Communications Associate (NPSA6)
JOB DETAIL
Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network building collaboration with nations to expand people’s choices, fostering a more equitable and sustainable future, and striving to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, where the Earth and people coexist harmoniously. According to the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNDP supports change in three main directions:
- Structural Transformation: Promoting green, inclusive, and digital transitions.
- Leaving No One Behind: Adopting a rights-based approach focused on empowerment, inclusion, equity, human agency, and human development.
- Building Resilience: Enhancing the capacity of countries and institutions to prevent, mitigate, and respond to crises, conflicts, natural disasters, climate change, and social and economic shocks.
UNDP has been actively involved in supporting various environmental projects in Belarus including those aimed at improving the livelihoods of local communities.
The project Safeguarding Forests of Belarus aims to enhance forest protection and resilience through effective community-based fire prevention and response measures. It will help to improve the effectiveness of fire prevention and response by enhancing prompt inspection and extinguishing capabilities, thereby reducing the escalation of small fires into larger ones.
The implementation of the project is aligned with the Outcome 2 of the UNDP Country Programme Document for Belarus 2021-2025 – “A significant contribution to climate action is made by 2025 through the introduction of key measures of climate change adaptation and mitigation”; and Output 2.4. “National emergency preparedness for major hazards strengthened, in line with regional factors and international environmental conventions.”
Duties and Responsibilities
Project communication strategy design
- Under the guidance from a Project Manager, work on formulation and implementation of communication and outreach strategies for the project.
- Ensure communication plans for the project are in place to adequately and positively communicate implementation highlights and success stories.
PR and advocacy campaigns management
- Lead and oversee the development of related public relations and advocacy campaigns to promote the project’s issues, findings and progress at the national and local levels.
- Manage and coordinate various media events upon request.
- Work in consultation with a Project Manager in management and oversight of communications consultants and service providers.
PR content design and management
- Lead on gathering inputs and information required for production of relevant PR and advocacy products, including online and digital, as well as coordinate dissemination of these products.
- Lead on identification and drafting of storylines for publications, and articles on achievements and progress in local economic development.
- Ensure communication and advocacy tools and products, including briefing notes, booklets, brochures, infographics reflect agreed branding and visibility.
- Advise and guide the project staff in developing and designing thematic content and public messaging and ensure its good quality, acceptance and understanding by the target audiences.
- Ensure that a library of reference materials, such as communications tools, booklets and photographs of project activities, is established, regularly updated and documented in a way that is easy for retrieval.
Partnership for communication management
- Coordinate with relevant stakeholders, partners and UNDP personnel to ensure that the project’s outcomes are communicated in an effective and timely manner to support strategic positioning of the project’s actions in the country and beyond.
- Build and maintain close working relationships with media (both traditional and digital) with the objective to facilitate reporting on project’s issues, with a special focus on the donor’s contribution and engagement as well as UNDP’s development efforts.
- Develop partnerships with various individuals, groups and organizations, whose support is essential to the achievement of communication objectives.
- Brief the project, the donor and UNDP Country Office personnel regularly on ongoing communications and coordinate efforts to follow up on identified communications needs, and potential opportunities for improving visibility.
Visibility and corporate identity management
- Ensure that UNDP, the donor and the National Partner’s corporate identity, visibility and communication rules and regulations are applied in all public materials (printed and digital) produced by the project, including social networks and other online platforms.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
Competencies
| Achieve Results | LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline |
| Think Innovatively | LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements |
| Learn Continuously | LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback |
| Adapt with Agility | LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible |
| Act with Determination | LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident |
| Engage and Partner | LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships |
| Enable Diversity and Inclusion | LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination |
| Communication | Campaign management | Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change |
| Communication | Brand & quality management | Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality |
| Communication | Creative direction and copywriting | Ability to creatively communicate concepts in an engaging and simple way |
| Communication | Crisis and reputational risk | Ability to prepare for and respond to potential issues that may negatively impact UNDP’s reputation |
| Communication | Digital strategy | Ability to plan the use of resources through digital channels to reach and engage target audiences effectively and to achieve particular objectives |
| 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 |
| Communication | Web and social media analytics | Ability to analyze and interpret data and statistics to measure web and social media performance |
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary education is required. OR
- A university degree (Bachelor’s degree) communication, journalism, international relations, and/or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Experience:
- Minimum 6 (six) years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in communications, journalism, public or media relations, and all aspects of communications work is required.
Required skills:
- Good knowledge of MS Office software package and/or graphic design applications;
- Experience with online communications, including website content management and social media is required.
- Excellent communications, teamwork and time-management skills, clearly shares ideas with others.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
