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Generic Vacancy Announcement: UNICEF is recruiting for Communication and Advocacy Specialists based in multiple locations

Closing Date: 20 December 2024

Generic Vacancy Announcement: UNICEF is recruiting for Communication and Advocacy Specialist based in multiple locations

Background

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. UNICEF is a place where careers are built: UNICEF offer its staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission.

Overview

UNICEF is excited to announce the launch of a Generic Vacancy Announcement (GVA) for the Communication and Advocacy Talent Group (Communication and Advocacy Specialists) at the P-4 level. GVAs serve as a strategic tool to attract and identify highly qualified candidates for inclusion in Talent Groups (TGs). Talent Groups are exclusive rosters of pre-assessed experts that enable UNICEF offices globally to efficiently fill vacancies with top-tier professionals. By applying to this Generic Vacancy Announcement, candidates have the opportunity to join a Talent Group, which is a key step in being considered for exciting career opportunities with UNICEF.

UNICEF is seeking people in the Communication and Advocacy sector at the mid-level (P4) to work in the field, regional and HQ locations. UNICEF aims to be the leading advocate for children, enabled by a cohort of networked, strategic, innovative, and effective advocates who deliver change for children in every part of the world.   

How can you make a difference?

Communication and Advocacy are at the center of UNICEF’s mandate. UNICEF advocate to decision makers for ‘the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential’. UNICEF communicates to key public and private audiences to build support for the cause of children. The Communication and Advocacy Specialist Manager reports to the Senior Adviser or Chief of Section, who is at Level 5, or Representative.

Purpose of the job:

The P4 Communication and Advocacy Manager is accountable for managing the communication and advocacy strategies and implementation. This includes: 

  • the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of integrated communication and advocacy strategies to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people.
  • the effective deployment of public channels and private relationships to mobilize public and private resources for children including through UNICEF, with appropriate recognition and visibility strategies. 
  • using traditional and digital media and key partnerships to build awareness of and support for child rights and UNICEF’s mission, priorities and programmes.
  • working with children and young people to empower them as agents of change.

Summary of key functions

  1. Advocacy strategy development  
  2. Advocacy strategy implementation 
  3. Communication strategy development and implementation 
  4. Digital strategy
  5. Media relations 
  6. Crisis communication and humanitarian advocacy
  7. Communication and Advocacy M&E
  8. Team building, project and budget management
  9. Communication and Advocacy capacity building
  10. Stakeholder engagement
  11. Others

The staff member will lead and manage a team to design and coordinate effective, integrated communication and advocacy strategies, through the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages. S/he will work collaboratively with colleagues across UNICEF at country, regional and global level, as well build alliances or coalitions with external partners to drive changes in policy and practice, and secure political and financial commitments for children. Duties include: 

