Communications Associate

Volunteering Admin Communications & PR

Overview

Support UNICEF’s communication efforts for children and youth in Timor-Leste.

You have:

• Demonstrated interest or experience (up to 12 months) in Journalism, communications, or other relevant programmes.
• Good oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, and reporting skills.
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet.
• Sound security awareness.
• Have affinity with or interest in children’s issues, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste – also commonly known as East Timor – became the world’s first new sovereign state of the 21st century on May 20, 2002. Since its independence, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has been active in its efforts to improve the survival, development, protection, and participation of children and women in Timor-Leste.

The joint Government of Timor-Leste – UNICEF Country Programme for 2026-2030 is designed to achieve results for children, their families, and communities – demonstrating the impact of a complementary, synergistic, and inter-sectoral development model to support the achievement of national and international development goals and targets.

Around 46% of the population of Timor-Leste is under the age of 18, meaning that including youth participation in the development process must be seen as crucial for inclusive and sustainable development. UNICEF’s Communication (external relations) and Communication for Development activities are working to promote children’s voices and child participation in the media by engaging them in various initiatives, including social media, through various programmes.

This UNV assignment is part of the efforts to raise the profile of children, adolescents, and youth and increase participation. The Communications Associate will also work on writing human interest stories, developing and editing social media content, covering photography, video, and design work for regular programmes.

Under the direct supervision of the Communications Specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Support to document UNICEF’s work in Timor-Leste through design and layout, video and photography projects, human interest stories for use by UNICEF Timor-Leste and its partners. • Assist in maintaining a database of a range of video and photo materials, including human interest stories. • Support training of UNICEF staff, young people or other volunteers in photography, videography, and editing. • Any other support to the related tasks may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Accountability Adaptability and Flexibility Building Trust Commitment and Motivation Commitment to Continuous Learning Communication Ethics and Values Integrity Planning and Organizing Respect for Diversity Self-Management Working in Teams

Demonstrated interest or experience (up to 12 months) in Journalism, communications, or other relevant programmes.

Skills: • Good oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, and reporting skills. • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing. • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development. • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management, editing, videography, and photography, and office technology equipment. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines. • Sound security awareness. • Have affinity with or interest in children’s issues, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Location of the work place The UNICEF Office is located on the UN compound, along with most UN agencies. UN House is in the city center, and safe accommodation options are available nearby as well as further away. Dili is a small city, and most expatriates live within a 6km radius / a 10 to 20mn car ride from UN House. Transport within Dili is either through public transport or taxis. You can drive with your foreign driving license during about 3 months within which time you must obtain a Timorese Driver’s license. It is easy to buy first or second-hand cars. It is affordable, the price depends on the type of vehicle. As public transport is not recommended for international staff, most expatriates purchase a motorbike (price range: $700 to $2,000) or a car (price range: $400 to $20,000), which they then resell upon leaving the country. The UNICEF office, and in particular the drivers, can provide assistance with purchasing a vehicle.

The President Nicolau Lobato International Airport is approximately 5 kilometers away from the city center. Driving time may take approx. 20-30 minutes depending on the vehicle traffic. The US dollar is the official monetary currency of the country. UN staff members render eight hours of work per day for a total of 40 hours per week. Core hours for UNICEF, i.e. those hours when all staff must be at work, are from 09:00-16:00, with a flexible lunch break of 30 minutes to one and half hours between 12:00-13:30. There are several options for the flexi working arrangement.
Official Office hours for UNICEF Timor-Leste are: 08:00 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 17:30.

Housing There are a range of accommodation options in Dili, from the very basic to adequate, although many private houses in Dili have been renovated to a reasonable or even considered ‘luxurious’ level of comfort. Many expatriates live in fully serviced compounds, usually in individual houses but sometimes in apartments. Some choose private houses, which tend to be cheaper than compounds. Houses are very often fully furnished in Dili. Housing prices start at about $500 per month for a studio or one-bedroom place. Two-bedroom houses in a compound range from $1,000 to $2,000.

Cost of Living The post adjustment index calculated by the International Civil Service Commission is 144.5 (data dated 1rst May 2023) for Timor-Leste, compared with 165.1 for in the Republic of Korea. This indicates that it is comparatively cheaper to live in Timor-Leste. For more information, please visit https://icsc.un.org/. Cost of living comparator sites can also provide useful information on the price of specific items in Dili

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 month ago - Updated 16 days ago - Source: unv.org