Project Specialist (Communication & Advocacy)

Volunteering Communications & PR Environment

Overview

Enhance visibility and stakeholder engagement for plastic waste management projects.

You have:

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in supporting communication, advocacy, public outreach, or knowledge management within development projects.
• Prior experience working with donor-funded projects, UN agencies, or international/national NGOs will be considered an asset, particularly in the areas of environmental communication, gender-responsive outreach, or circular economy.
• Experience in organizing campaigns, producing communication materials, coordinating with media, or managing digital content is desirable.
• Experience supporting stakeholder engagement, partnership building, and advocacy activities, preferably within plastic waste management or circular economy sectors.
• Ability to assist in developing communication and PR materials, and support the facilitation of gender-sensitive outreach, advocacy campaigns, and training sessions.
• Basic understanding of business models and market linkages for CMSMEs in the recycling sector is an advantage.
• Familiarity with contributing to research activities such as baseline studies, market assessments, and gender analyses, and assisting in translating findings into accessible advocacy and communication outputs.
• Strong organizational, coordination, and advocacy skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences and stakeholders effectively.
• Experience of working with NGOs/INGOs including the UN is desired.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement communication strategies and campaigns aligned with project goals.
• Familiarity with plastic waste policies, circular economy principles, and sustainability initiatives in Bangladesh.
• Experience working with digital communication platforms, CRM tools, and online stakeholder engagement systems.
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills with a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach to collaboration.

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

The UNDP Circularity Portfolio in Bangladesh is driving transformative change in plastic waste management through two key initiatives: the TCCF Plastics Circularity Project and the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP). Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the TCCF project promotes sustainable plastic waste management by establishing Circularity Hubs, engaging informal sector workers, supporting CMSMEs, and fostering gender-inclusive solutions to reduce environmental pollution. Complementing this effort, the NPAP supported by the World Economic Forum serves as a multi-stakeholder national platform to develop and implement a roadmap for transitioning to a circular plastics economy. Together, these projects advance Bangladesh’s commitment to reduce plastic leakage into nature, improve resource efficiency, and align with global sustainability goals through inclusive, data-driven, and locally grounded interventions.  

The TCCF Plastics Circularity Project aims to tackle plastic waste challenges across nine Asian countries, including Bangladesh, by promoting sustainable waste management and transitioning toward a circular economy. The project supports improved plastic collection, recycling, and reduced environmental leakage, ultimately contributing to public health, environmental protection, and inclusive green growth. 

The Bangladesh National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) is a multistakeholder platform that gathers government, academia, researchers, experts, industry, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil organizations in the efforts to resolve plastic pollution. NPAP serves as a catalyst to accelerate the development of waste management solutions that are based on circularity, maintaining the balance between economic growth and environmental preservation. 

The Project Specialist (Communication and Advocacy) will play a critical role in enhancing the visibility, strategic messaging, and stakeholder engagement of the TCCF Plastic Circularity Project in Bangladesh. Guided by the Project Manager-Circularity Portfolio, the Project Specialist will lead the development and implementation of communication strategies and advocacy campaigns that promote the project’s inclusive, gender-responsive, and systemic approach to circular plastic waste management.

Strategic Communication and Visibility :

• Support the development and implementation of the project’s Communication and Visibility Plan, aligned with the core pillars: circular economy, gender inclusion, private sector engagement, and environmental stewardship. • Assist in producing and disseminating diverse communication and PR campaign materials (e.g., brochures, posters, videos, infographics, social media content, press releases) to promote project outcomes and key messages. • Coordinate with vendors and service providers to ensure quality production and adherence to UNDP branding and accessibility standards. • Support national and local media engagement and help execute campaigns around global observances to boost visibility and public awareness.

