Communications Specialist (EXO)

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development network, promoting its global authority and thought leadership on sustainable development and the interconnected issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change. BERA leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission. Creating strong political and financial backing for UNDP by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and flagship services relate to them. The Bureau leads UNDP’s work on innovative and diversified partnerships and ways of financing the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also responsible for global campaigns on critical development issues, which aim to inform government policies and build partnerships around high-impact solutions. BERA coordinates and sets corporate standards across the functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP and leads on internal communications.

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy is positioned around three service lines; Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners, all working in close collaboration and coordination under the guidance of the Directorate and with the support of the Management Support Unit and Strategic Analysis and Engagement team.
 
BERA has a robust network of Representation Offices (Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and Washington D.C.) and Regional Teams in five hubs (Africa, Arab States, Asia Pacific, Europe and CIS, and Latin American and the Caribbean) co-led with Regional Bureaux, all of which play a critical role in audience centric communications and management and strengthening of relationships with Public and Private Partners to help build a strong brand for UNDP within the local ecosystem.

The position of Communications Specialist to the Administrator is within the Communications Group in BERA with dual reporting lines to the Director of Communications in BERA as the main supervisor and the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office.  

The Communications Specialist manages the media and communications activities of the Administrator and Associate Administrator to communicate the corporate goals of UNDP.  Under the guidance of the Director of Communications, he/she provides advice to the Administrator on all public activities, including media interviews, public events, published articles, and outreach. He/she also manages and plans the communications activities of the Administrator’s official travel and is expected to staff some of these trips. He/she also works with the Communications Group to ensure the Administrator and Associate Administrator’s activities are appropriately aligned to our external communications and advocacy priorities, particularly around UNDP’s external engagement plan.


 

Summary of Key Functions:

• Manage day-to-day media and communications activities of the Administrator and Associate Administrator;
• In consultation with the Director of Communications, and the Executive Office team, provide advice to the Administrator on external strategic; communications, advocacy and marketing opportunities;
• Facilitate knowledge sharing of the Administrator and Associate Administrator.

Manage the day-to-day media and communications activities of the Administrator and Associate Administrator to communicate and advance the corporate goals of UNDP:

• Act as the point of contact between UNDP and the media, outside organizations, groups and individuals to manage requests for the Administrator and Associate Administrator;
• Actively seek out high profile, strategic media opportunities for the Administrator and Associate Administrator;
• In collaboration with the Communications Group and the global network of communications officers and relevant in-house units, gather information from UNDP Bureaux at Headquarters and Country Offices to provide timely background information, talking points and memos for the Administrator and Associate Administrator on public communications activities;
• In collaboration with the Communications Group, draft and/or edit and/or clear all press statements from the Administrator and Associate Administrator to ensure uniformity of message and clearance by all relevant UNDP Bureaux;
• Actively promote strategic communications opportunities across all social media platforms for the Administrator and the Associate Administrator working with the Communications Associate;
• •    Support the Communications Group on reputational risk issues as required including providing information and liaising between ExO and other Bureaux
• Engage on all crisis communications issues;
• Provide advice to the Administrator on strategic communications opportunities:
• Provide input and advice to the Administrator on media interviews, public speaking engagements, and other communications, advocacy and marketing activities;
• In collaboration with the Executive Office team, the Communications Group and relevant UNDP staff, help craft public messages on priority issues for the Administrator and UNDP, especially on the engagement theme advocacy issues;
• In collaboration with the Executive Office, the Communications Group and relevant UNDP staff, create strategic communications opportunities for the Administrator;
• Manage and/or staff the Administrator’s media and communications activities on all official trips.

Facilitate knowledge sharing of the Administrator and Associate Administrator’s activities, externally and internally:

   Contribute to overall communications strategies within UNDP and ensure the Administrator’s priorities are reflected in such strategies;

• In collaboration with the Communications Group, ensure wide dissemination of activities and priorities of the Administrator and Associate Administrator;
• Identify, draft and co-ordinate the placement of stories, including editorials, on the activities and priorities of the Administrator and Associate Administrator for website, social media channels and other external communications platforms;
• Perform other duties within your functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.

Core    

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.    

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow    

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.    

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.    

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.    

Technical/Functional    

Brand & Quality Management

• Ability to strengthen UNDP's identity and distinction through its brand and uphold it to a high level of quality    Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Strategic communications  

• Ability to define a clear communications strategy to deliver on UNDP priorities and the audience specific engagement plans.

 Channel expertise

• Ability and experience in overseeing content creation across digital and non-digital channels    Level 5:Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Brief & Speech Writing

• Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches.

Education:

• Master’s degree in Journalism, Public Relations or Communications or related field;
• Bachelor’s degree in related field and additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s.

Experience

• Seven (7) (nine (9) with Bachelors) years of professional experience in communications, branding, public relations or related specialty
• Relevant experience in UN System Country Office setting or with similar multilateral development organization of similar size and complexity is highly desirable
• Excellent communications skills – listening, influence, negotiation/persuasion, counsel.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency, written and oral, in English required.
• Proficiency in at least one other UN working languages is desirable. 
   

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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