Assistant Communications Officer

This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants. Interested applicants should consult the Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS).
Applicants must be nationals of Romania, and be locally recruited within the country of their employment. Assistant Communications Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In line with its Global Communications Strategy, UNHCR requires skilled communications professionals to conceive and execute a range of activities that help us lead the narrative on forced displacement, generate empathy and mobilize action. This body of work spans communications strategy and coordination, news and media relations, multimedia content production, social media engagement, Goodwill Ambassadors and other influencers, public outreach and campaigns, fundraising, analytics and brand.
UNHCR's Assistant Communications Officers need to cultivate a keen understanding of our target audiences, including an up-to-the-minute grasp of the methods and tone of voice that resonate deeply, win trust and spark quality engagement. They must be vigilant about editorial and journalistic standards, attentive to protection concerns and political sensitivities, and focused on communicating successfully with key demographics. These audiences will vary by location, language and platform, among other factors, as well as whether the aim is to inform, advocate or raise funds.

The Assistant Communications Officers¿ functions, working relationships and skills specializations differ depending on language, location, grade, and whether they sit within a country operation, a regional bureau or the Global Communications Service. UNHCR¿s primary target audiences include public, media and policymakers, while our main partners and influencers include peers and private sector, trusted figures and our own workforce. Some communicators will focus mainly on news and media relations, for example, while others will produce multimedia content, manage social media accounts or lead advocacy campaigns. Forging partnerships with media outlets that reach target audiences is a central role for all Assistant Communications Officers.

All Assistant Communications Officers are expected to work strategically in support of UNHCR¿s operational and communications objectives for their geographic area of responsibility (AoR) as well as global priorities. Communications approaches should reflect our core values as an organization that is caring, trustworthy, proactive, outcome-focused and responsive. This will reinforce UNHCR¿s role as the lead agency that protects refugees, internally displaced and stateless people and mobilizes action to provide solutions.


All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Assist in establishment of close working relationships with television, radio and news agencies to promote and ensure the dissemination of UNHCR aims, activities and principles.
- Assist in development of working relationships with the Government, NGOs and UN Agencies in order to raise interest and develop co-operation in inter-related activities.
- Organize UNHCR¿s public awareness campaign in the duty station.
- Draft bulletins and updates on UNHCR¿s operations in the duty station.
- Brief national and international media of developments in UNHCR¿s operations in the duty stations and accompany visiting media to the refugee camps where applicable.
- Assist in planning and organizing advertisements, exhibitions, training seminars, conferences, meetings, social events and other activities to promote a better understanding of UNHCR¿s activities and accomplishments by the general public and/or organized groups.
- Assist in preparation of communication budget.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Journalism; International Relations; Political Science;
Communications; Public Information; Media
Film / Video; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 1 year of professional experience in journalism and/or communications, mainly at international level.
Desirable
Strong social media presence. Experience working on advocacy campaigns. Experience working with goodwill ambassadors and other high-profile influencers. Experience with brand management. Experience with measurement and evaluation, especially providing analysis of media coverage, social media engagement, web traffic, etc. Experience reporting, writing, editing for magazines, newspapers and websites. Experience using digital asset management systems. Experience with digital analytics and performance reporting.

Functional Skills
CO-Digital content production
CO-Editing
CO-International Media Contacts
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
CO-Preparation of key messages/talking points/speeches
CO-Public Speaking
CO-Spokesperson skills
CO-Video production for digital platforms (including news organizations)
IT-Web Content Management
CO-Drafting and Documentation
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.




All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. Competencies as defined in Job Profile:

Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies
Empowering and Building Trust


Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Innovation and Creativity
Political Awareness Please also note that English is essential for this Job Opening. Romanian is desirable. Submission of Applications:
- Interested group 1 applicants need to apply through MSRP ¿ Self-Service ¿ Recruiting Activities ¿ Careers (please search by JO number or by Location). Please update your personal profiles with all required information in order to be able to apply. Please consult the attached documents for further guidance on how to update the personal profile.

- Interested External applicants need to apply online and complete the mandatory motivation letter.  For help with logging in to the MSRP External Portal, or with online applications, please contact the HR Unit well before the deadline to allow sufficient time for any technical problem to be resolved. External vacancies are posted on the external UNHCR website and applicants who do not have internal status must apply through the external UNHCR website.  https://www.unhcr.org/careers.html ¿ Careers ¿ Career opportunities ¿ Other Opportunities ¿ Vacancies ¿ sort by Location or search by Job Opening number. 

- Applications will be accepted only via the online portals. Please do not send application via email.

- Not signed, incomplete and late applications will not be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and do a competency based oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).

- The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

- This appointment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, medical clearance.

- UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants to apply. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms gender, disability, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

- UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector General¿s Office (IGO) at inspector@unhcr.org or through the online complain form at https://www.unhcr.org/php/complaints.php or by confidential fax: +41 22 739 73 80.

- For any technical problems encountered during the online application, please send an email to the below email address titled "Online VA Query-your name and surname". Human Resources Romania rombuhr@unhcr.org
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== As of 11th May, nearly 900,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine arrived in Romania, of which some 85,000 remain in the country. The Government of Romania, civil society, UNHCR and other UN Agencies have responded from day one of the emergency, both at the border and in areas where refugees are settling in. Close relations with the government are maintained at the national and local levels, ensuring that the humanitarian response follows the governmental policy and lead, and increases the overall response capacity. UNHCR through the Inter-Agency Refugee Coordination Model and Refugee Response Plan with UN agencies and NGOs supports the Government¿s refugee response, ensuring full harmonization and complementarity. The pillars of UNHCR¿s response include an integrated multi-partner protection response, notably through Blue Dots in partnership with UNICEF at the border, transit centers and in country; Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance to ensure dignified living conditions and reduce the risk of negative coping mechanisms, Communication with Communities and information provision through the UNHCR and governmental-supported platform dopomoha.ro and official information sources, and engagement in inclusion of refugees, notably in accordance with the Temporary Protection status accorded by the Government of Romania. A strong field presence in three locations underpins UNHCR¿s response by continuing to support emergency response at borders and fostering inclusion in areas of settlement. A total of 23 international and national partners are part of the Refugee Response Plan for Romania. Supply lines and warehousing have been established for humanitarian assistance. Field-protection presence at the border and in urban settings as well as Information Management remains a priority to respectively assist the beneficiaries and serve the Office¿s advocacy and UNHCR¿s lead in the refugee response. Programming both for emergency and sustainable response is key to delivery of services and assistance to refugees and to ensure UNHCR¿s Inter-Agency lead. Administration, human resources, finance and IT functions play a critical role in sustaining and supporting the work of all Office units. The closing date for submission of applications is 22 May 2022 midnight Geneva time.