Stakeholder Engagement, Advocacy, and Outreach :

• Contribute to the implementation of the project’s stakeholder engagement and partnership strategy by maintaining communication with government, private sector, CMSMEs, NGOs, and informal actors. • Support advocacy activities by preparing materials such as policy briefs, technical notes, and storytelling content that promote circular economy practices and plastic waste reduction. • Assist in the promotion of business models and market linkages for CMSMEs by developing success stories, visual narratives, and promotional content targeting investors, buyers, and local stakeholders. • Design and support gender-sensitive communication and outreach materials and campaigns that highlight the contributions, safety, and empowerment of women and marginalized groups in the plastic value chain.

Knowledge Communication and Digital Engagement :

• Translate project research (e.g., baseline studies, informal sector analysis, gender analysis) into accessible formats such as summaries, briefs, and infographics for broad dissemination. • Support the production and organization of knowledge-sharing events, community dialogues, roundtables, and learning forums to promote exchange of best practices. • Lead content development and user engagement materials for the promotion of the technology platform, including user guides, demo videos, and FAQs to onboard and retain users. • Assist in collecting and packaging human-interest stories, testimonials, and visuals to support evidence-based communication and learning.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Campaign Support :

• Track communication and advocacy efforts using key performance indicators, analytics, and feedback tools. • Contribute to quarterly and annual reports with updates on communication outputs, stakeholder engagement, and outreach achievements. • Collect field-level content including photos, videos, and quotes for use in donor reporting, newsletters, and campaign documentation. • Assist in the planning and execution of health and safety advocacy and community-level environmental stewardship campaigns, focusing on behavior change and public mobilization.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in supporting communication, advocacy, public outreach, or knowledge management within development projects.

• Prior experience working with donor-funded projects, UN agencies, or international/national NGOs will be considered an asset, particularly in the areas of environmental communication, gender-responsive outreach, or circular economy.

• Experience in organizing campaigns, producing communication materials, coordinating with media, or managing digital content is desirable.

• Experience supporting stakeholder engagement, partnership building, and advocacy activities, preferably within plastic waste management or circular economy sectors.

• Ability to assist in developing communication and PR materials, and support the facilitation of gender-sensitive outreach, advocacy campaigns, and training sessions.

• Basic understanding of business models and market linkages for CMSMEs in the recycling sector is an advantage.

• Familiarity with contributing to research activities such as baseline studies, market assessments, and gender analyses, and assisting in translating findings into accessible advocacy and communication outputs.

• Strong organizational, coordination, and advocacy skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences and stakeholders effectively.

• Experience of working with NGOs/ INGOs including the UN is desired. 

• Experience building and managing partnerships with government agencies, private sector actors, NGOs, and informal sector stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to design and implement communication strategies and campaigns aligned with project goals.

• Familiarity with plastic waste policies, circular economy principles, and sustainability initiatives in Bangladesh.

• Experience working with digital communication platforms, CRM tools, and online stakeholder engagement systems.

• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills with a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach to collaboration.

Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh along the Buriganga River. Not only is it the capital city, but it is also the largest in the country. It is the centre of political, cultural, and economic life in Bangladesh. The official language is Bengali, while English is the working language of UN Agencies. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen the modernization of services, communications, and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation; this has reportedly made Dhaka one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Good English-speaking medical, dental services, and educational centres are available for internationals. Dhaka is connected to other cities by rail, road, and by air and internationals can move easily from one city to another.

Dhaka has venerable green spaces, including many gardens and parks, historical places, and nice restaurants. The weather is tropical - hot and very humid during the summer monsoon season (April-September) and drier and cooler in the winter (October-March).

Historically, Bangladesh has been a safe country for internationals so far. While Dhaka is not categorized as a hardship station, the volunteer should be prepared for limitations in freedom of movement on foot, by public transport, and to certain locations. Provide brief description of relevant living conditions in duty station, for example, security situation, access and air travel, climate, cultural awareness such as dress code and alcohol use, cost of living, accommodation options, availability of food, water, and electricity, medical facilities, banking facilities, communications infrastructure, among others.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”

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Potential interview questions

Added 10 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: unv.org