Communications Specialist Contractor

UNOPS is the operational arm of the United Nations, supporting partners in implementing peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects. We help people build better lives by providing expertise in infrastructure, procurement, project management, and human resources.

Our Global Portfolios deliver multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development and climate action. Working from hubs in Geneva, New York, and Vienna, we collaborate closely with the UN family and international partners to provide essential services in the world’s most challenging environments.

Based in Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the 2030 Agenda by hosting flagship initiatives and providing high-level fund management, oversight, and operational support to UN agencies and global partners.

As a strategic resource for the UN system, the Geneva Office provides cost-effective, results-oriented management solutions to a wide range of global health, nutrition, and environmental initiatives. It is also home to the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Regional Office.

UNOPS Geneva Office is providing support to a wide range of portfolios, including UNEP, UNICEF, UNHCR, and other partners.

The Communication Team is a lean, multidisciplinary unit located in the Digital Inclusion section and supports the work of UNICEF’s Digital Impact Division. The team is led by a Communication and Advocacy Manager (P4) with three P3-level roles; Communication Specialist, Multi-media Specialist and Engagement Specialist. The team members operate as both a functional communication unit as well as individually being part of multiple matrixed project teams, which include Giga, Digital Inclusion and Digital Impact Division deliverables.

Team members are expected to be able to deliver quality, hands-on communication outputs themselves. This unit is also expected to establish and maintain an array of vendors and individuals covering specialties needed on various contractable modalities, and to exercise effective and cost-efficient contracting and project management if/when this additional capacity is used. These roles are Geneva-based and team members are expected to be in the office multiple days a week. 

Under the supervision and general guidance of the Communication and Advocacy Manager, the Communication Specialist Contractor (collaborating with the Multi-media Specialist where relevant), will be responsible for:

• Co-develop and continuously refine a content and audience strategy aligned to communication objectives, with primary responsibility for delivering its editorial components. Support strategic positioning through clear narrative development, targeted audience engagement, and informed communications, ensuring cohesion between technical outputs, advocacy positioning, and audience-friendly communication that articulates impact and innovation.

• End-to-end delivery of communication products, particularly editorial products and narrative components across communication products, with strong AI integration and vendor orchestration. Manage the full production lifecycle (scoping, drafting, design, iteration, approval, and final delivery) ensuring timelines and quality standards (e.g. UNICEF Stylebook) are consistently met.

• Optimization through AI-augmented execution is expected, through smart use of AI tools as a standard part of daily work across writing, editing translation, and content repurposing, applying human effort to maintain quality, voice, etc . Develop and maintain practical AI-enabled workflows (prompt libraries, templates, automation pipelines) that enhance team productivity. Stay current with emerging tools and apply them pragmatically to improve execution quality, efficiency and effectiveness.

• Project and workflow management and performance monitoring: Manage multiple communication workstreams simultaneously, ensuring coordination across stakeholders, clear timelines, and delivery against priorities. Track progress across outputs and proactively resolve bottlenecks to maintain momentum in a fast-paced environment. Execute content distribution across channels (e.g. reports, documents, websites, physical collateral, presentation materials, event materials, social media etc), ensuring outputs reach intended audiences in a timely and effective manner. Monitor and report performance metrics (such as but not limited to engagement, reach, influence, change) contributing to continuous monitoring and optimization, using performance insights to refine execution approaches and improve future outputs.

The contract will be valid until 31 December 2026, and may be extended depending on both performance and funding availability.

1. Writing, Content Development & Editorial Delivery: Contribute to and execute to the editorial calendar, produce and edit high-quality content across formats, including presentation decks, donor materials, policy documents, web content, high-level talking points, partner/resource mobilization communications, and social media outputs. Translate complex technical material—connectivity systems, infrastructure financing, procurement approaches, and related infrastructure such as electricity and compute—into clear, concise, and audience-appropriate language.

2. Audience Strategy and CRM-Driven Engagement: Support the development and implementation of an audience strategy to support various pillars of work (e.g. tech advocacy, finance, contracting etc.) and products (e.g. ATLAS, Meter etc.) Drive the development of compelling product messaging that communicates features, benefits, and value propositions to target audiences. Use CRM tools to enable segmented, targeted, and personalised content delivery across key stakeholder groups. Adapt content across formats and channels, maintaining consistency while tailoring outputs to specific audiences and use cases.

3. Vendor & Resource Management: Source, onboard, and manage external vendors and consultants to support communication delivery. Maintain a roster of vetted providers across key specialisations (e.g. design, video, layout), including cost-effective options through country offices and existing UNICEF mechanisms. Manage external production end-to-end—briefing, iteration, quality assurance, and delivery—and provide clear, actionable feedback to ensure outputs meet required editorial, visual, and multimedia standards, including performance of the assets.

4. Brand Coherence and Voice: Contribute to and maintain the identity (narrative, voice) and brand systems across Digital Inclusion outputs — spanning Giga, DI, and DID — including co-branded materials with ITU and other institutional partners. Review programme team outputs to enforce brand standards and ensure consistency, tonal alignment, and coherence with global positioning across all channels.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in a relevant field (e.g., journalism, media, marketing, social sciences, international relations, economics, or specific technical areas) plus a minimum of five years of professional work experience. 

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's) combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.

Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in media, journalism, communications, public relations, or related in private sector/ multilateral / organizations operating on a global/international basis is required.

• Proven ability to execute end-to-end communication outputs independently and strong examples of effective editorial, multimedia, audio-visual products. 

• Demonstrated practical experience using AI tools across communication workflows (e.g. writing, editing, design, video, translation, automation). 

• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines. Experience managing external vendors or consultants, including briefing, feedback, and quality assurance.

• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical topics into clear, accessible content. Experience using CMS, social media and other relevant distribution platforms. Fluency in English is required. Additional UN languages will be considered an asset.

Desired:

• Experience in international development, infrastructure, technology, or policy environments.

• Knowledge of communication best practices, including SEO principles.

• CRM familiarity (Salesforce, HubSpot, or equivalent) for audience segmentation and targeted content.

• Demonstrated experience in working collaboratively and respectfully within multinational, multicultural work environments engaging effectively with colleagues at all levels, in alignment with UNICEF Core Values and Digital Impact Division & Digital Inclusion Values.

• 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.