Communication Manager, NOC, TA, Ankara, Türkiye #135733 (Chief of Communications) (6 months)

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

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.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, hope

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child.
And we never give up.

The UNICEF Türkiye Country Office is seeking a Chief of Communications to lead its external communication, advocacy, and public engagement portfolio.

As Chief of Communications, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a communication and advocacy strategy that positions UNICEF as a trusted voice for children and young people in Türkiye. You will manage media relations, build strategic partnerships, lead creative campaigns, and oversee a dynamic team to deliver impactful communication initiatives aligned with UNICEF’s global priorities.

 Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

• Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of the country communication and advocacy strategy, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s mission and priorities.
• Oversee media engagement and maintain strong relationships with national and international journalists, influencers, and media platforms.
• Build and sustain strategic partnerships with government counterparts, civil society, the private sector, and the UN Country Team.
• Coordinate campaigns and special events, including the adaptation and rollout of global advocacy initiatives.
• Provide strategic communication guidance to senior management and programme teams.
• Manage the communications team, including planning, budgeting, performance management, and professional development.
• Ensure the quality, accuracy, and consistency of UNICEF Türkiye’s public messaging and brand representation.

For more detailed information about the role, please visit the full job description here.

Full Job Description - Chief Communications.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child, you will have:

• An advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or a related field. (Or an undergraduate degree plus at least 12 years of demonstrated professional experience in the field of journalism, communications, external relations, public affairs, public relations or corporate communications.)
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in communication, media relations, public affairs, or advocacy, print, broadcast, and/or new media.
• A minimum of five years of experience in leading communication strategies for private sector companies or foundations
• Fluency in English and Turkish (both oral and written) is required.
• Knowledge of current communication trends, media environments, and public engagement in Türkiye.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates with a disability are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

UNICEF, for every child

UNICEF works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere.