Communications Specialist

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

As part of the Global Portfolios Office, UNOPS Geneva provides comprehensive solutions in secretariat hosting, operational support, and fund management. We manage global programmes, including the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) Portfolio, offering project management, procurement, HR, and financial services. Geneva hosts the secretariats of eight global partnerships focused on health (RBM, Stop TB, ATscale), nutrition (SUN), water/sanitation (SHF), humanitarian leadership (GELI), urban development (Cities Alliance), and disaster displacement (PDD). We also provide fund management for EIF and UN Water, and operational support to Geneva-based partners like the Global Fund and UNHCR. The EU-UNOPS Lives in Dignity (LiD) Grant Facility is also based here.

Water, Environment and Climate  (WEC)

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over USD 500 million (over the last 15 years) to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements,  such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Initiative for Climate Action Transparency

The Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) was created at the time of adoption of the Paris Agreement to help developing countries build transparency frameworks for effective, evidence-based climate policies and actions that can contribute to the global transformation required and help mobilize the financing and support to enable implementation. The Initiative works with over 80 developing countries ranging from large countries, like Nigeria, to small islands, such as Fiji.

ICAT provides countries with tailored support and practical tools and methodologies to build robust transparency frameworks needed for effective climate action in sync with national development priorities.  Through regional hubs and direct country engagement, the projects ICAT supports relate to:

●       Develop NDC tracking frameworks

●       Assess greenhouse gas and/or sustainable development impacts of sectoral policies

●       Build frameworks to analyze projections of greenhouse gas emissions and removals

●       Develop monitoring frameworks for just transitions

●       Develop the M&E adaptation actions

●       Build climate finance transparency frameworks; and/or

●     Aggregate or integrate greenhouse gas impacts of subnational and non-State actions

To support these areas, ICAT offers a suite of practical, open-source tools and methodologies to provide effective support to the transparency efforts of countries around the world.

ICAT is an unincorporated multi-stakeholder partnership steered by the Donor Steering Committee (DSC), confirmed by its donors, Austria; Canada; the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF); Germany; Ireland and Italy; and includes the UNFCCC Secretariat as the dedicated UN body with a climate change policy mandate, and UNOPS as an ex-officio member. The Initiative is hosted by UNOPS on behalf of the DSC. Within UNOPS, the ICAT Secretariat manages ICAT’s day-to-day activities, coordinating and guiding the work of the implementing partners.

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the ICAT Director, the Communications Specialist leads the development and delivery of communications activities to enhance the visibility, positioning and impact of ICAT. The incumbent contributes to communication planning, content creation, media engagement, digital outreach, and knowledge sharing, ensuring consistent, high-quality messaging across platforms. The role supports the ICAT Secretariat and Director, supervises a communications intern, engages external communications support and works collaboratively with teams and partners to ensure communications are strategic, integrated and aligned with ICAT’s goals.

Managing ICAT’s External communications:

• Managing all ICAT external communications, including the planning of all communication products, communication aspects of event and processes to develop ICAT’s messaging;

• Managing and monitoring the ICAT editorial calendar to ensure there is a constant flow of news and content for ICAT’s channels;

• Leading the content preparation for ICAT, ensuring quality, alignment with messaging, and sound drafting;

• Supporting and reviewing the drafting of material to ensure that key messages and content used in outreach material, statements by the ICAT Director and presentations highlight ICAT offers, achievements and impact;

• Leading the preparation of outreach material, such as regular newsletters, flyers, brochures, power-point presentations, etc.;

• Preparing outreach activities at key global and regional events, ensuring visibility and engagement with target audiences;

• Leading the preparation of ICAT webinars together with the substantive lead within the ICAT Secretariat to promote ICAT, in particular its tools and methodologies;

• Follow-up with partners through the planning and execution of integrated multi-channel communication (website, social media, email marketing, webinars, side events to global climate conferences, etc.);

• Advising on appropriate communication channels, dissemination methods and media such as video, print, web/online media, traditional media, and social media, among others, to effectively communicate key messages to specific stakeholders;

• Developing and maintaining ICAT branding guidelines for ICAT partners ensuring these are in line with the ICAT donor agreements and UNOPS corporate requirements;

• Managing timely response to external information requests;

• Preparing media releases and liaising with media for interviews, identifying opportunities and pitching stories as needed;

• Liaising with communications colleagues in the United Nations, especially the UNFCCC secretariat and UNOPS, to keep aligned with system-wide communications and campaigns and exchange information;

• Supporting partnership and relationships management with other initiatives and organizations;

• Supporting donor relationship management, by developing donor outreach material, advising on the fund-raising strategy and support its implementation;

Website:

• Leading the content preparation for ICAT website ensuring quality and alignment with main messaging;

• Ensure the ICAT website is kept up to date, and functional;

• Initiate upload of content to the ICAT website;

• Review the quality of the website and use website analytics to assess and improve the website as an ICAT channel;

Social media:

• Leading the preparation and implementation of an annual social media calendar. The calendar will ensure ICAT has a range of material to maintain its social media presence;

• Drafting or reviewing relevant content for Twitter and LinkedIn, and social media posts;

• Supporting the planning, implementation and assessment of social media campaigns, often in conjunction with ICAT’s partners;

• Following relevant content on Twitter and LinkedIn, alerting ICAT Secretariat colleagues when required;

• Use social media analytics to assess and improve performance and use of channels.

Management of retainers, vendors and consultants:

• Managing communications retainers and interns;

• Managing communications projects as needed, liaising with colleagues and coordinating with external providers, including writers and editors, to uphold high editorial and quality standards;

• Guiding in the scoping of copyediting and other communications-related projects, including estimating the cost and timeline.
  
  

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in journalism, communications, public information, business administration, management, social sciences, political science or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as professional experience at the international level in communications, media strategy, programme management, policy support, journalism, public information, or related fields.

• Experience in writing talking points for senior or high-level officials within strict deadlines is required.

• Experience in social media and monitoring impact is required.

• Experience in website management is required.

Desired

• Strong journalistic writing skills  from experience working in a media environment, studying, or on-the-job training is a strong advantage

• Ability to translate technical information and communicate it clearly is an asset

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
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