Communications Officer

Contract

This is a LICA Specialist-8 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 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA Specialist-8 contracts.

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 - UNOPS Amman Hub

The UNOPS Hub in Amman implements projects on behalf of UN agencies and bilateral donors and in close coordination with the Government and national authorities. With an established presence across the region, the office runs operations including large-scale procurement, project development, and technical management, and provides financial, human resources, and infrastructure-related services.

The UNOPS Hub in Amman delivers projects in an efficient and effective manner, in line with the principles, rules, and regulations of UNOPS, to achieve the outcomes sought by the clients.

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a fully diverse workforce.

Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS is undertaking a project to support the establishment and management of the Programme Management Unit” (PMU) funded by the Federal Republic of Germany through the KfW. The PMU will be incorporated into the Development Cooperation Unit (DCU) at the Ministry of Education (MoE), and it aims to support the establishment of the function of coordination and facilitation for the German School Construction Projects (SCP) at the MoE (DCU) and to support the implementation of the Development Policy Loan (DPL) and any other future projects financed by the German Government.

The main objectives of the PMU include: a) to facilitate and create the function of coordination for all the German projects and activities at MoE, b) to act as a focal point for KfW/Government of Germany and the School Construction Projects and DPL; c) support communication and coordination with other stakeholders, and d) to provide capacity development, on-the-job training, and quality assurance, considering international standards of the outputs related to these projects prepared by the concerned departments and managements at MoE.

The DPL aims at supporting reforms in the Ministry of Education (MoE) and related entities to improve Facility Management (FM) in Jordanian public schools. The reform agenda for the DPL will primarily focus on facility management at three levels: i) policy, ii) school administration, iii) governorates and field directorates, and iv) schools and local communities.

Functional Responsibilities

The Communications Officer will oversee and facilitate the coordination among the project stakeholders inside and outside the MoE including but not limited to MoE, MoPWH, KfW, consultants, contractors, suppliers, etc., to ensure a consistent flow of information in a timely manner.

The incumbent will ensure that all project-related documents are well maintained and readily available.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of PMU, the Coordination and Communication Officer must be able to undertake independently, the following functional/ technical tasks:

Communication, Coordination, and Planning

• Support the Head of PMU and the PMU team in maintaining open communication channels between concerned parties inside and outside the MoE by facilitating coordination meetings between them to overcome any challenges that might occur;
• Facilitate and maintain coordination with all relevant stakeholders including but not limited to the Ministry of Local Administration, Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), local authorities, and utility providers in order to expedite the process of obtaining the “Building and Service Connection Permits” for the school buildings;
• Develop a communication and stakeholder engagement plan and/or strategy;
• Assist the project team in the implementation of internal and external information structures, policies and standard operating procedures to facilitate, support, and promote data and information sharing within the PMU;
• Coordinate with the project team in documenting lessons learned, best practices and project materials;
• Draft and edit PMU related communication materials as requested and needed;
• Support in preparing for and organizing of meetings including; DPL and PMU steering committee meetings and any other meetings requested by the Head of PMU;
• Perform any other duties as required for the successful implementation of the activities under the Programme Management Unit.

Reporting and Documents Control

• Prepare documents, reports and visual presentations for the meeting as well as documenting of minutes of meetings;
• Support in the continuous development of the PMU reporting, in particular with the
• drafting of internal and external reports within given deadlines;
• Preparation of briefs, talking points, key messaging for discussions with partners in
• key coordination meetings to discuss data, trends analysis and any identified gaps and/or needs observed;
• Follow up on correspondences shared between the different units inside and outside of the MoE;
• Gather and report on feedback from partners in a systematic way to facilitate analysis, reporting of
• impact, procedures, and support the overall accountability of PMU;
• Contribute to the preparation of evidence-based progress reports and other project-related documents in coordination with the ICT Associate;
• Support the PMU team in monitoring the programmes schedules, the achievement of milestones, and document the achieved milestones and progress achieved.;
• Support in recording and tracking relevant documents for the PMU, including but not all contract documents (for the different phases of the project); all construction, design drawings, and tender documents; projects correspondences; digital and hard copies of the as-built drawings for documentation purposes.

Knowledge Management

• Share knowledge with the PMU team members and other relevant key stakeholders to ensure coordinated delivery of activities and synergies;
• Contribute to the identification and dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for PMU, SCP, DPL, and as well as any future German funded initiatives in the education sector development planning and knowledge building;

Communication:

Outside MoE:

Supporting the communication with the following stakeholders outside MoE:

• KfW
• MoPIC
• MoPWH
• Consultants
• Contractors
• Suppliers of furniture and equipment
• Government entities /authorities for approvals and regulations.
• Utility providers
• Local communities
• Donors/Implementing Agencies/International Partners

Inside MoE:

• PMU
• Development and Coordination Unit (DCU)
• Managing Directorate of School of Buildings and International Projects
• Managing Directorate of Educational Planning Research
• Managing Directorate of Queen Rania Center for Education & Information Technology
• Management of Supplies and Equipping
• Managing Directorate of Financial Affairs
• Managing Directorate of Legal Affairs
• MoE Field Directorates
• Schools Administration

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Number of coordination meetings organized and attended with all relevant stakeholders;
• Number of project related documents, reports and visual presentations, evidence-based progress reports prepared.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management or related field is required.
• Advanced university degree (Master degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Project Management, or related field is desired,

Experience: - A minimum of 2 years of experience in a relevant role for supporting programme/ project coordination, and communication;

• Experience in the humanitarian and/or development sector is required;
• High proficiency with computers, and other software/ platforms related to the positions field of expertise. Good experience in working with the G-Suite platform including, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Gmail, Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides is required;
• Excellent communication, coordination, and organizational skills, including the ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders is required;
• Experience with an international donor organization and/or UN agencies programmes is preferred;
• Experience in preparing, coordinating, and leading donor reporting processes is required;
• Ability to analyze online communications using performance indicators is preferred;

Language:

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Arabic is required.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) 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.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Individual Contractual Agreement (ICA) Contract level: Local ICA Specialist - LICA 8 Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Amman is a family duty station.
• This position is open to nationals only.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
• Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.