Contract type: Temporary Appointment, Consultant
Level: P-4
Location: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles
Categories: Communication, Emergency
Seeking external candidates only
Contract Type: Temporary Appointment (TA) or Consultancy
Duration: 3 months to 364 days
Location: Countries based in Eastern and Southern Africa
Job Description
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, hope
Since two years, countries in the ESA region have experienced an alarming increase in the number of new, or re-emerging humanitarian emergencies, including public health (including Ebola, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, wild poliovirus, and Cholera), armed conflicts and natural disasters emergencies.
UNICEF ESAR has prioritized the critical need to support countries to rapidly scale up capacity to prevent, mitigate, and manage ongoing and anticipated emergencies as well as to enhance capacity for preparedness and response to these emergencies.
Purpose
The purpose of this external announcement is to attract suitable Communication Specialist candidates interested in working in any of the countries within UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa region to respond to emergencies for the next 36 months. The countries within each region are listed on the following website: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html.
How can you make a difference?
Key activities & duties
The incumbent will provide key support to the following tasks:
- Emergency preparedness and response to affected country offices in the area of communication and public advocacy; act as a first responder to support COs with:
- draft and define appropriate external messages on sensitive issues
- support, cultivate and leverage international media
- define and handle communication, both internal and external i.e. media and partners, on relevant issues.
- Provide active support to Country offices and the Regional team on the effective use of tools of mass communication, including press briefings and conferences and media interviews, to achieve regional and country objectives.
- Develop close collaboration with international and regional mass media through activities such as media briefings, organizing visits to project sites, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage, and utilize social media, digital and traditional media.
- Apply astute judgment to identify, assess, understand, cope, manage and mitigate crises from outbreak to termination. This includes:
- providing rapid and adequate first responses to unforeseen crises
- preparation and prevention of crises – where possible – maintaining clear lines of responsibility, reporting and communication
- Adapt and disseminate advocacy materials from NY and Geneva and contribute to the development and production of regional information materials. Identify the need for additional materials/activities, such as radio and television programmes, publications, photographs, websites, etc., to advocate and promote organizational goals throughout the region, and manage their production and distribution to the target audiences.
- Assist in identifying and obtaining feature stories and other material to facilitate global/regional advocacy and fund-raising activities, particularly in support of National Committee efforts to mobilize resources.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education-
- An advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration or related field. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
Work Experience-
- Eight years of relevant professional experience at national/international levels in journalism, communications/public relations, internal communications or marketing.
- Candidates should have a strong background in external communications, including in emergency situations.
Language Requirement:-
- Fluency in verbal and written English or French (depending on the country office’s official language). Knowledge of another UN language or a local language is an asset
For every Child, you demonstrate…
- UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
- 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)
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.
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 include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
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 promote 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:
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 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 a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time