Communication/Public Information Officer

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Communication/Public Information Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Direct supervision is normally exercised by the Snr. Communications/PI Officer who provides guidance on the applicable procedures. Advice may also be provided by relevant functional units at HQ. The incumbent may supervise some support staff. Contacts are predominantly with persons on subject matters of importance to Organization's programmes (e.g. counterparts in other organizations or at working level in national Governments).

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- UNHCR's media relations and advocacy work within geographic and thematic areas of specializations are actively maintaining the organization's standing with media and audiences.

Responsibility

- Assist in developing and implement communications strategies, campaigns, events and other initiatives in support of UNHCR's strategic objectives.
- Assist in researching, preparing fact-checking, editing, and producing professional media and communications materials for various audiences and ensure their timely dissemination via UNHCR's communications channels.
- Act as a spokesperson for UNHCR, if so designated by the supervisor, organizing press events, handling interviews requests, and providing responses to requests from media relating to UNHCR and its work.
- Provide considered professional communications advice to Representative and senior staff of UNHCR as needed.
- Undertake missions and field trips with media and other official visitors in support of UNHCR and its work.
- Actively maintain media relations for UNHCR, ensuring that media (and other important external stakeholders, such as governments, embassies, NGOs etc.) are briefed regularly on issues of importance to UNHCR, and have access to information and UNHCR expertise.
- Assist in preparation of communications budgets.
- Perform other duties as required.

Authority

- Represent UNHCR in press events, interviews and other media events.
- Authorize expenditures against communication budgets.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Journalism, International Relations, Communications, Political Science or similar relevant field.
- Minimum of 6 years of relevant job experience at professional level in progressively responsible functions related to UNHCR and/or any other humanitarian agency on promotional activities of the agency.
- General understanding of UN/UNHCR reforms and the priority agenda of the organization.
- Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint essential).
- Excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.

- Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.
(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of UN working language of duty station and working knowledge of English.)
***For National Officer positions, very good knowledge of local language and local institutions is essential.
- Highly developed drafting ability in the UN working language of the duty station.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Completion of UNHCR Learning Programmes or specific training relevant to functions of position.
- High IT affinity with specific focus on preparation of website/pages.
- Knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X002L3 - Innovation and Creativity Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3

Before applying to this position, we strongly encourage colleagues to read the country specific FAQs information leaflets which can be found  on the Intranet under Staff Resources > Duty of Care. The information leaflets are specifically designed to answer some of the key questions potential applicants might have before deciding to apply. 

Under the direct supervision of the Representative, the PI/Communications Officer will manage the overall Public Information campaign for the Iraq Operation.  He/she will promote UNHCR mandate, objectives and priorities in the social media, and will deal with international and local press.  The incumbent is expected to have sound PI/Communications knowledge and proven experience of at least 3 years in the United Nations, have external relations skills, donor relations and experience in UNHCR programmes.
Given the multi-faceted interaction with external and internal interlocutors, the incumbent needs to be a good team player and have strong inter-personal skills. Prior experience in the Middle East will be prioritized during the selection process.  Fluency in Arabic is desirable. The current and forecast security context for Iraq should be viewed against the backdrop of the ongoing, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) offensives against the Islamic State (IS) as the effort to recapture Mosul peaks up and as consolidation and limited recovery and stabilisation is undertaken and humanitarian space widened. Acts of extremism and terrorism continue to be registered and will be so in the immediate to short term periods (up to December 2016) reflecting the complex security challenges the country and humanitarian programmes operating in the country continue to experience. The IS continues to remain potent and has shown exceptional resilience and capacity to project force and execute attacks in areas that had previously been declared secured. In Baghdad, targeted attacks by Organized Armed Groups (OAGs) have continued to be perpetrated in many neighborhoods of the city. UN staff have continued to be exposed to highly volatile environments and elevated risks. Although monthly incidents have fluctuated, casualties have been consistently high in the second half of 2016 underlining the fluidity and unpredictability that staff have to contend with.
The second half period has, however, also been punctuated by the Iraqi Security Forces operations yielding successful gains a resultant factor being the expanded humanitarian latitude and coverage to support dislocated populations. Incidences of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) attacks within Iraq and particularly in Baghdad continue to remain very high. Key threats to staff remain collateral from the ongoing armed conflict, sectarian violence, IEDS, both body and vehicle borne as well as civil unrest, kidnapping and ransom as well as general crime. Baghdad has a subtropical arid climate and, in summer (June-August),  one of the hottest cities in the world,  with average/max temp reaching as high as 50 °C (122 °F), with low humidity due to its distance from the marshy Persian Gulf. Dust storms from the deserts to the West are a normal occurrence during the summer. The winter is mild and short.
The Green Zone is the most common name for the International Zone of Baghdad. Its official name beginning under the Iraqi Interim Government is the International Zone which is a 10 sq. km area of central Baghdad that was the governmental center of the Coalition Provisional Authority and remains the center of the international presence in the city. The contrasting Red Zone refers to parts of Baghdad immediately outside the perimeter, but was also loosely applied to all unsecured areas outside the offsite military posts. The incumbent should be prepared to work under confined conditions and be able to manage stressful situations. The R&R cycle is 4 weeks in Baghdad.  The accommodation facilities provided is a prefab type room; approx. dimension is 4x3 meters, fully furnished, with TV, fridge, wifi, and a private shower/toilet. Laundry/cleaning services are provided.
All international staff assigned to Iraq are required to undertake a 3-day mandatory SSAFE (Safety and Security Approaches in a Field Environment) course. Except for the city of Erbil, you cannot travel anywhere in Iraq without the SSAFE certificate provided at the end of the training. In case of assignments to locations other than Erbil, initial travel is possible however SSAFE must be undertaken in the first 30 days.
If one has conducted an SSAFE course with in the last three years there is no need for attendance.  He/she is only required to attend the FSCO¿s briefing on arrival. If he/she has not attended a SSAFE course in the last 3 years, he/she will be required to attend the new mandatory SSAFE course conducted in Erbil Any travel to Iraq requires fully approved MOP (Movement of Personnel) must be provided to the receiving operation at least 5 working days in advance.
To complete the MOP form the following scanned documents are required: copies of UNLP and National Passport; Confirmed travel itinerary; and Blood group. 
Approved MOP triggers security clearance, accommodation in the UN compound and airport pick-up through the UN shuttle. The rate of displacement will continue to fluctuate in line with military advances and the ability of civilians to move from their homes to safer locations. People from inside Mosul are arriving to IDP camps and further territorial gains in the city may result in massive waves of movement. The direction of displacement beyond the frontline has been dependent on the authorities, who screen people for security and transport the majority from the frontline to screening and transit centers and then to camps. Displacement also occurs within the conflict zone, challenging humanitarian interventions. Safety, security, access to food and water, and ethnicity are factors influencing those movements.
Where camp capacity is limited, some populations prefer to find shelter with host families and in informal settlements. This needs to be supported especially as a trend is evident in the east and south-east of Mosul, and is expected to continue, as camps become full and the frontline shifts.  Many IDPs, especially those from areas south and east of Mosul, have returned or intend to return to their retaken places of origin in spite of insecurity, IEDs, presence of militia and an acute lack of basic services. This trend is also expected to continue.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2017 Compendium is Monday 6 November 2017 (midnight Geneva time).