Communications Officer (Digital Strategist) –

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 171,387 USD and 220,969 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.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position of Communications Officer/Digital Strategist is located in the Communications and Results Reporting Section (CRRS) of the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO) in New York.

In its resolution A/RES/72/279 (https://undocs.org/A/RES/72/279), the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of DCO as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. The new DCO assumes managerial and oversight functions of the Resident Coordinator System (RCS) under the collective ownership of the members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). To learn more about the activities of the UNSDG and/or DCO, visit https://unsdg.un.org/ and/or https://un-dco.org/ respectively.

The incumbent reports directly to the Chief of CRRS and is under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director of DCO.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the incumbent may be responsible for the following duties: - Oversees standardization of application programming interfaces (APIs) to advance data interoperability across the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), Development Coordination Office (DCO) and United Nations country teams (UNCTs) websites, introducing continuous improvements, identifying trends, piloting new and emerging digital technologies and assessing their applicability to UNSDG and UNCT communication activities. - Takes the lead in strategy, planning, development and implementation of large, complex digital communications campaigns (e.g. global promotion initiatives, public information programmes for a region, broad-reaching subject specific issues, etc.); where appropriate, works with departments, funds and agencies to develop ways to implement campaigns system-wide and to incorporate the campaign message and themes into all relevant events and products. - Identifies sources and seeks funding, partnerships and other assistance for major digital communication campaigns. - Provides advice and expertise to managers, senior officers and other public information staff on a range of digital communications and/or public affairs issues, methods, and approaches; anticipates and resolves relevant issues/problems, including on content production/planning, technical infrastructures and/or personnel/budget. - Develops strategic partnerships with key constituencies to elicit support for and maximize impact of promotional objectives; supports the Chief of CRRS in serving as a spokesperson/principal liaison to media organizations, governmental bodies, national groups, private sector organizations, educational organizations, international organizations, etc. - Prepares or oversees preparation of a diverse range of written, multimedia, and social media information communications products in support of major campaign initiatives. - Drafts complex material for official websites social media accounts, interactive e-reports, UN newsletters, periodicals, reports and books and edits drafts prepared by junior officers. - Evaluates results and impact of communications activities; reports on developments, trends and attitudes regarding the UN using native web/social media analytics as well as tools comparable to Google Data Studio. - Represents the institution in meetings and conferences; fulfills speaking engagements and makes presentations to groups on UN activities and advocate issues of concern; organizes media coverage and arranges for media contacts, briefings, interviews; organizes seminars, lectures, conferences, public events on major issues and events concerning the organization. - Builds in-person and virtual information networks, including virtual communities of practice; serves as substantive secretariat for UNSDG task teams on communications and advocacy and may act as deputy lead for the CRRS team on communications and advocacy; plans and oversees maintenance of publicly accessible information materials on the United Nations in the six official United Nations languages; plans and develops outreach activities. - Manages digital publications programme; produces materials for print/electronic/voice/visual and social media. - Assists is the day-to-day operation of the Section to include participating in coordination of substantive and administrative activities of the unit, interpreting and disseminating policy, providing procedural advice, improving reporting systems, handling operational and administrative queries, preparing budget submissions, establishing and/or coordinating training programmes and monitoring and evaluating results. - May coordinate and direct a team of public information staff and/or mentor and supervise the work of junior officers, consultants and/or interns on specific projects. - Perform other related duties, as required.

Competencies - Professionalism: Knowledge of different aspects of public information and communication related to the development, implementation and monitoring of digital communication in an accessible, gender-sensitive, multilingual and multi-country context. Ability to address a range of issues in the context of political developments, public attitudes and local conditions, particularly through effective and innovative digital strategies to communicate the impact of development coordination work at the country level. Ability to conceptualize, design and implement major information and communication campaigns. Ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources. Ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and cultivate productive relationships. Ability to produce a variety of written communications products in a clear, concise style. Ability to deliver oral presentations to various audiences. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. - Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. - Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology. - Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Education An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public information or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in communication, journalism, international relations, public information or related area is required.

Experience working with enterprise-level digital communication platforms, both on the front and back-end, including complex multilingual websites with API functionalities hosted on content management systems comparable to Drupal 9 and social media accounts on multiple platforms, is required.

Experience producing multimedia communication content, including human interest web stories and blogs, video, static and animated social media visuals, data visualization products and infographics is required.

Experience managing personnel and budget for communication activities, including recruitment, performance evaluation, budget preparation and monitoring, procurement of goods and services, audit and contract management is desirable.

Experience working with web and social media analytics as well as Internet search engine optimization tools and techniques is desirable.

Experience working on issues related to inter-agency or inter-organizational collaboration in the development sector is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an advantage.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice - This position is temporarily available for a finite period of (364 days). Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and the availability of the funds. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. - While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. - Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. - This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. - Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. - Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator's working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on "Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.