Communications Officer (retainer)

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 - Implementation Practices and Standards (IPS)

Within UNOPS, Implementation Practices and Standards (IPS) is responsible for the UNOPS delivery practices. IPS provides thought leadership, standards and oversight as support to the successful delivery of programmes and projects within UNOPS service lines (infrastructure, procurement, project management, human resources and financial management services). IPS is comprised of the Infrastructure and Project Management Group and the Procurement Group which aims to reduce organizational risks, improve project performance, and promote excellence across UNOPS projects through the Standards Management Framework; and provides organisational oversight on the application of standards. These Groups also support the positioning of UNOPS in the UN system and development sector in Infrastructure, Project Management and Procurement. IPSO also includes the Office of IPS (IPSO), that includes work streams on organizational excellence, knowledge management and the review of bid protests. As well as the Portfolio support unit, that aims at supporting the organisational readiness of UNOPS and provides support services to the Implementation Practices and Standards function.

Background information - Portfolio Support

Portfolio Support (PS) is a business unit within the IPS function which aims at (a) supporting aspects of the organisational readiness of UNOPS, and (b) managing IPS operations.

Organizational Readiness

UNOPS Organizational readiness is focused primarily on its mandate in infrastructure, project management and procurement. It aims to cover the ad-hoc resource needs of the Regional Portfolios to implement the corporate strategy and address the needs of donors.

The PS team supports the UNOPS Regional Portfolios by supplementing their existing resources on demand. This support includes administering the Corporate retainer pool and developing/co-managing other agreements and partnerships.

Support to IPS operations

PS provides timely support to IPS on operational aspects and takes a coordination function in the areas of human resources (HR), general administration, communication, finance and procurement by working in close relationship with other Headquarter (HQ) units, notably the Shared Services Center (SSC). PS also manages the Project of the Year Award (POTYA).

Background Information - Job-specific

The Implementation Practices and Standards function has a high number of internal (to UNOPS) and external product releases (guidance materials, standards, major system releases, thought leadership papers, etc.) in the pipeline. The Portfolio Support team supports all the communication activities of the IPS, and is therefore coordinating all the communication aspects related to the development and roll-out of these products.

As a member of the PS team within the Implementation Practices and Standards function, and reporting to the Media and Communications Analyst, the successful candidate will be involved in creating or coordinating communication and knowledge products such as publications, reports, podcasts/videos, presentations, posters, etc. In addition, the Communications Officer may be asked to support additional projects such as communications for the release of major updates to internal systems or the coordination of substantial translation exercises. S/he is expected to have a very good understanding/knowledge of communication and Google suite tools and apps, with the aim to facilitate information dissemination, visual reporting and knowledge sharing in UNOPS. S/he must have very good skills in content creation and an excellent command of written English, and preferably another UN language such as Spanish or French.

This is a home-based retainer contract. The functions/responsibilities/key results of this job description are generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all missions/assignments under this job title. The specific tasks and deliverables for each retainer assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment by the requesting office/unit. Under this contract type, the assignments will vary in scope and duration - ranging from short term assignments of a few hours at a time to longer blocks of time (e.g. several weeks or months full time, and up to a year). Work may also vary with regards to the time zone / location. Whilst most assignments can be delivered working from home, some may require presence in Copenhagen and/or international travel on occasion. Whilst the successful incumbent can be based in different time-zones, s/he should be able and willing to ensure a degree of time overlap with the team based in our HQ in Copenhagen.

All retainer assignments will be handled via the UNOPS online retainer management tool, including the request for the retainer’s services and the provision of feedback for each assignment. UNOPS reserves the right to propose a full time contract for assignments involving full time services for more than 3 months, which will provide leave entitlements for the covered period. Also see the ‘additional information’ section.

Functional Responsibilities

1. Communications and Knowledge Management:

- Support the Media and Communications Analyst in delivering communications work packages as per the IPS communications work plan. - Provide support for IPS product releases, including, but not limited to, writing/copy-editing, graphic design (ex. infographics, posters, fact sheets), video editing, and podcast editing. - Provide support for coordinating IPS translations (primarily from English to French and Spanish) and reviewing the UNOPS translators’ deliverables. - Provide support for knowledge sharing activities, including, but not limited to, writing/copy-editing internal communications content for the intranet and other internal channels as well as organizing global webinars. - Provide support in developing technical specifications for communication-related tenders or Call-Off Orders.

