Strategic Communications and Engagement Specialist

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.
Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.
Sustainable Finance Hub
The Sustainable Finance Hub, a finance and innovation platform, draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy and other initiatives. The Hub is an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as well as part of the GPN. The Hub serves as a connector, broker and global coordinator among internal and external actors; curates and manages UNDP’s catalogue of service offers on SDG financing to governments, investors and companies, via the COs, to significantly enhance the scale and impact of UNDP’s work.

UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility
The collaboration between the insurance industry and the development sector has grown significantly over the last five years. Key initiatives, such as the Insurance Development Forum, InsuResilience Global Partnership and the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, have evolved into significant policy and standard setting partnerships, bringing together countries, the development sector, and the private and mutual/cooperative sectors of industry. The Tripartite Agreement between the German Government, UNDP and Insurance Development Forum (and its private sector members) is a flagship example of such transformative partnerships. Increasingly, these partnerships are moving beyond policy to programming, with a strong focus on not only delivering insurance and risk financing solutions to countries and communities, but also on long-term transformational change of insurance markets.
UNDP’s growing work in this space has led to the creation of the Insurance and Risk Finance Facility, within the Sustainable Finance Hub. This work covers a range of critical areas where insurance and risk transfer solutions and collaboration with the industry can add significantly to achieving and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) Covering inclusive insurance, sovereign risk financing, insurance investments, natural capital, health, SME development and more, UNDP’s work will look to not only develop and deliver insurance solutions together with countries and communities, it will also look to work with partners to transform insurance markets, working on legislation, regulation and institutional capacity.

1.) External Engagement and Communications (60%)

• Manage and implement the digital and social media strategies of the IRFF including on Twitter, LinkedIn and other relevant channels to share critical information, disseminate knowledge products and promote the Facility’s activities. 
• Develop communications strategies and create timely, accurate communications materials including fact sheets, social media products, website information, articles, informational videos, success and human-interest stories – among other products – to promote the work of the IRFF and ensure high-visibility to donors, partners, internal UNDP stakeholders, working closely with the Sustainable Finance Hub, and BERA, BPPS, country office and regional bureau comms teams, as needed. 
• Develop high-quality graphic cards, short videos, and other visual content to support communications materials using InDesign, Adobe Suite among others
• Oversee the work of consultants relating to all communication and creative products – such as web design, films, social media products, publication design and more.
• Collaborate with external and internal partners to develop joint communications strategies and campaigns to promote partnerships 
• Provide communication guidance for IRFF colleagues regarding missions, conferences, forums, etc. with a focus on storytelling and reporting impact and support them with crafting content such as blogs
• Support the design and implementation of regional & country-level communications plans for the IRFF. Define and maintain standard internal and external communications processes, methodologies, and guidance documents in line with UNDP corporate standards.
• Lead the management and organization of IRFF events (virtual and in-person) including coordinating venues, catering, speaker briefing notes, agendas, etc.
• Manage the IRFF microsite editorially (http://irff.undp.org), coordinating with web developers on the site functions, and uploading new materials to the website. Provide data on web analysis to steer the website’s growth and relevance. Provide training to any colleague who needs to upload/manage content.
• Responsible for the overall website strategy, ensuring it is up-to-date, accurate, accessible, and appealing to a wide range of stakeholders. 
• Support the donor resource mobilization efforts of the IRFF team from donors, foundations and other potential sources through targeted communications strategies. 

2.) Knowledge Management (20%)

• Leading on the project management of IRFF knowledge projects, such as reports, police briefs, and the Annual Progress report, including crafting TORs for consultants, tracking and monitoring timelines and deliverables, organizing peer review and feedback rounds, following the UNDP Knowledge Product Quality Assurance Process (KPQAP), and providing editorial review (note: copyediting and proofreading are done by external consultants)
• Reviewing design of publications from a brand perspective and to ensure adherence to UNDP and IRFF branding guidelines, advising vendors for any design corrections.
• Oversee the outreach strategies and promotion of all IRFF knowledge products and activities including events, speaking engagements, webinars, and others.
• Develop and maintain a good understanding of insurance and risk finance for development, tracking the web presence of other actors in this space, and monitoring trends, best practices and new developments and use this to regularly, systematically communicate about issues relevant to UNDP and the ecosystem of its work and partners.

3.) Challenge Fund Outreach: (20%)

• Design a global campaign to launch the IRFF’s Challenge Fund, including designing the website and launch and promotion materials 
• Lead the global outreach and promotion of the Challenge Fund and support Regional Bureaus and COs with targeted local outreach as necessary.

Core: 
Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility: 

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 

Act with Determination:    

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

General (across the functions) - Public Relations:

• Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organisation, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public.

Communications - Digital Strategy:

• Ability to plan the use of resources through digital channels to reach and engage target audiences effectively and to achieve particular objectives

Communications - Graphic Design:

• Ability to communicate visually and create appealing UNDP graphic products

Communication - Writing and Editing:

• Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages

Communications - Social Media Management:

• Ability to represent and promote the UNDP brand in virtual communities and networks

Business Management - Partnership Management:

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Business Management - Communication:

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience; 
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels