Mental health and well-being are fundamental components of a child’s healthy development and future prospects and one of UNICEF’s global priorities. We work around the world to promote positive mental health, address mental health concerns, and combat stigma to best support child and adolescent development. In the years ahead, mental health outcomes need to accelerate to meet the needs we face globally; to support that, UNICEF and our partner the Z Zurich Foundation have launched a new global coalition. The aim of the Coalition is to ensure that the great potential among our youth is not lost due to failure to promote well-being and prevent distress. The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Well-being seeks to address the increasing global burden of mental disorders in youth by offering a global platform for investment and action on mental health promotion and prevention. The Coalition is advancing a global movement to strengthen the social and emotional skills and supportive environment for the mental wellbeing of 30 million young people in 30 countries by 2030. The coalition’s framework includes in-country programming targeting both caregivers and youth, global and local advocacy targeting the general public, governments and policy makers and the business community, and learning opportunities for all members and participants of this global movement. The private sector has a key role to play in mental health prevention and promotion, including for children and young people.
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For every child, a Champion
Mental health and well-being are fundamental components of a child’s healthy development and future prospects and one of UNICEF’s global priorities. We work around the world to promote positive mental health, address mental health concerns, and combat stigma to best support child and adolescent development. In the years ahead, mental health outcomes need to accelerate to meet the needs we face globally; to support that, UNICEF and our partner the Z Zurich Foundation have launched a new global coalition. The aim of the Coalition is to ensure that the great potential among our youth is not lost due to failure to promote well-being and prevent distress.
The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Well-being seeks to address the increasing global burden of mental disorders in youth by offering a global platform for investment and action on mental health promotion and prevention. The Coalition is advancing a global movement to strengthen the social and emotional skills and supportive environment for the mental wellbeing of 30 million young people in 30 countries by 2030. The coalition’s framework includes in-country programming targeting both caregivers and youth, global and local advocacy targeting the general public, governments and policy makers and the business community, and learning opportunities for all members and participants of this global movement. The private sector has a key role to play in mental health prevention and promotion, including for children and young people. The four key objectives of the Coalition are as follows:
- Address stigma surrounding mental health and raise awareness on the need to protect children, youth, and their family mental health.
- Increase private and public investment in UNICEF’s mental health programming, with a focus on youth and prevention and promotion.
- Call on policymakers and governments to act on youth mental health.
- Improve business practice related to workplace mental health to support employees and their family’s mental health.
How can you make a difference?
Under the leadership of the Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships Unit within the Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division (PFP), the objective of this role is to provide communications and advocacy support to the Coalition’s project team in order to promote the work of the Coalition and advance on its objectives.
Main Tasks:
1. Advocacy with business
- Develop an implementation plan based on the Coalition’s advocacy strategy targeting businesses.
- Develop compelling advocacy products and tools to achieve the four objectives outlined above and advance the youth mental health agenda including blogs, declarations, call to action, infographics, short videos.
- Consult with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment with UNICEF global advocacy priorities and buy-in of Coalition’s members.
- Leverage relevant channels and opportunities to promote and disseminate the advocacy products and materials.
2. General communication, marketing, and web management
- Develop an implementation plan based on the Coalition’s communication strategy targeting businesses.
- Define and produce relevant communication and marketing assets to promote the coalition, its work and attract investment/members.
- Draft press releases or other information required to support Coalition’s major announcements (membership, contribution, etc) and liaise with relevant internal divisions and external partners on dissemination.
- Coordinate and provide creative direction for the Coalition’s brand, including branding strategy.
- Elaborate the specifications for the creation of a Website, manage its implementation, lead content creation and ensure content is up to date and of the highest quality.
- Design and implement a social media strategy to drive engagement via UNICEF and the Coalition’s members accounts on social media.
3. Media outreach, partnerships and management
- Generate media coverage for the issue of youth mental health, UNICEF’s programming and response, and the Coalition activities, by developing a media engagement strategy and updating target media lists comprised of a comprehensive database of journalists, social media influencers, and high-profile contributors.
