensure that human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.
• Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.
• Identify, recruit and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary. Conduct and Implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.
• Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

9. Monitoring and evaluation

Ensure that communication baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy, approach and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

Duties & Tasks

• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.

• Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.

• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings with country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s communication work.

10. Capacity building and support

Ensure that the Representative and the country programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of external relations communication as required; opportunities are identified and addressed for building communication capacity among country communication team, media and other relevant partners.

Duties & Tasks

• Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.
• Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.
• Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master's level or higher) in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations; or equivalent professional work experience in the communication area, combined with a university degree in a related field.
• A minimum of eight (8) years progressively responsible professional work experience in communication, print and broadcast media or interactive digital media, four (4) years of which should be in developing countries, and two (2) at the management level.
• Fluency in French and English required. Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.