Senior Communications Officer P5 - Nairobi, Kenya

.

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.

ABOUT WFP

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. 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Every day WFP is saving and changing lives across Eastern Africa, helping to build a better future for a region that has three of the world's eighth-largest food crises - Ethiopia, Sudan & South Sudan. The ten countries that the Regional Bureau of Nairobi (RBN) covers have 90.1 m people in need of food assistance, with conflict & instability being the main drivers of humanitarian needs. WFP plans to assist 31.?m people in 2021. This is the region that defines WFP, with one of WFP's largest supply chain operations in the world and programs focused on emergencies, school feeding, malnutrition & building capacity of host governments. RBN constitutes approximately one-third of WFP's annual funding requirement. 

JOB PURPOSE

The incumbent will lead the development, planning, and implementation of the communication strategy, by working closely with senior leadership to align communications plans with business objectives. 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Develop communications strategies aimed at promoting the identity and profile of WFP and its commitment to food assistance.
2. Plan, design, implement and monitor the communications plan for assigned area, implementing the corporate communications strategy, in order to ensure cost-effective results, enhance the reputation of WFP, and support fundraising activities, ensuring alignment with WFP strategy.
3. Provide advice and support to RBs on the design and implementation of regional strategies and plans, ensuring compliance with wider WFP and communications strategy and taking into account the specific regional context and audience to develop appropriate, effective communications.
4. Develop, supervise and evaluate complex communications campaigns that favorably impact the views of the public, opinion leaders, and donors in order to raise WFP’s profile and generate donor support.
5. Ensure contact lists of journalists and media outlets are maintained, a regular flow of news/information about WFP’s work is distributed to the media, and reputational risks are identified and managed.
6. Ensure that social media plans are defined and followed which leverage social media content, platforms, networks, and partners to enhance coverage and support of WFP’s activities.
7. Oversee the development of a range of donor-specific visibility content including, text, photos, videos, and audio for use across a range of integrated online platforms, in order to support global and country fund-raising activities, ensuring consistency with corporate messages.
8. Oversee the design and delivery of internal communications plans so staff understands and engages with WFP’s strategy and how they contribute to meeting WFP’s mission.
9. Continuously monitor and evaluate unit performance in order to ensure results meet objectives, and to identify, recommend and oversee changes to improve the effectiveness of communications strategies.
10. Lead and manage a team of Communications Officers, develop work plans, set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure appropriate development to enable high performance.
11. Define performance indicators, and monitor and oversee accurate and timely reporting, ensuring a WFP wide view of communications activities that enable informed decision-making, evaluation of objectives, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
12. Lead capacity building of WFP staff on all aspects of communication, ensuring appropriate training is delivered to staff, and providing advice up the senior management level in order to ensure consistent, quality communications that deliver the desired impact.
13. Identify and build effective collaborations and partnerships internally and externally to align activities, and ensure a coherent approach to communications.
14. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
15. Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance, and monitoring the management of communications specific risks.
16. Other as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced academic degree (Master's or equivalent) in one or more of the following disciplines: Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications, or other relevant fields. 

Experience: Minimum of 11 years of experience in communications, public information, international relations, public administration, or any other relevant field. 

Language: Fluency (level C) in the English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP's working language, Portuguese. 

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

•    Clear leadership experience and vision, enabling strategic engagement with Regional Bureau and Country Office leaders as well as managing and advising more junior staff members;
•    Must have extensive experience in managing reputational risk and/or emergency crisis communication; direct experience as a spokesperson or otherwise representing the organization around sensitive issues/situations.
•    Able to bring to the role a strong network of contacts across communications, advocacy, campaigning, and marketing;
•    Able to drive political analysis necessary to inform communications, advocacy, and marketing efforts across the region;
•    Strong experience in change management and driving transformation change within a team or organization;

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This is an International Professional fixed-term position and is open to all nationalities. Visas required for relocation will be provided by the organization. 

•    The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract of two years (renewable) with a probationary period of one year.
•    Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. The initial assignment in Nairobi is for four years, after which the incumbent will be expected to apply internally for other positions with WFP.
•    WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days' annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance. For more details please visit
icsc.un.org

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The deadline to receive applications is Tuesday, 12 October 2021 (11.59 PM CET),

.

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.