Temporary Appointment: Communication Specialist (Advocacy & Media Campaign Mgt.), NOC, Islamabad, Pakistan # 124307 (364 days)

UNICEF Pakistan is looking for a seasoned Communication Specialist to join the dynamic Polio team in Islamabad.

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, Commitment!

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges. 

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilizers, communities and families, and of course, the children and adolescents themselves. 

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio, and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. 

To learn more about UNICEF work in Pakistan, please visit the country   website, www.unicef.org/pakistan, and videos on YouTube and Vimeo.

The Communication Specialist (Advocacy and Media Campaign) reports to the Communication Specialist (Media) P3 for general/technical guidance and supervision and work within the national polio Emergency Operations Centre (ROC) framework and its relevant Areas of Work on Core Groups and Task Teams to support the eradication of poliovirus from Pakistan.

The Communication Specialist is accountable for expanded partnership and alliance building. coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring advocacy and partnership strategy and providing support for media campaigns on an ongoing basis with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for Polio eradication.

The Specialist is responsible for coordinating the creative planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a media strategy to promote polio vaccination and vaccine acceptance through media strategy reaching different levels of high-risk groups and underserved populations in Pakistan. Working at the federal level, the jobholder will be accountable for developing, managing, coordinating, implementing and monitoring a media communication strategy and associated products and activities for promoting vaccination.

How can you make a difference?

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS

1. Advocacy and Partnership strategy Implementation:

• The NEOC has a clear strategy and associated work plan to get polio eradication into the public domain and strengthen political will in support of the global goal of eradicating polio by implementing an agreed work plan.
• The NEOC has a well-maintained and continually developed contact list of individuals, groups, organisations, celebrities, and for whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy goal.
• Review Letter of intent, PCA agreements and facilitate provincial and national EOCs to utilize partnerships to meet the objectives of both the polio eradication programme and the partnering organization (s).
• Establish, document, review and refine the process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.              ,

2. Implementation of Mass Media campaign strategy for Polio activities

• Develop plan, implement and monitor the technical and financial aspects of the media campaigns through the production and placement of materials in collaboration with field offices through implementing partners/vendors.
• Identify, facilitate to development of campaign plan products, and distribute and evaluate a variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Plans must address the appropriate challenges based on the analysis of media, campaign and surveillance data;
• Ensure the quality, and appropriateness of specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the media, press, partners and public.

3. Financial resource management

• Develop, implement and monitor the technical and financial aspects of the media campaigns through the production and placement of materials in collaboration with provinces through implementing partners/vendors.
• Review and ensure implementation of UNICEF's financial procedure and safeguard UNICEF's interest in processing and managing financial aspects associated with projects/media management.
• Collaborate with the internal Polio team and other UNICEF colleagues, especially Supply and Logistics to ensure financial resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

4. Monitoring and evaluation:

• Baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the advocacy strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of partnership for promoting advocacy strategy and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared.
• Media campaign monitoring mechanism is in place after every campaign. Lessons learned are integrated in the mass media campaign monitoring.
• Undertake lessons learned, review successful and unsuccessful media communication experiences and share observations/findings with federal and provincial colleagues and partners.
• Establish and maintain an up-to-date documentation centre for audio-visual campaign media content and case studies.
• Provide quality input in donor reports in a timely manner in coordination with the provincial teams.

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

• Advanced university degree (Master's or above) in Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations.

(*A first University combined with 2 additional years of prbfessional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree in the field of journalism, communications, external relations, public affairs, publ(c relations or corporate communications.)

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, C4D
• Field work experience. Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.
• Experience working in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local language of the duty station (Urdu) is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpins everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness , Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, Manages ambiguity and complexity

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Life at UNICEF

Working at UNICEF is highly rewarding. With an attractive remuneration package encompassing competitive pay and benefits, a culture that helps staff thrive, and diverse opportunities for personal and professional development, we aim to help you maintain a fulfilling life both at and outside the office.

We make sure you and your loved ones receive the resources and care that you need to thrive. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. Our contracts, wellbeing policies, and initiatives ensure that you are well equipped to deliver for children such as effectively;

• Tax exemption, family allowances, hardship benefits, 10 UN holidays and annual leave allowance, maternity, paternity, adoption leave, medical and dental insurance, pension, etc.
• Career support, staff wellbeing program, breastfeeding policy, flexible work arrangements, childcare room, family support, policies & initiatives, security etc.
• UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world's most disadvantaged children, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:

• Verified educational certificates/HEC Attested Degrees are a pre-requisite for employment at UNICEF. During the recruitment process, candidates will be required to present HEC-attested degrees/certificates.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• UNICEF's active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to delivering the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates will be prioritized.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Appointments are also 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 medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met within a reasonable period for any reason.