Communications Officer

Organization  :  Under a special arrangement between UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Supervisor  :  Joint Secretary, DoEPwD and concerned Directors for day-to-day operations

Duty Station :  New Delhi

India was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). In keeping with this international commitment, the Indian Parliament recently enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. One of the strong mandates in this law is on the issue of accessibility. It calls for all public buildings to be accessible and all existing buildings to be made accessible within 5 years of the law coming into force. It requires standards to be formulated for accessibility of the physical environment, transportation, information and communications technology, etc.

The Accessible India Campaign (Suraya Bharat Abhiyaan) - the Prime Minister’s flagship campaign on universal access is intrinsically linked to the successful realization of the rights enshrined in the new law. The Campaign, that covers both the built environment and ICT, aims to make 50 government buildings across 26 cities, and 25 government buildings across 24 cities accessible. Towards this, access audits have been undertaken in the identified cities and buildings are being retrofitted.

Accessibility to the built environment, media, information, transport, etc. for persons with disabilities is not just a right in itself, but also pivotal to the realization of all other rights. The CRPD, under Article 3 (General Principles) lays down accessibility as one of its guiding principles and Article 9 further reinforces it.

Goal 3 of the Incheon Strategy to Make the Right Real for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (2013-2022) mandates enhancing access to the physical environment, public transportation, knowledge, information and communication for persons with disabilities. India is a signatory to this Strategy.

UN in India, as part of its strategic priority on inclusion, is collaborating with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to provide technical support towards the implementation, management, and monitoring of the Accessible India Campaign, and the operationalization of the new Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.

As part of this support, UN in India is looking for dynamic individuals for the position of Communication Officer.

• Support the formulation and implementation of communications strategies on the Accessible India Campaign and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016;
• Support content development and updating of websites pertaining to the Accessible India Campaign, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, among others;
• Support the mainstreaming of gender in the communications strategy of the Accessible India Campaign, as well as ensure a focus on and priority to persons with disabilities from marginalized and vulnerable groups;
• Support the design and execution of online, social media and offline outreach campaigns;
• Support the development of communications and outreach products, including print, audio-visual, web-based, etc., as and when required;
• Identify and put in place an efficient system for documenting communication material/products;
• Coordinating with partner ministries and State governments;
• Establishing linkages with relevant partners, including government ministries and departments, academia, and civil society;
• Drafting notes, reports, presentation and any other documents related to the above-mentioned activities
• Help with editing and other requests as needed;
• Provide a monthly self-assessment report to the supervisor;
• Performing any other related tasks, as assigned by the Department.

Functional Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Sound technical skills
• Sound knowledge of online and social media strategies and tools
• Experience of web content management systems
• Familiarity with designing and photo editing software’s
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work

Core Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards
• Positive, constructive attitude to work

• Master’s degree in mass communication, journalism, media, social sciences or related field.

• At least 3 years of professional experience in media, journalism, research and communication;
• Extensive, hands on experience of developing and managing communications strategy;
• Previous experience of working on Government of India’s awareness campaigns is desirable.

• Proficiency in spoken and written English. A good command over Hindi is desirable.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.