Communication Specialist (Media & Advocacy, Donor Visibility), NOC, Lebanon Beirut (Fixed Term Appointment)

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, a champion

The Communication Specialist is accountable for developing, managing, coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office/regional office/media hub, and at a global level and those of the UN Country Team.

How can you make a difference?

1.Communication strategy:

•Develop, maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan  include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.
•UNICEF’s rights- and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products.
•Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

2.Media relations:

•Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by carrying out media, information and education activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
•Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.
•Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.
•Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.
•Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.
•Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
•Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
•Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

3.Networking and partnerships:

•Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.
•Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.
•Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.
•Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
•Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.

4.Celebrities and special events:

•Develop, maintain and update celebrities contact list/database.
•Help establish, document, review and refine process of working with celebrities, including special events, media opportunities, field trips etc.
•Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc. including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

5.Global priorities and campaigns:

•Support the UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.
•Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective  programme activities and results.
•Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

6.Resource mobilization support:

•Mobilize country office communication capacity to support/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fund-raising.
•Mobilize resources for fund-raising support by regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

7.Management:

•Develop a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.
•Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.
•Identify, recruit and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary. Conduct and Implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.
•Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

8.Monitoring and evaluation:

•Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.
•Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.
•Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings with country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s communication work.

9.Capacity building and support:

•Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.
•Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.
•Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.
•Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.

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

- Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations.
(Or an undergraduate degree plus at least 8 years of demonstrated professional experience in the field of journalism, communications, external relations, public affairs, public relations or corporate communications.)
- Five years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and/or new media.
- Field work experience. Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.
- Fluency in English and Arabic. French is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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.

Remarks:

Candidates will not be considered if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Opening Date Wed Jul 25 2018 09:00:00 GMT+0300 (Middle East Daylight Time) Middle East Daylight Time
Closing Date Sun Aug 12 2018 23:55:00 GMT+0300 (Middle East Daylight Time)