Junior Communication Officer – Editorial

Contract

This is a UNV International Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Youth contracts.

UNICEF is the leading organization promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child in South Asia and around the world. Working in partnership with host countries, UNICEF country offices, partners and donors, the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) continues to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of all vulnerable populations, especially children and adolescents. Communicating the situation of children and women in South Asia and highlighting the efforts of UNICEF and partners in the region is part of UNICEF’s mandate. As part of its robust communication efforts, ROSA regularly produces content and publications (including but not limited to: policy briefs, working papers, advocacy briefs, human interest stories, blogs, press releases, social media content, etc.) and organizes regional events and campaigns to advance its advocacy priorities, foster accountability, and mobilize resources. In addition, 2021 marks UNICEF’s 75th anniversary. ROSA has planned numerous activities, including high-level regional events and flagship publications, to commemorate this tremendous milestone and capitalize on this opportunity to advocate for better futures of every child in South Asia.

Compelling written materials are an integral part of UNICEF’s brand as well as its advocacy efforts, and as such, ROSA is committed in ensuring that its publications and other written materials are professionally crafted following the organization’s global communication guidelines and clearly understood, and that they resonate with their intended audience. The written materials are shared widely through ROSA’s social media channels and external website, and with regional and international media. Likewise, events and campaigns are cornerstone to engaging national governments, policy makers, youth, media and others in a meaningful manner and ensure tangible solutions to the issues faced by children and youth in the region.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Regional Chief of Communication or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Junior Communication Officer will:

• Writing, editing and quality control (70%) o Research UNICEF ROSA’s advocacy and communication priorities, and successes to regularly create high-quality written communication products and publications o Support and where needed lead the drafting of original advocacy and communication products (reports, web articles, blogs, press releases, policy briefs, human interest stories) as required. o Liaise with relevant colleagues at ROSA and with UNICEF HQ and Country Offices as required, to verify information, conduct interviews, fact-check stories and data and obtain clearances for their respective content. o Edit and proofread UNICEF ROSA reports, publications and advocacy briefs for concision, compelling language, and house style o Create and coordinate a blog calendar for the newly launched regional blog, Inside UNICEF South Asia, and liaise with UNICEF ROSA colleagues to secure and curate compelling new blog posts which reflect ROSA’s advocacy priorities o Edit and proofread digital content including web articles and blogs for concision, compelling language, and house style o Collate relevant multimedia (videos, photos and graphics) from UNICEF’s repositories to use with communication and advocacy products. o Ensure filing of working and cleared documents on the internal ROSA SharePoint site. o Coordinate closely with the UNICEF ROSA digital team to ensure new web and blog content is promoted through social media channels.

• Website Management (25%) o Serve as the backstop to support the Regional Communication Specialist with regular upkeep and updating of the UNICEF ROSA external website, including ensuring the website has up-to-date data and narratives which reflect the most recent concerns for children and humanitarian events in the region. o Regularly monitor UNICEF country office websites to update the ROSA website tracker with new stories, press releases and publications.

• Event and campaign support (5%) o Support the ROSA Communication section to conceptualize high-impact regional campaigns and events at the regional and country levels. . o Support the ROSA Communication as needed to design and roll-out regional campaigns.

o Professionalism: o Integrity: o Teamwork and respect for diversity: o Commitment to continuous learning: o Planning and organizing: o Communication: o Flexibility: o Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF South Asia’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

and/or demonstrated interested (up to two years) in the areas of communications or journalism, specifically in writing and editing in the English language.

o Experience in event and/or campaign management and support is an asset o Outstanding writing and editing skills in the English language, with demonstrated ability for logical and analytical writing o Strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills o Ability to work independently within deadlines and under pressure o Well organized and structured, good attention for detail o Strong drive for results, taking pride in delivering as per expectation in terms of quality and timeliness o Ability to synthesize complex documents into key messages and clear summary documents is desirable o Experience in drafting communication and advocacy reports and other documents from research or studies is desirable o Experience in conducting interviews for collecting information/case studies is desirable o Knowledge and understanding of UNICEF, the child rights agenda and the UN system is desirable o Experience working with UNICEF or other development organizations is a plus o Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; o Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging and multicultural environment o Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.), familiarity with database management and office technology equipment; o Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; o Sound security awareness;

The selected candidate is expected to report to the duty station as per Nepal’s and ROSA’s travel advisory during the COVID-19 pandemic. If travel restrictions exist, the UNV is expected to work remotely from his/her current place of residence. Upon arrival to duty station, the UNV will initially work remotely until the ROSA office authorizes mandatory reporting for all personnel to office while following COVID-19 safety protocols.

The duty station is Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal is a unique and diverse country and ROSA is a unique operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.