Communications Associate

In Latin America and the Caribbean, UNOPS operates across 23 countries, delivering high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure—including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing—to enhance quality of life and foster inclusive growth. UNOPS also supports public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development stakeholders, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.

The Barbados Country Office (CO) functions as a strategic hub to support Caribbean nations in implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), helping regional leaders advance a global agenda on climate justice and financing.  The primary mandate of the Barbados Country Office is to Speed Up and Scale Up engagements across 17 Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), ensuring that partner expectations are met with agility and precision. Through dedicated operational presence, UNOPS Barbados Country Office streamlines complex regional logistics and fosters stronger collaboration with sovereign governments and financial institutions in the Caribbean. The office focuses on delivering high-value solutions aligned with the region’s priorities, including the economy, nature and climate, human capital, infrastructure and capacity development.

The Communications Associate contributes to developing and implementing communication efforts to enhance UNOPS’ visibility and reputation. The position is responsible for creating and editing a wide range of content, including web stories, press releases and social media posts, ensuring all materials align with corporate style and partner requirements. The  incumbent also supports external communications and media relations, helping to coordinate events and campaigns. The Communications Associate is a proactive professional who can manage content production, assist with communications planning, and provide essential administrative support related to communication plans.

Communications Implementation and Visibility

• Assist in identifying opportunities to strengthen visibility and outreach nationally, regionally and globally.
• Ensure communication deliverables meet partner/donor visibility requirements and UNOPS guidelines.
• Support the implementation of project communication strategies and stakeholder mapping.
• Contribute to crafting project narratives aligned with UNOPS corporate style.

Content Development and Production

• Draft, edit and proof-read communication materials: web stories, newsletters, press releases, reports and social-media content.
• Support production of multi-media products (infographics, videos, photos), ensuring message consistency.
• Coordinate communication inputs for events, workshops and campaigns.
• Serve as a focal point for internal communications queries. 

External Communication and Media Outreach

• Support messaging that enhances UNOPS and project positioning at the national/ regional level.
• Assist in managing media relations.
• Support crisis and reputation communication where needed.
• Contribute to the production of outreach materials and press interactions.

Documentation and Administrative support

• Assist in developing Terms of Reference (ToRs) and technical specifications for the procurement of communication services.
• Prepare requisitions, payment requests, and maintain inventories of materials.
• Support gender-responsive communication activities and related reporting.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on communications topics.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned from communications project implementation, 
• Conduct research on communication-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in communications, journalism, or digital and social media communications is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in communications, public relations, media, journalism or related fields.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
• Experience in developing and monitoring content for grassroots-level audiences is desired.
• Experience in use of graphic design, video production, and content creation tools is desired.

• 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.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.