- Lead the production of content on the Coalition’s work and UNICEF's mental health programming and secure visibility within influential news and business media (ie: the Guardian, Fast Company, Huffington Post, etc.).
- Advise on and reach out to key media at the global and country levels, advocating on key issues at the core of the Coalition’s mandate, raising awareness on youth mental health and increasing the Coalition’s external presence on media outlets.
- Provide communication advice and support for reputational management in line with UNICEF corporate communication standards and guidelines.
4. Events support
- Create/update a calendar of key moments with activation ideas.
- Identify and support opportunities to create visibility for the Coalition and its work through UNICEF and Coalition’s partner network, relevant events and partnerships with like-minded organizations, business networks, UN and academic institutions.
- Develop innovative, inspiring and compelling communication materials including social impact to showcase the Coalition at in-person/virtual events and through social media activations.
Deliverables:
1. Advocacy with business
- Thought leadership materials for the Coalition (eg: Business Call to Action, Thought Leadership Serie by Coalition’s members CEO, Public-Private Declaration, etc).
- implementation plan based on the Coalition’s advocacy strategy targeting businesses.
- Additional advocacy products and tools to be defined to achieve the four objectives outlined above and advance the youth mental health agenda including blogs, declarations, call to action, infographics, and short videos.
2. General communication, marketing, and web management
- implementation plan based on the Coalition’s communication strategy targeting businesses.
- Relevant communication and marketing assets to promote the coalition, and its work and attract investment/members.
- Press releases or other information required to support Coalition’s major announcements (membership, contribution, etc).
- Coalition’s Website including its content.
- Social media strategy.
3. Media outreach, partnerships, and management
- Content on the Coalition’s work and UNICEF's mental health programming within influential news and business media (ie: the Guardian, Fast Company, Huffington Post, etc.). ¨
- Media engagement strategy and target media lists.
4. Events support
- Social media strategy.
- Relevant communication materials (invitations, infographics, PowerPoint presentation, script, blogs, social media posts, etc) for key events where the Coalition is engaged (eg: the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2023 or the Business Fights Poverty Global Summit in June 2023).
- Social media packages for key moments (International Women’s Day, International Day of Happiness, World Health Day, World Mental Health Day etc) including Twitter and LinkedIn posts, and work with Coalition’s members and UNICEF office to disseminate.
- Calendar of key moments with activation ideas.
Estimated Duration of the contract and Proposal:
- Part-time, expected to work up to 180 working days within 12 months duration, tentatively starting in October 2022.
Reporting To:
- Partnerships Officer, Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships, PFP.
Workplace:
- Home-based, (remotely) following Geneva office official work hours (ideally working within CET business hours).
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
- An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) in communications, marketing, international affairs, public policy, journalism, or another relevant technical field.
- Alternatively, a first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree), in combination with qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Experience:
- Minimum of five years progressive experience in communications and/or advocacy is required including experience writing content and publishing communication and/or advocacy materials.
- Experience in the area of mental health is an asset.
- Previous communications and advocacy experience with business- or responsible business-related initiatives, covering different audiences is a distinct advantage.
- Previous communications / PR experience with UN/UNICEF or similar is an asset.
- Familiarity with the UN-Business Agenda and understanding of corporate social responsibility, shared value, multi-stakeholder partnerships and/or advocacy is an asset.
Language:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.
Others:
- Applicants are required to attach a proven record of producing articles, blogs, and communications products using software, online platforms, and CMS (i.e. InDesign/Photoshop, MailChimp or other HTML editors, Drupal/WordPress, Visualize, and other infographic makers) - at least 3 samples of previous work must be provided. Applications submitted without 3 samples will not be considered.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).
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 offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions, or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need a reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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:
Please indicate your ability, availability, and daily rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered. Also, please mention the earliest date you can start.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.