Communication Specialist - Social Policy (P-3), PG - Social Policy, New York HQ (Temporary Appointment 9 months)

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 140,639 USD and 184,155 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.

Note: "****Ideally, this position will be based in New York****. However, the position has the option for a fully remote work modality. This will be determined based on the preferred candidate's location and availability to relocate. In the event, that a remote work modality is selected, no installation to the duty station will be applicable and relevant entitlements will be adjusted based on lower of the two costs between the remote work location and the duty station."

UNICEF aims to be the leading advocate for children, enabled by a cohort of networked, strategic, innovative, and effective advocates who deliver change for children in every part of the world.

Advocacy and Communication are at the center of UNICEF’s mandate. We advocate to decision makers for ‘the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential’. We communicate to key public and private audiences to build support for the cause of children.

For every child, fairness for all……

The Social Policy and Social Protection Communication Specialist is accountable for coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating social policy communication strategies to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people.

How can you make a difference?

This staff member will drive the development of effective, integrated communication strategies. S/he will work collaboratively with colleagues across teams and with external partners to drive changes in policy and practice. Duties include:

Social Policy and Social Protection Communication strategy implementation****:

• Plan, implement and coordinate effective social policy communication and advocacy, as per the key deliverables of the existing Goal Area 5 (every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty) communications strategy, including:
  • Develop annual communication workplan for UNICEF’s Social Policy and Social Protection section.
  • Produce and regularly update key communications and advocacy moments calendar and disseminate widely.
  • Maintain and lead an active social policy communications global working group (regional and HQ social policy and communications colleagues, to support elevate RO/CO social policy communications).
  • Maintain and update a repository of key social policy communications initiatives at HQ, RO and CO level, regularly updating the social policy communications SharePoint site.
  • Supporting communications around several external global events, publication launches, and international days on all thematic areas of social policy work. This includes creating event flyers, social media packages, videos, and internal communications pieces, supporting media communications in coordination with the Division of Global Communications and Advocacy.
  • Develop key social policy messages for key moments, in collaboration with social policy specialists and DGCA.
  • Active outreach to CO and RO social policy and communications colleagues ahead of specific high-profile communications and advocacy events/campaigns and provide visibility to these at global level.
  • Analyze the effectiveness of the social policy communications strategy, approach and activities.
  • Support planning/knowledge management specialist with drafting and dissemination of social policy newsletter.
• Propose new approaches and innovative ideas as part of the communications strategy process
• Work with advocacy and partnerships focal point to enhance external social policy positioning and resource mobiliziation (RM) strategies

Multimedia

• Produce and disseminate social media visual assets and graphics; blogs, videos (including working with multimedia production companies and writing scripts, editing, cutting B-roll, and adding music).
• Provide support to colleagues engaging with videographers on script and video content.

Digital communications/social media

• Coordinate and/or support the day-to-day conceptualization, planning, coordination, execution and digital content creation, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of digital initiatives and integrated advocacy campaigns for key audiences, including:
  • Managing the UNICEF Social Policy Twitter account, including increasing the follower base and reach and creating social media packages around key advocacy moments.
  • Coordinate with DGCA for key social policy messages posted on global UNICEF accounts, including UNICEF twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
  • Supporting internal communications through Yammer, SharePoint, and others, linking with UNICEF’s internal communications team.
  • Explore other possible social media platforms for social policy outreach, including LinkedIn
  • Producing, designing, and disseminating bi-monthly Child Poverty newsletters
  • Support the production, drafting and editing of social policy human interest stories
  • Managing the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty Twitter account.
• Lead website management, in collaboration with DGCA, for UNICEF’s external Social Policy pages (child poverty, social protection, HCT, public finance for children, local governance and urban), uploading publications, updating static web content, and producing blog posts and articles.
• Actively engage with DGCA for ideas on increased engagement on social policy external website, including developing explainers for key topics.

Media/DGCA relations

• Help to build and maintain strong relationships with Division of Global Communications and Advocacy media team and support their coordination with journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web, etc.

Advocacy priorities

• Provide technical support in developing to DGCA advocacy colleagues in developing and identifying social policy advocacy priorities/strategies, including developing compelling calls to action, and a clear theory of change.
• Propose new approaches and innovative ideas as part of the strategy development process.
• Partner with the Programme Group Leadership Team focusing on partnerships and advocacy.

Communication capacity building

• Contribute to building internal UNICEF social policy capacities in advocacy and communication, through sharing of experiences and good practices.

Stakeholder engagement

• Identify, build and maintain formal and informal communications and advocacy partnerships and networks through proactive collaboration with strategic internal and external partners.
• Manage and lead the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty communications focal group.

Others:

• Undertake other key responsibilities as required.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master or higher) in Public Policy, Political Science, International Relations, International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Communication, or another relevant technical field is required.

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in advocacy/ campaigning and communications is required.
• Experience in communication strategies, with clear theories of change, with specific, measurable and timebound objectives and performance indicators.
• A track record of achieving or contributing to tangible policy change.
• Proven experience in deploying a range of communication tactics based on a clear theory of change.
• Experience in building and maintaining a network of stakeholders, and in working with coalitions.
• Experienced and current in digital and social media content and audience trends as well as in managing online platforms and channels. Experience in media relations.
• Strong communicator with emphasis on being able to present complex policy ideas in succinct, engaging ways through campaign narratives and creative tactics.
• Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues.
• Demonstrated experience in Social policy communications and messaging
• Experience in advocacy at the international level is an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability (CRITA), and sustainability

Please click Here to view UNICEF's core values and Here to view our competency framework.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are.

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

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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.

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.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page. If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

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