Communication Specialist (Media and PR), P-3, TA (364 days), Marketing and Public Relations, PFP, Geneva, Switzerland

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 137,951 USD and 180,636 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.

The UNICEF Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) is dedicated to achieving key objectives encompassing income generation, influence, and brand recognition. The division remains committed to executing the UNICEF Strategic Plan and the Global Communication and Advocacy Strategy. Concurrently, UNICEF is developing a new Global Communication and Advocacy Strategy to align with the updated UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2022–2025.

In line with its mission to present a consistent and coherent organizational image, UNICEF has embarked on creating a Global Brand Strategy. This strategy will serve as a foundational framework for communication efforts, ensuring that expressions of the organization’s identity, principles, and values are harmonized across all communication channels.

Within PFP the Media and PR Services for Fundraising team in the Marketing and PR Services section seeks the expertise of a Communication Specialist (Media and PR). This specialist will play a vital role in risk management and crisis communication, particularly concerning private sector partnerships and governance. By ensuring effective crisis communication strategies, the specialist will further strengthen UNICEF’s ability to manage and navigate potential challenges while fostering transparency and maintaining trust in its private sector engagements.

For every child, a Champion

The Communication Specialist will work closely with team leads in the Communication for Partnerships team and National Committees to provide communication support for multi-country and global partnerships. This will include multi-country coordination for communication planning; development of communication assets and materials; management of reputational risks through communication strategies; and oversight of the roll-out and implementation of these communication assets and strategies across markets.

As an experienced PR specialist, the selected candidate will provide leadership in managing reputational risks and putting mitigation measures in place to keep UNICEF’s brand high and positive.

Furthermore, the specialist will deliver reputation maintenance services, which involve continuously assessing the organization’s reputation and trust evolution over time. The person will stay updated on changes in organization plans and goals and make necessary adjustments or modifications to maintain a positive reputation.

How can you make a difference?

The Communication Specialist will play a pivotal role in maintaining UNICEF’s brand integrity, enhancing its reputation, and effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders to advance the organization’s mission and goals. The expected responsibilities of this role include,

• Planning, developing, and implementing public relations strategies.
• Working with PR agencies to train spokespeople to effectively represent the organization.
• Managing the public relations aspect of potential crises.
• Drafting quick responses and handling media, individual, donor, corporate partner, and other organization inquiries.
• Researching, writing, and supporting the distribution of press releases to targeted and B2B media.
• Collating and analyzing media coverage to gauge impact.
• Writing and editing in-house press releases, case studies, speeches, articles, and annual reports.
• Commissioning market research to gather relevant insights.
• Providing communication planning support and management for global partnerships.

DELIVERABLES:

Under the supervision of the Communication Specialist (Media and PR), the role will entail completing the following deliverables.

1. Provide support and guidance on the development of press releases, op-eds, key messages, Q&A documents, talking points, etc. for the senior leadership and global partnerships, in close collaboration with communication focal points in relevant National Committees and regional and country offices.
2. Provides strategic direction to media and communication work linked to global or multi-country corporate, foundation and major donor partnerships, ensuring that related activities are in line with PFP’s fundraising, advocacy, and brand positioning objectives, as well as UNICEF’s ethical and brand guidelines.
3. In close consultation with the Media/PR specialist and others, manage communication around risk issues linked to partner engagement, contributes to the prevention of media/PR crises and, works with internal stakeholders, corporate partners, and PR agencies to successfully manage crisis response when required.
4. As a staff manager, agrees clear and achievable work objectives for each supervisee, monitors performance, and ensures appropriate development and training of staff. Provides leadership, support and guidance to foster and maintain staff motivation and engagement as well as sound staff management relations.
5. Provide brand and crisis management training to PFP staff and in local markets; facilitate webinars and remote training to share knowledge with private sector countries.
6. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned.

Estimated duration of the contract:

• 364 Days

Reporting to:

• The Communication Specialist

Working Place:

• Geneva, Switzerland is the official duty station. (Flexible work arrangements may be applied if there is a need.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: communication, journalism, writing or photography, or in international relations, public relations, social/human sciences, and/or another related field equivalent to specialized training in original writing, proofreading, fact-checking and copy editing and editing.
• Alternative, a first-level University Degree in a relevant field combined with two additional years of qualifying professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in a media and PR role is required.
• Experience in brand and reputation management or crisis communication is required.
• Experience in developing a media and PR strategy to drive and deepen engagement with public or private sector engagement partners is an asset.
• Experience in building strong relationships with traditional and social media entities and using media relations and channels to engage different audiences is required.
• Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to research, analyze and draft ideas and concepts clearly and concisely in written form are required.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team in an international and multicultural environment.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments with competing deadlines.
• Knowledge and understanding of the private sector and the United Nations/UNICEF is an asset.
• Experience working with PR agencies is an asset
• Experience in coordinating communication activities for high-level events and forums is an asset.

Language requirement:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) are required.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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:

UNICEF PFP-Geneva is currently reviewing organizational changes; therefore, the successful candidates may be asked to commence duties remotely, and they may later be asked to relocate and be assigned to the final post-duty station/location in Berlin.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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