Chief of Communications and Advocacy

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Friday 30 Dec 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a D-1 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 15 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 242,484 USD and 305,990 USD.

Salary for a D-1 contract in New York

The international rate of 128,707 USD, with an additional 88.4% (post adjustment) at this the location, applies. Please note that depending on the location, a higher post adjustment might still result in a lower purchasing power.

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Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

In this role as the global voice and advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women, UN Women must deliver to an ambitious agenda as a centre of excellence on knowledge, partnerships, advocacy and social mobilization, as well as a convener, thought leader and champion of gender equality and women’s empowerment. This includes through the Generation Equality initiative which UN Women convenes. UN Women has a lead role in helping to drive commitment and action on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment as the imperative of our time.

The Communications & Advocacy Section is responsible for proactively advancing the strategic positioning of UN Women and its mandate in this context through effective outreach through its strategic communications capacity and function. Since the inception of UN Women, communications and advocacy demand and output have grown exponentially. The Chief of Communications and Advocacy is the driver of corporate response to these demands and oversees a fast-growing portfolio with increasing responsibility and a global audience of hundreds of millions. S/he leads both the Communications and Advocacy Section and a global network of communications professionals across the organisation to drive results through communications and advocacy, working closely with other parts of UN Women to maximise impact.

The Chief of Communications & Advocacy sets corporate strategy on communications and leads the process of evolving UN Women’s communications approaches including through digital media, finding the most effective channels for UN Women to influence policy and support positive social norms.

The Chief of Communications & Advocacy works under the supervision of the Director, Strategic Partnerships Division and heads a team of communications professionals. In addition, the Chief of Communications & Advocacy guides and leads a network of UN Women communications professionals and focal points around the world on global campaigns and initiatives and provides guidance through corporate communications policies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead UN Women strategic direction and actions on communications and public advocacy:

  • Lead development and implementation of a global communications & advocacy strategy in line with UN Women’s Strategic Plan to position UN Women and its mandate to global audiences, outlining the brand, messages, audience, and communication channels to reach the intended audiences, and ensure that UN Women’s message is consistently communicated;
  • Guide and oversee application of UN Women’s brand and message and grow brand equity. Ensure messaging and branding is uniformly applied across the organization, its programmes and activities; Lead the provision of communications policies and guidelines to direct communications activities and ensure organization-wide coherence and consistency;
  • Provide strategic communications advice to UN Women senior management, including on high-level media engagement to drive key issues on the organization’s agenda; provides advice and guidance on crisis communications;
  • Develop global campaigns and messaging to advance UN Women global advocacy priorities. Ensure that campaign strategies and messages are audience appropriate to enhance UN Women reach and visibility among all stakeholders;
  • Drive a “whole of organization” approach to communications that leverages the collective capacity of the organization in the most holistic and mutually reinforcing way possible including through the global communications network.
  • Guide UN Women’s expansion into digital media, including social media, in an adaptive way that responds to developments in the digital and innovative media landscape.

Lead the communications & advocacy team and guides and supervises all communications initiatives:

  • Guide the development and implementation of event-specific, integrated communications strategies to advance UN Women’s advocacy and position the organization, such as for intergovernmental meetings, international conferences, launches of UN Women flagship reports; International Women’s Day etc.;
  • Direct relationships with the media at the global level. Develop and nurture media networks, to educate and sensitize journalists to UN Women’s mandate and work;
  • Guide the development of audiovisual and print products to inform about UN Women’s work and enhance the organization’s visibility;
  • Provide advice and oversight to HQ Sections and Field Offices on communications initiatives to ensure effective coordination and consistent messaging and outreach;
  • Develop and manages the communications budget.