  1. Advocacy strategy development:  
  • Manage every element of the advocacy strategy process, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, from defining advocacy outcomes, power analysis, and developing a clear theory of change to win the support of decision makers and mobilize key constituencies.  
  1. Advocacy strategy implementation:   
  • Drive the implementation of advocacy strategies and plans, working across teams to ensure all strands of the strategy are progressed and mutually reinforcing, for example: data, policy, media, public mobilization, events, and partnerships. Supervise the development of cogent and compelling advocacy and campaign narratives, and the delivery of creative campaign tactics. 
  1. Communication strategy development and implementation:  
  • Design effective communication plans that will deliver the aims of key advocacy strategies and help to mobilize public and private support for the cause of children. Key to this is strategic inclusive content creation and dissemination for UNICEF’s various audiences. 
  • Supervise the implementation of these plans, ensuring they are delivering against agreed outcomes and always in keeping with UNICEF’s mandate.  
  1. Digital strategy:  
  • Develop a comprehensive digital strategy and lead and manage the Office’s communication and advocacy team responsible for the day-to-day conceptualization, budgeting, planning, coordination, execution and digital content creation, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of digital initiatives and integrated advocacy campaigns for key audiences. 
  1. Media relations:  
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web, etc. – to ensure we can build public awareness of and support for UNICEF and the cause of children. 
  1. Crisis communication and humanitarian advocacy: 
  • Manage and minimize threats to UNICEF’s brand and reputation. 
  • Manage communications during sudden onset emergencies where UNICEF is set to deliver (is delivering) support. 
  • Build capacity of team/region/country on crisis comms best practice  
  • Collaborate with key stakeholders across UNICEF and with external partners to identify key advocacy priorities and outcomes, and advance strategic humanitarian advocacy in line with UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action. 
  1. Communication and Advocacy M&E:  
  • Supervise the development of a clear communication and advocacy M&E framework: setting baselines against which results are regularly monitored; conducting analysis to continuously improve the effectiveness of the strategy, approach and activities; and overseeing the production and dissemination of M&E results. 
  1. Team building, project and budget management:  
  • Provide a protective, nurturing environment for the team – in line with UNICEF’s highest ethical standards and values; respond appropriately to ethical issues and complaints of abuse of authority, bullying and harassment.  
  • Ensure project management coherence in the activities of the team, conveying strategic priorities and setting clear deliverables.  
  • Manage inclusive teams featuring a variety of communication and advocacy professionals, to drive and deliver strategic communication and advocacy initiatives.  
  • Support mobilizing resources for undertaking advocacy and communication. Ensure effective and transparent management of budget and resources.  
  1. Communication and Advocacy capacity building:  
  • Contribute to building internal UNICEF capacities in advocacy and communication, through coaching, training and sharing of expertise. 
  1. Stakeholder engagement:  
  • Provide strategic direction for partnerships and networks through proactive collaboration with internal and external partners.  
  • Partners will include key internal stakeholders, other UN entities, influencers, youth ambassadors, goodwill ambassadors, academics, business leaders and other public and private sector partners.  
  • Ensure that effective communication and advocacy strategies and plans are co-created with partners, to leverage their power to contribute to UNICEF’s goals.   
  • Ensure that feedback from key stakeholders is incorporated into strategy design, implementation and team learning. 
  1. Others:  
  • Undertake additional activities as required

To qualify you need to meet the following minimum requirements:

Education:

  • An Advanced University degree is required in one of the following fields: International Relations, Political Science, International Development, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Communication or related fields, or 
  • A first level university degree (Bachelor’s) in a relevant field, in conjunction with two additional years of relevant work experience in advocacy, campaigning or a related field may be taken in lieu of an Advanced University degree. 

Work Experience:

  • At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in advocacy/ campaigning and communication is required.  
  • Experience in leading the development and implementation of communication and advocacy strategies, with clear theories of change, specific, measurable and timebound objectives, and performance indicators. 
  • A track record of achieving or contributing to tangible policy change. 
  • Proven experience in deploying a range of communication and advocacy tactics based on a clear theory of change. 
  • Experience in building strong relationships with traditional and social media entities and using media relations and channels to engage public audiences.   
  • Experience in leading the development, implementation and monitoring of digital strategies.  
  • Experienced and current in digital and social media content and audience trends as well as in managing online platforms and channels. 
  • Experience in building and maintaining a network of stakeholders, and in working with coalitions. 
  • Strong communicator with emphasis on being able to present complex policy ideas in succinct, engaging ways through campaign narratives and creative tactics.  
  • Experience in managing a team is a requirement, along with a proven commitment to diverse and inclusive recruiting process. Experience managing a multicultural team is an asset. 
  • Demonstrated experience in design and management of projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results. 
  • Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues. 
  • Experience in crisis communications and/or humanitarian advocacy is an asset. 
  • Experience in advocacy at the international level is an asset. 
  • Experience in training and facilitation is an asset. 
  • Experience working in a developing and emergency environment is an asset. 

Language requirements:

  • Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

  • Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
  • Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
  • Works Collaboratively with others (2)
  • Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
  • Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
  • Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
  • Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
  • Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

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Ednah Carrick

Ednah Carrick is a passionate editor and writer with an interesting in helping people with global opportunities.

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