2. Reporting & Tools:

- Provide support for the monthly IPS communications report, developed in Google Data Studio.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Setting standards, personal and development objectives in Performance Evaluation Review;
• Ongoing assessment of task completion, which meets quality expectations;
• Successfully meeting deadlines based on workplan; and
• Completing progress reports as requested.

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.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Master's or equivalent in Communication, Translation, Journalism, Graphics Design or other relevant discipline is required;
• A first-level University degree or Bachelor's or equivalent in a related field of study with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s Degree requirement;
• A technical/professional diploma, in relevant discipline, in combination with 2 years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a first-level University degree.

Work Experience:

• 2 years of experience in a communications focused role (in combination with a Bachelor's degree) is required; 4 years of experience in a communication focused role (in combination with a technical/professional diploma) is required;

• Knowledge of Google Suite is required;

• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud applications is required;
• Experience with editing/proofreading is required;
• Experience working with content management systems is desirable;
• Experience with online communications and social media is an asset;

• Experience with project coordination is an asset.

  Languages:

• Fluency in English is required, with excellent English writing skills and copy editing;

• Fluency in Spanish and/or French is highly desirable.

Additional Considerations

Additional information (general)

• 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 and candidates from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.
• 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
• All UNOPS personnel are required to share a common understanding of UNOPS’ and the UN’s mandate, policies and activities. To this end, UNOPS Personnel must complete a set of mandatory courses. As a UNOPS ICA retainer, you are required to complete at least two (2) online courses upon signature of your contract and prior to commencing any retainer assignment related to Ethics and Integrity, the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. If you go on official mission, you are required to complete an online course related to security awareness. These courses are available for free on UNOPS learning platform and shall be completed within the first three months following the contract signature, at no cost for UNOPS. UNOPS reserves the right to request a refresher of the mandatory courses is taken or newly promulgated mandatory courses are completed at no cost for UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

Additional information (contract modality)

There are two potential different types of contracts to consider in this vacancy announcement:

(1) A retainer contract on project or assignment basis, or,

(2) A full-time employment for a specified consecutive period of time (up to one year).

More information on retainer contracts:

• A retainer ICA does not accord any exclusivity to the Individual Contractor with respect to the Services listed in the job description. UNOPS shall have no limitation on its right to obtain Services of the same kind from any other source at any time.
• A retainer Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor may be required intermittently.
• A retainer ICA will specify a unit price (e.g. amount per day actually worked). For budgetary purposes, a monetary limit will be specified at the time the ICA is awarded and issued.
• UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of Services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA.
• Payment will be made only after completion of work (if any) or reaching agreed milestones.
• UNOPS Individual Contractors must comply with the standards of conduct required of a UN civil servant, when carrying out their official UNOPS responsibilities and also all other times. This includes the standards of conduct set forth in the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin of 9 October 2003 entitled “Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” (ST/SGB/2003/13) and the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin of 18 June 2002 entitled "Regulations Governing the Status, Basic Rights and Duties of Officials other than Secretariat Officials, and Experts on Mission" (ST/SGB/2002/9) as they may be amended from time to time.
• UNOPS Individual Contractors must comply with all applicable UNOPS policies and instructions. This includes the obligation to declare any outside activity that could result in an actual or perceived conflict with the interests of the UN; as well as to refrain from using information gained through the UNOPS Individual Contractor Agreement contract for the Individual Contractor’s own purposes or to help a third party (unless the information is already in the public domain), in particular but not only in relation to procurement of works, goods and services.
• UNOPS Individual Contractors must abide by UN safety and security policies, instructions, directives, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• The standard terms and conditions of the UNOPS ICA as of the present date can be found at https://content.unops.org/HR-Documents/ICA_contract/Annex-A-ENGLISH.pdf

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA Contract level: ICS8 - LICA8 or IICA1 (depending on the country of residence, two different types of contract may be offered). Contract duration: 12 months - retainer - renewable subject to needs and budget availability

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