Communications Associate G6

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

Education: Completion of secondary school education. Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience: Six or more years of progressively responsible support work experience in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications or other related field.

Language :  Fluency in both oral and written communication in French and a Level B in English.

Under the general supervision of the Country Director  or the CO Communications Lead, and the technical oversight of the Regional Communication, Advocacy and Marketing unit, the jobholder position will provide research and specialized communications services that support the creation of content and services aimed at maintaining and enhancing WFP’s visibility and reputation, advocate on issues of relevance to WFP’s goals and support in creating an enabling environment for  fundraising activities.

Content Gathering and Production

• Ensure timely production of various communication products for advocacy purposes in line with the CO communication strategy;
• Gather content of relevant country efforts to develop communication materials for dissemination through social and traditional media channels;
• Support the production of information materials (human interest stories, multimedia products, news releases, factsheets, notes) that meet quality standards.
• Perform specialized communications processes and activities, to support staff in the development, preparation, execution and dissemination of campaigns for target audiences.
• Conduct research, suggest ideas, and provide coordination support to ensure the timely and effective delivery of video/film, photographic and radio projects. Manage the storage and distribution of audio/visual materials in accordance with relevant policies.

Media Relations

• Serve as an information focal point, support and/or coordinate media coverage of events to optimize brand building and visibility for WFP in Benin.
  
• Organize and execute special events (including news conferences, field visits for media), working closely with colleagues, external partners and media, to ensure events are effectively scheduled, publicized and attended. Support
  
• Establish and maintain list of media representatives contact and handle media inquiries; mmonitor traditional and social media and report relevant information to senior staff to inform the development and/or evaluation of communications activities and strategies.
  
• Under guidance, prepare content for use on traditional and social media platforms and networks, and printed materials, to enhance coverage and support of WFP’s activities, ensuring consistency with corporate messages.

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Coaches team in the most effective ways to communicate WFP’s Strategic Objectives to WFP team and partners in the field.
•  Be a force for positive change: Implements new methods or tools to improve team’s work processes and productivity.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Maps team’s activities and tasks to specific successes in beneficiary communities to showcase positive impact.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Explains to teammates how each unit contributes to the overall WFP mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Identifies skill development opportunities such as training modules or on-the-job experiences for self, colleagues and direct reports.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Facilitates team building activities to build rapport in own unit.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Facilitates the pairing of junior colleagues with coaches within own team.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Proactively anticipates potential challenges and develops mitigation plans to ensure that team meets goals and targets.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Identifies opportunities to be creative in own work and to help team be more innovative and accurate in their respective tasks and areas of work.
•  Focus on getting results: Monitors team’s deliverables and provides feedback to ensure outcomes are delivered consistently and accurately.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Provides accurate guidance to team on expected responsibilities and tasks, whilst also upholding own commitment to the team.
•  Be Decisive: Sets an example and provides guidance to junior team members on when to escalate issues when faced with challenging issues in the workplace or in the field.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Facilitates partnerships with other WFP units to accomplish missions in the field.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Sets an example and provides guidance to team on how to build relationships with external partners.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Articulates to colleagues or direct reports the value of contributing to other WFP teams and agency partnerships in fulfilling WFP’s goals and objectives.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Organizes, monitors, and prioritizes own and team’s efforts to ensure that they will fulfill the needs of internal and external partners.

Partnership and Advocacy  

• Maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, to provide an aligned, coherent service, and to identify opportunities to collaborate/integrate processes and activities.
  
• Distribute and promote communications guidelines for WFP staff to refer to when creating content.
  
• Manage updates and further develop internal records and databases, ensuring information is accurate, organized and available for others to access.
  
• Respond to specialized queries and requests for support, using initiative and following standard processes, to ensure timely and accurate resolution of all enquiries.
  
• Organize advocacy events with main partner organizations, including government, community groups, corporates, embassies, educational institutions, sport entities;

• Has demonstrated a sound understanding of WFP communication techniques and activities and awareness of the socio-political context in which WFP operates through day to day work

• Has provided ad-hoc guidance to new staff members

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Support during the field visits, donor and media tours;

• Collect and make available for relevant visibility guidelines per donor/partner. Assist in building relations with community-based media (especially community radio stations)
• Support WFP’s engagement with communities, national and local authorities, cooperating partners and UN agencies to build brand awareness; and promote community engagement to ensure that communities and authorities understand WFP’s mission and programmes;

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Only Beninese nationals or holders of valid residence and work permits are eligible to apply for this position
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 
• Selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year. WFP offers an attractive compensation package. For more details please visit International Civil Service Commision website: http://icsc.un.org  (link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salaries/benin.htm).

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.