Communication Specialist

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for the economic, social, institutional, governance and policy aspects of FAO’s activities related to fisheries and aquaculture and their development, with particular emphasis on human well-being, food security and poverty reduction; post-harvest utilization, marketing and trade with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishery communities; collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best available and up-to-date fishery statistics and for the syndication of the FAO information on all aspects of world fisheries and aquaculture. The Division is also responsible for FAO’s activities related to the management and conservation of the living aquatic resources used by fisheries and aquaculture, including the biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable and threatened species and habitats; management of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in accordance with management standards and best practices; development of fisheries technology, with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishing communities, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels.

The Common Ocean II Programme consists of five projects\: two global projects, which promote more sustainable management of tuna and deep-sea fisheries, a third project that seeks to build capacity to improve cross sectoral collaboration and coordination on key common ocean issues at global level, and a fourth project that examines multi-sectoral governance (stewardship) in a pilot area, the Sargasso Sea. A fifth project ensures effective coordination, communication, partnerships, lesson learning and knowledge management between the other child projects and supports innovative financing initiatives for sustainable use of common ocean resources across the Programme (programme level focus). The post is located in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the Coordinator of the Common Oceans ABNJ Program and in close collaboration with the Common Oceans Senior Communications Consultant, the tuna and deep-sea project managers, and the OCC communications coordinator for NFI.

Technical Focus

The Communication Specialist will work closely with Common Oceans Program stakeholders and project management units to ensure that relevant communication, visibility and branding materials (such as project article and posts, newsletter, success stories, briefing notes, videos, project portfolio, etc.) are developed and disseminated through relevant media and network channels, and make sure they are aligned with the relevant strategy, guidelines and requirements of both donors and FAO.

Tasks and responsibilities

In close collaboration with Office of Communications (OCC) branches and appropriate Communication focal points, the incumbent will\:

• Support the implementation of the knowledge management and communication (KMC) activities specific to the Tuna, Deep-sea Fisheries and Global Coordination Projects of the Common Oceans Program, including the design and execution of KMC activity plans as well as the preparation, processing and dissemination of KMC materials and outputs foreseen in the project documents;
• Support the KMC efforts of the Common Oceans Program, including the implementation of the KMC strategy and activity plans, as well as the preparation, processing and dissemination of KMC materials, including necessary support to program level coordination of KMC activities among the child projects;
• Support the management of the knowledge management system of the Common Oceans program, including document repository functions, providing regular news updates and shared calendar management;
• Liaise with Common Ocean Program partners to gather requisite information and content for the above-mentioned KMC activities and products;
• Liaise with KMC service providers during the preparation of KMC materials;
• Liaise with KMC colleagues, the Common Oceans Senior Communications Consultant and the OCC Communications Coordinator for NFI, to ensure coherent and consistent messaging about the Common Oceans Program and its child projects in line with corporate policies and quality standards;
• Participate in the organization, execution and follow up of meetings and events and attend meetings and events where KMC efforts are discussed to provide inputs as needed, including the organisation of KMC working group meetings;
• In close collaboration with OCCI/CSI focal points and the NFI dedicated webmaster, support the content management of the dedicated websites for the Common Oceans Program, to ensure that they are up-to-date with new information and content.
• Document KMC efforts for reporting purposes and performance analyses and provide reporting input as required.
• Ensure, in collaboration with the NFI Publication Assistant, that all publications and documents to be disseminated via the FAO document repository are timely processed through the corporate Publications Workflow System (PWS), from their planning to production and dissemination. Work in constant contact with the Publishing Group at FAO and ensure that all corporate publishing standards are adhered to in publications and documents. Undertake other tasks as required and needed.
• Work in constant contact with the Publishing Group at FAO and ensure that all corporate publishing standards are adhered to in publications and documents.
• Perform other duties as required.

FAO Standards and guidelines\:

• Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
• All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including\:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31\: https\://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en
FAO social media policy and guidelines\: https\://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia
Social Media Branding Guidelines\: https\://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE https\://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en
FAO terminology http\://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names of Countries https\://www.fao.org/nocs/en   
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).
• Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in political science, international relations, international development, journalism, communications sciences, or the humanities, environmental law, marine sciences
• 5 years of relevant experience in journalism and/or communications in international organisations
• Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work
• Extent and relevance of experience in drafting articles, webstories and communication products
• Extent and relevance of experience in website and social media management
• Extent and relevance of experience in event support
• Familiarity with knowledge management

Selection Criteria

• Field experience working for media outlets and/or international organisations
• Experience with communicating technical project results and impacts
• Fisheries and marine policy related experience
• Experience and familiarity with communicating Global Environment Facility funded projects

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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