Consultancy - Communications Specialist – Creative writer and Editor, Remote, Office of Innovation, 11.5 months

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF has a 75-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, bold partnerships and technologies are critical to improving the lives of all children, everywhere.

The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable innovative solutions.

UNICEF's Office of Innovation does this by:

• Connecting with the youth generation as co-shapers, designers and doers for social change in their communities as well as for setting a pace of change for generations of children to come.
• Provoking change for children through an entrepreneurial approach to harness rapidly moving innovations and apply them to serve the needs of all children.
• Creating new models of partnership that leverage core business values across the diversity of public and private sectors to collectively accelerate the delivery of results for children.

How can you make a difference?

Embedded in the Communication Team, the consultant will produce and edit engaging communication assets, support the development, management, coordination, implementation and monitoring of OOI’s communication strategies and work.

Main responsibilities of the consultant include but are not limited to:

• Multi-sector scoping and horizon scanning to inform creative and exceptional communication asset production and delivery
• Lead on the production of creative content for owned OOI communications channels and content including but not limited to web stories, one pager documents, opinion pieces etc.
• Provide first-round edits to ensure quality control of OOI communication assets, consistency in tone of voice, coherent messaging, and brand alignment
• Produce creative written content that sets apart OOI messaging in the development sector and effectively engages our audiences
• Support the development and implementation of communication strategies and associated work plans
• Act as a liaison between the Partnerships and Communication team and other teams across OOI to ensure communication strategies, campaigns and work are aligned with overall OOI brand and objectives
• Support with brand development, media relations and audience engagements.
• Lead on individual communication campaigns from conception to execution with minimal supervision.
• Develop and maintain relationships with communication counterparts in regional and country offices and systematically report on OOI collaborations
• Consistently and strategically showcase OOI collaboration with external partners, National Committees, HQ divisions, country and regional office colleagues
• Produce profile raising content in online communication and social media and assist in the maintenance of online platforms
• Lead on the development and execution of communication and advocacy tools (e.g., newsletters, websites, decks, posters, brochures, pamphlets) with the view to grow audience reach and engagement
• Contribute to a calendar of key moments, events and opportunities in collaboration with partnerships specialists and others
• Contribute to an editorial calendar of public engagement assets
• Work with technical teams to conceptualize and execute communication assets.
• Provide support to technical colleagues on creative production of data visualization and infographics for internal and external audiences.
• Support organizing and managing events, launches of publications, seminars and conferences, and workshops.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in relevant field ((Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or related areas) *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or related areas
• A strong track record of delivering products for external engagement and visibility
• Experience of working with Private Sector PR and communications teams and driving communications activity that delivers business benefit
• Significant experience working with print and broadcast media, preferably with a tech/innovation perspective
• Solid understanding of the role technology plays in the development and humanitarian sectors, as well as the UN system
• Understanding of UNICEF Innovation operating environment and priority partners
• Good management skills and the ability to deliver against multiple priorities and deadlines
• Knowledge of UNICEF Office of Innovation’s key messaging and focus areas (including data science, connectivity, open-source technology, working with start-ups and a range of other partners, and others)
• Ability to work with a diverse team in a rapidly changing work environment and adapt to unforeseen changes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to see the big picture and connect multiple story threads into one greater narrative
• Capacity to prioritize and manage a diverse range of partners, projects and activities
• Great interpersonal skills and the ability to unite fragmented, and occasionally opposing, teams and ideas
• Project management skills including task prioritization, budget monitoring, and results-driven strategies
• Good understanding of the media landscape and the multiple ways we can engage media partners
• Ability to quickly create reports/presentations in standard office software (Microsoft Office suite, Google docs, Keynote, etc.)
• Demonstrates a solution-focused approach to overcoming the challenges of working with multiple stakeholders and is able to find shared and mutual outcomes
• Consult others and shares expertise, know-how and ideas with colleagues for best results and proactively contributes ideas, approaches and insights that enable innovation
• Makes decisions within agreed parameters and is accountable for own actions
• Fluency in English. Competence in another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) preferred.

Payment details and further considerations

• • Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
  • Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance
  • Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA). To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.