Communications Associate

Contract

This is a LICA-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-6 contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

*******UNOP Somalia Country Office (SOCO) exciting career opportunity as we are ***committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.****** UNOPS - SOCO is recruiting this position: Communications Associate and qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.****

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

UNOPS has been operating in Somalia since 1995. The Somalia Country Office (SOCO) manages and coordinates a diverse portfolio across a variety of sectors, including health, rule of law, crisis recovery, and security and justice reform. Located in Mogadishu, SOCO works with multiple partners, including the Governments of Somalia, bilateral and multilateral donors, United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes.

Under the supervision of the Partnerships Specialist, the Communications Associate will be responsible for the following responsibilities related to external and internal communications for the Somalia Country Office in full compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and policies:

S/he will be responsible for all or part of the following duties which are performed according to organizational needs and structure:

Functional Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Partnerships Specialist, the Communications Associate will be responsible for the following responsibilities related to external and internal communications for the Somalia Country Office in full compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and policies: Communications: - Coordinate development and implementation of an effective and quality communications strategy and work plan for SOCO under the guidance of Senior Management Team and HQ communication group. - Manage SOCO’s social media accounts, ensuring regular updates and monitoring relevant posts and activities by key partners, including donors and the Somali government counterparts - Coordinate UNOPS’s inputs to UN Somalia-wide publications, newsletters, websites and other communication products led by the UN Mission to Somalia communications team. - Develop and maintain a database of local journalists/press contacts. - Develop and maintain a database of SOCO partners (including government partners) and the international community. - Follow local media for humanitarian and development related content. - Coordinate inputs from different units and partners and produce consolidated social media posts, factsheets, presentations and other written documents for internal and external use. - Liaise with the HQ Comms team and UN Communication Group and participate in relevant meetings. - Support the development and facilitation of in-house communication training for SOCO personnel and partners. - Keep up-to-date SOCO communication plans. - Develop and maintain web content for relevant UNOPS intra-/internet pages and social media. - Issue bi-monthly internal newsletters. - Support the Senior Project Manager, the Partnerships Specialist and the SMT as required to organise audio-visual coverage (photography, videography) of project activities and achievements - Ensure that all UNOPS communication guidelines are consistently applied across all SOCO communication activities and outputs.

Reporting/Knowledge Management: - Produce and keep up-to-date communication materials and a photo library with project photos. - Contribute to communication outputs to share information about SOCO-funded projects and results achieved, in liaison with relevant project and communication teams. - Suggest/write stories and topics from the work of SOCO and its partners for publication in local and other appropriate media. - Share publication, information and knowledge with colleagues, clients and partners. - Prepare communication materials as required for events, mission travel and/or discussion with partners. - Participate in relevant UN Somalia Working Groups or coordination mechanisms and provide necessary UNOPS inputs - Collaborate with relevant support services units to lead and manage the production and deployment of relevant resources, including booklets, briefing notes, posters and banners, through service providers such as audio-visual production companies, as well as printing and translation companies as required

Partnership Development: - Collect data and carry out research and analytical write ups for concept notes and proposals. - Conduct country specific research and analysis on donor and partners focus areas, funding cycles, processes and identify opportunities for SOCO project development.

Other Duties: - Support project visibility activities - Brief senior management regularly on ongoing communication activities and coordinate efforts to follow up on identified communications needs - Support the participation and/or representation of the SOCO Partnership Development Office team at events and technical meetings as required. - Participate in meetings with donors and partners and produce high quality meeting minutes and action-oriented summaries. - When needed, join SOCO monitoring visits or donor field visits of SOCO funded projects. - Other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Impact of Results:

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Communications Associate affects the performance of major aspects of the relevant business unit/s, partnership activities, impacting the timely and effective implementation of the respective services and deliverables. This ensures client satisfaction and promotes the image and credibility of UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management. This enhances UNOPS’ competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services in the country/region served.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

A. Education - Completion of Secondary Education is required. - Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Communications, Media, Social Studies, International relations or any related field is desirable, but not required.

B. Work Experience - A minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience working in the communications field is required. - Excellent interpersonal communication skills and good attention to detail is highly preferred. - Excellent planning and coordination skills are desired. - Experience in social media management is an asset. - Experience in the use of the Google Suite application is an advantage - Experience in graphic design is desired. - Knowledge of the UN system is an advantage.

C. Language - Fluency in written, reading and spoken English is required. - Working knowledge of Somali will be considered a significant advantage.

Additional Considerations

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• Duty Station: Mogadishu is a non-Family Duty Station Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Contract type, level and duration

1. Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement (LICA)
2. Contract level: LICA 6 /ICS 6
3. Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background information - AFR

Africa Region

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Africa Region supports UNOPS country offices in the region, providing financial oversight of projects, procuring goods and services and managing human resources. AFR helps ensure that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.

Somalia Country Office:

UNOPS Somalia Country Office (SOCO) has had a solid and continuous in-country expert presence successfully implementing programs since the mid-1990s, where it is currently undertaking various projects and initiatives in close collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), Federal Member States (FMS) and partners from the global donor community. UNOPS’ projects in Somalia focus on several key sectors that include infrastructure development, institutional capacity building, project management, advisory services, and procurement services. These projects cut across multiple sectors, including education, healthcare, national security, law enforcement, immigration services, justice, transport, and public works among others. UNOPS work in Somalia is geared towards driving growth and development in the country, a process that requires developing a close relationship with the FGS and the other development partners.

Through its involvement in Somalia’s development process, UNOPS is providing transparent and accountable solutions in the country’s state and nation-building process. In addition, UNOPS is also committed to implementing the United Nations Strategic Framework Somalia 2017 – 2020, with the aim of helping Somalia achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNOPS work within the context of these commitments means that the projects it implements in Somalia are specifically designed to provide long-term solutions in the country, leading to sustainable and inclusive growth.

What drives us is a passion to fight inequalities and to provide opportunities to those most vulnerable. This means we often work in the most challenging environments, building foundations for communities to function and people to live with dignity and respect.

To succeed here, he/she need to be able to combine creativity with the organizational skills to manage numerous different projects to tight deadlines simultaneously, as well as working with the different units to meet their expectations.