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Communication Specialist , P-3, Bucharest, Romania, (Temporary Appointment, 364 days)

Bucharest

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Bucharest
  • Grade: Mid level - P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Communication and Public Information
  • Closing Date: Closed

The Communication Specialist is responsible to implement creative communication strategies and plans to increase exposure of UNICEF and mobilize public, political, and financial support for the refugee crisis. He/she ensures the delivery of coordinated, impactful messages and news packages to key audiences, including through international media.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, opportunities.

The war in Ukraine has triggered the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II. By 23 April 2022, more than 774,000 refugees from Ukraine had arrived in Romania. The overwhelming majority of refugees are women and children, often separated from husbands and fathers who remained in Ukraine; older people; and significant numbers of unaccompanied children, including those from state care facilities.

Local and national authorities have established reception facilities at border crossing points to receive new arrivals and are providing life-saving assistance, including accommodation, food, and other basic needs, as well as onward transport for those moving to urban centers. In the reception centers, information is also provided on the asylum process and temporary protection, as well as on the risks of trafficking. Access to basic rights and services, such as health, has been facilitated. Steps have already been taken to foster protection and inclusion into national systems, such as for health and education. Referral services are being scaled up, focusing especially on case management and protection of unaccompanied children and those evacuated from boarding schools, institutions and other alternative care arrangements, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), victims of trafficking, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups

UNICEF Romania Country Office is involved in the emergency response by supporting the national government and local partners in delivering assistance and protection services.

 

How can you make a difference?

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS 

1.            Communication strategy

•             Develop, maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.

•             UNICEF’s rights- and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products.

•             Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

2.            Media relations

•             Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by carrying out media, information and education activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.

•             Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.

•             Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.

•             Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.

•             Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.

•             Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.

•             Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.

•             Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

3.            Networking and partnerships

•             Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.

•             Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.

•             Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.

•             Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.

•             Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.

4.            Celebrities and special events

•             Develop, maintain and update celebrities contact list/database.

•             Help establish, document, review and refine process of working with celebrities, including special events, media opportunities, field trips etc.

•             Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc. including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

5.            Global priorities and campaigns

•             Support the UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.

•             Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective  programme activities and results.

•             Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

6.            Resource mobilization support

•             Mobilize country office communication capacity to support/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fund-raising.

•             Mobilize resources for fund-raising support by regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

7.            Management

•             Develop a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.

•             Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.

•             Identify, recruit and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary. Conduct and Implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.

•             Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

8.            Monitoring and evaluation

•             Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.

•             Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.

•             Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings with country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s communication work.

9.            Capacity building and support

•             Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.

•             Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.

•             Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.

•             Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

  • Education

    Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations.

    Work Experience

    A minimum of five years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and/or new media.

    International and national work experience

    Background/familiarity with Emergency situations is desirable

    Language Proficiency

    Fluency in Romanian and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or Ukranian language is an asset.

 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

Core Competencies

Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)

Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)

Works Collaboratively with others (2)

Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)

Innovates and Embraces Change (2)

Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)

Drive to achieve impactful results (2)

Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

 

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

This vacancy is now closed.
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