Full-time Individual Contractor (11.5 months; home-based with travel): Communication Consultant - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), Geneva, Switzerland

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, an advocate

Purpose of the Activity/Assignment

ECARO seeks to hire a communication consultant to support the Communication team in developing communication strategies and plans, creation of compelling content (especially for youth engagement) and also in the day-to-day management of various communication projects. The consultancy will lead the development and implementation of the communication strategies and plans for Connecting flagship result and communication activities to highlight the impact of climate change on youth and children in the region.

Scope of Work

The consultant will support the planning, development and implementation of dynamic, interactive and meaningful communication and content strategies and campaigns; assist the Communication Specialist and Program colleagues in the creation and coordination of key social media campaigns; and help coordinate digital marketing, influencer and digital partnership engagement, monitoring and analysis, and moderation of platforms.

The consultant will:

• Lead the project management of Connecting and Climate communication activities.
• Develop communication strategies for youth engagement and climate communication activities, craft key messages, develop communication plans.
• Manage content plans and coordinate social media engagement initiatives, including but not limited to the use of “live” coverage and activations on platforms, youth takeovers, user-generated content calls to action, etc.
• Support in digital and social media editorial planning and processes with relevant colleagues working in the areas of digital marketing, influencer engagement and management of UNICEF Europe and Central Asia social media channels.
• Work with graphic designer or videographer as needed to produce digital content, incl visuals and infographics for social and websites.
• Assist with the monitoring and moderation of social media channels, flagging risk and opportunities to deepen engagement, including some out of hours/weekend shifts and during emergencies.
• Support other teams in the regional office and in country office on their day-to-day social media efforts, with a special focus around the Regional Flagship Results areas.
• Help the Communication team in ECARO to measure and report on social and digital media efforts, monitoring also the KPIs related to young audiences following our social channels and visiting our websites.
• Identify new opportunities to continually improve our presence across digital platforms to deepen engagement with supporters, particularly young people.
• Identify user generated content that might resonate for potential collaboration with digital influencers (especially young people).
• Help keep track of efforts and activities of other UN agencies and non-profits, identifying content to be amplified and shared on ECA regional channels.
• Perform other communication and content duties as required and agreed upon with supervisor.

Youth engagement

• Support the Connecting Regional Flagship Result team by leading the communication activities, as well as by providing comms inputs for briefings and presentations at key meetings.
• Work with the ECARO Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) team to provide comms support for promotion and scaling up of online and offline regional models and packages for learning-to-earning transitions, climate actions and innovations in youth mental health – all with strong focus on social media platforms.
• Support the ECARO ADAP team with provision of communication guidance and oversight, as well as communication capacity building of key youth engagement partners as part of the Ukraine emergency response.
• Contribute to preparation of the ADAP monthly Youth in Europe Bulletin, by designing the layout and coordinating, as needed, with teams in Ukraine emergency response countries and implementing partners to gather relevant comms inputs.
• Work with the U-Report Europe team to produce promotional materials and messaging for social media and contribute to formulation and promotion of youth polls.

Climate

• Develop and implement a communication strategy to help increase awareness and profile of climate change impact on young people and children.
• Work with Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction teams to ensure consistent and effective communication activities across these topics.
• Identify opportunities and ensure synergies between youth engagement and climate communication

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / DeadlineStrategies and communication plans for Youth Engagement and Climate themesDevelop communication strategies and prepare key messages and narratives to help deliver on strategic objectives for regional youth engagement and climate themesOngoingProvision of editorial content for website and social media on topics of youth engagement and climateProvide Communication team with social media packages (in agreement with Programs) and editorial content to raise awareness of the issuesCreation of web pages and social media postingProvide support to the Communication section with editorial content, website management and social media channels management as neededBrief graphic designers and videographersPrepare briefings for graphic designers and videographers, ensuring branding guidelines are respectedStrategic communication support through online community managementIdentification of user-generated content and online trends to engage with young people active on social platforms in the region and propose engagement plans; identify potential risks of online community engagement and propose crisis plansMonitoring and ReportingSupport the team by providing regular reports on insights related to engaging with UNICEF content and propose actions when neededAdaptation of content for young audiencesDaily adaptation and dissemination of digital content for social and websiteTactical support for ad hoc projectsSupport project management of standalone initiatives with focus around youth engagement and climate result areas (audience: young people)Moderation of social media channelsAssist in the moderation of social media channelsStrategic communication guidance and oversight for ADAP and Climate teamsActive participation in social media strategy, editorial meetings, campaign planning, capacity buildingCommunication support for the production of Youth in Europe bulletin and U-Report EuropeContribute to the design and layout of Youth in Europe Bulleting and U-Report Europe promotional materials lead by ADAP teamEstimated Duration of the Contract

11.5 months (December 2022 - November 2023)

Individual Contractor's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based. The Individual Contractor is required on a full-time basis for the period of the contract.

The Individual Contractor will travel for content gathering and will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed per the rules & regulations related to travel of Individual Contractors.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/Individual Contractors apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
• The individual contractor must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of a monthly invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate an all inclusive fixed monthly fee in USD to undertake this assignment.

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

• Bachelor's in Communication, Media Sciences, International Studies or a related field.
• 6+ years’ experience working in communication or fundraising in NGOs or International Organizations.
• 5+ years’ experience working on digital media content.
• Proven ability to write tight social copy on constant deadlines.
• Strong writing, copy-editing and storytelling skills.
• Familiar with social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok (other channels are a plus).
• Strong creative disposition and understanding of what’s ‘shareable’ online.
• Experience of driving results through innovation.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities within specified timeframes.
• Experience in writing content for websites (human interest stories, field diaries, press releases).
• Understanding of digital marketing and fundraising strategies a plus.
• Must have excellent command of English. Working knowledge of Russian and/or French are a plus.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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 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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and monthly rate (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a monthly rate will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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