Communication Specialist

Monrovia

Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Location: Monrovia
Grade: All levels - NPP - National Project Personnel - Local Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Communication and Public Information
- FRLIR
Closing Date: Closed

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

Qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply.

People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

Organizational Setting

The post is typically located in the Office of the FAO Representation in Liberia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The Communication Specialist is responsible for all corporate and internal communication activities of the Organization and shall ensure coherence and consistency in FAO’s corporate messaging and communications’ outputs, as well as enables cost-effectiveness in use of communication-related resources across the Organization.

Technical Focus

Ensure the development and implementation of the country communication strategy.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall direction of the FAO Representative, and Technical Supervision of Assistant FAO Representative for Programme, the Communication Specialist will provide strategic direction and communication support to enhance visibility of FAO’s programme in Liberia. In regular consultation and coordination with the communication focal points of the Regional Office for Africa, Office of Corporate Communications, and the Sub-regional Office of West Africa, the consultant will ensure the development and implementation of the country communication strategy. Activities and output under the strategies will be coordinated in coherence with the organizational/corporate communication policy and operational guidelines. The candidate will perform the following tasks\:

Tasks and Responsibilities

Develop and implement country specific communication strategy by identifying stakeholders, goals, objectives and timelines and consulting with thematic and technical teams.
Comply with the FAO corporate and regional communication strategies and closely coordinate plans and activities with the Regional Communication Officer.
Develop communication plans for specific activities and target key messages tailored to certain audience (including donors, beneficiaries, partners, and the public), and disseminate information efficiently and effectively.
Coordinate, produce and disseminate communication and advocacy materials, including brochures, human interest stories, posters and other visibility products in close coordination with focal points in RAF and in observance of corporate and branding guidelines.
Develop a media database and partnerships with media organizations and journalists; interact and pitch stories of interest; organize media field visits.
Coordinate media engagement during events and missions and collect visual and audio footage for both publication and archiving of events and missions.
Create policy briefs and other strategic communication publications.
Draft press releases and talking points; organize press conferences; prepare media kits; provide information to querying journalists; manage flagship FAO events (e.g., World Food Day, project launches, workshops, etc.).
Cover high-level and high-visibility events; ensure media coverage and disseminate live information to highlight messages.
Produce content for online and social media channels such as the website, Flickr, Twitter, etc. Write and edit web posts and ensure content is interesting and visually appealing. Increase FAO Liberia’s social media engagement and feature stories that will appeal to audience.
Work closely and train colleagues as communication champions and how to deal with the media by providing key messages and basic tips on media engagement.
Participate and represent FAO in inter-agency communication meetings (UN Communication Group) and ensure FAO representation and participation in UN events.
Monitor communication plans and address gaps to improve effectiveness and quality.
Coordinate production of stories from the field such as documentaries and photo essays; this includes drafting TORs for production team, writing script, conducting interviews, managing vendors, arranging logistics, etc.
Perform other related duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Master’s Degree in Communication, Journalism or a related field;
Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in Corporate Communications, Public Information, Journalism, International Relations
Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian.
Candidates should be nationals of Liberia;

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus.
Teamwork
Communication
Building Effective Relationships
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is essential
Extent and relevance of experience in coordinating and managing complex multimedia communication, especially in areas

relevant to FAO’s mandate

Extent and relevance of experience in publishing policies and processes and of key issues and developments affecting

technical and scientific publishing

Demonstrated ability to project positive corporate images, reporting on key achievements and effectively advocating vision

and priorities to internal and external stakeholders

Selection Criteria

Knowledge in corporate communications, public information, journalism, international relations or closely related fields
Independent worker and excellent skills working as part of a team;
English proficiency in writing; expertise in preparing high quality print and digital publications and products.
Very high skills/knowledge of background related to the ToR’s Requirements
Experience with UN, and other International Organizations would be an asset

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact\: Careers@fao.org
Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

This vacancy is now closed.