Communication Specialist

Organizational Setting:

Liaison Office in Japan (LOJ), established in 1997, is one of six Liaison Offices. Its main function is to maintain good and close relations with Japan and its development partners. LOJ is promoting increased policy discussion and dialogue as well as establishing and strengthening partnerships in Japan on FAO’s policies, strategies and operations in eradicating world hunger and improving nutrition.

Reporting Lines:

The incumbent will report to the Director, LOJ.

Technical Focus

Under the direct supervision of the Director, and under the guidance of the FAO Communication Officers in HQs

and the Regional Office of the Asia and the Pacific, the incumbent will undertake communication related

activities to enhance the visibility of FAO and Food Security issues in Japan, including organization of events

aimed at raising awareness on FAO’s work in eradicating hunger and malnutrition. The incumbent will

coordinate with FAO’s Office for Corporate Communication and the Regional Office in the Asia and the Pacific.

The incumbent will closely liaise with stakeholders including Government institutions, media, NGOs, private

companies, academia and research institutions.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Build and maintain a robust network of communication partners in Japan in order to enhance the visibility of FAO and improved understanding of its mandated issues.
• Prepare and disseminate information materials and documents on the state of world food and agriculture and other flagship reports, both in Japanese and English;
• Manage and coordinate the dissemination of FAO messages and activities through mass media, websites, email news, and SNS to maximize their visibility in Japan, including organization of launch event for flagship publications;
• Manage and update communication tools of the Liaison Office, such as the website and twitter account, on a regular basis;
• Plan and organize seminars/activities/events in cooperation with stakeholders, and produce related analytical reports;
• Maintain close communications with the FAO Office for Corporate Communication as well as the Regional Communication Officers to keep abreast of FAO’s corporate communication needs and developments while informing development in Japan for global communication purposes;
• Contribute to the collective communication efforts led by the UNIC Tokyo Office in the spirit of One UN;
• Analyse information, data, statistics, relativities, trends, problems, and/or issues to support effective communication delivery, new initiatives, and the preparation of plans, strategies, reports, policies and/or other products;
• Coordinate various activities for FAO National Goodwill Ambassadors and FAO Parliamentarian Friendship League as well as existing and potential partners; and,
• Assist the Office’s efforts on partnership building and strengthening in relation to SDGs.
• Provide strategic advice to the Director on FAO communications in Japan.
• Act as the focal point for all publication/materials and act as the initiator for all items submitted in the Publication Workflow System (PWS).
• On occasion, depending on the relevance to a Japanese audience, translate original English news releases emanating from OCC or RAP into Japanese and distribute to Japanese media.
• Perform any other duties upon request.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in communication, social science, journalism, political science or related fied
• At least 12 years of relevant experience in communication, web publishing and/or social media networks
• Fluency in Japanese and in English. Limited knowledge of one of the other official UN languages
• National of Japan or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in the field of communication services for prominent organizations, particularly at the international level, including substantive experience in journalism
• Professional communication experiences in Japanese and in English
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional network with media and communication partners
• Experience and knowledge of working in the UN and international organization
• Extent and relevance of experience in drafting high-quality written materials for a wide variety of audiences