Lead strategic partnerships for communications & public advocacy including in the UN system:

  • Ensure close coordination with the UN Communications Group and the Department for Global Communications to place UN Women’s communication priorities at the heart of the UN system. Develop and maintain partnerships within the UN system for joint communications and collaboration around overarching issues on the international agenda; ensure that women’s empowerment and gender equality issues are positioned in this context;
  • Develop partnerships with private sector, incl. media, and civil society to enhance public awareness on women’s empowerment and gender equality issues and position UN Women and its mandate; to that end, seeks opportunities for marketing, advocacy and editorial collaboration;
  • Direct and manage engagement of UN Women Goodwill Ambassadors to amplify UN Women’s cause in the context of campaigns and events; plans and prepares public events and ensures that messaging is in line with the organization’s strategic priorities and advocacy;

Provide substantive lead and guidance for UN Women’s work on gender and media:

  • Develop advocacy opportunities, in collaboration with partners in media, UN system and civil society to advance women’s representation in media;
  • Identify research initiatives in collaboration with partners to enhance availability of data and knowledge on gender and media;
  • Advise UN Women offices on their work on gender and media.

Manage the Section:

  • Exercise oversight of the Communication and Advocacy Section to ensure the delivery of quality results according to UN Women’s standards and goals established in the Section;
  • Lead development of the Section’s workplanning including inputs into the Divisional Strategic Note and Biennial Workplan;
  • Lead the Section in ensuring that all audit recommendations are addressed in an effective and timely manner;
  • Consistently review and recommend and implement as appropriate changes to the structure of the Section and global communications function, including identifying opportunities to decentralize communications capacity to bring it closer to the field.
  • Manage the performance off staff and ensure compliance to the performance management process; Promote teamwork and establish a working environment that is conducive to delivering results;
  • Ensure adherence to the highest operational standards for the Section including with regard to delivery rates and outstanding advances;
  • Manage financial resources and take responsibility for the integrity of financial systems and consistent application of the internal control framework and/or UN Women/UN rules and regulations;
  • Identify and integrate efficiency gains and cost reductions in all operations;
  • Build staff capacity through planned training, learning programs, mentoring and coaching;
  • Support strategic evaluations and that learning from evaluations;
  • Oversee security requirements for team.

Key Performance Indicators:

The Chief of Communications & Advocacy is a key function in positioning UN Women and its mandate to external audiences. The incumbent is a major driver of the organization’s global advocacy on women’s empowerment, women’s rights. As such, the post is critical in advancing the international gender equality agenda.

Key performance indicators include:

  • Implementation of UN Women strategy on Communication and Advocacy on time, on scope on budget;
  • Implementation of event-specific, integrated communications strategies to advance UN Women’s advocacy and position the organization on time, on scope and on budget;
  • Development of partnerships and initiatives and outcomes as a result of partnerships with private sector, incl. media, and civil society;
  • UN Women impact through high-level media;
  • UN Women social media impact;
  • Section operational indicators including delivery and PMD completion rates;
  • Performance of personnel, enabling work environment, office produces quality knowledge products

Competencies

Core Values:

  • Respect for Diversity;
  • Integrity;
  • Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
  • Accountability;
  • Creative Problem Solving;
  • Effective Communication;
  • Inclusive Collaboration;
  • Stakeholder Engagement;
  • Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women's Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

  • Proven knowledge and expertise in leading strategic communications at the international level;
  • Proven management and leadership skills to drive a corporate function to success;
  • Proven ability to conceptualize and implement communications & advocacy strategies and campaigns;
  • Excellent knowledge of news media and media relations; digital media and other communications channels and proven ability to apply these for effective outreach;
  • Proven ability to develop partnerships for communications & advocacy;
  • Outstanding written and oral communications and editing skills; proven ability to position issues effectively, both orally and in writing;
  • Demonstrated experience and skill in effectively managing teams and creating an enabling working environment;
  • Familiarity with UN Women and the UN system;
  • Strong knowledge of gender issues.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one or more of the following disciplines: communications, international development, social studies, and other related fields.
  • 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 15 years of management experience in global strategic communications, preferably with an international organization;
  • Proven experience with cutting edge communications and media approaches, outlets, and tools, including social media;
  • Experience working with top-level media from media centers around the world, specifically on development issues;
  • Experience in all the tactics of media relations – press conferences, feature stories, broadcast, OpEDs, risk management;
  • Experience with use of a range of communications tools, including publications, internet and public relations and proven ability to create successful interface among these tools for global communications initiatives;
  • Senior level management experience and ability to work well with decision makers; Experience in leading strategic communications at the international level;
  • Experience of managing teams, including networked capacity in multiple countries.

Languages:

  • Written and oral proficiency in English is required.
  • Working knowledge of other official UN languages is an asset.

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.)

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org