Result of Service

The incumbent will be responsible to deliver the following:

• Adequate coverage and promotion of ESCWA’s activities and accomplishments in public media and circles.
• Enhanced accessibility to a wide range of stakeholder groups.
• ESCWA’s participation and representation in important regional and international events.

Work Location

UN-House ESCWA

Expected duration

6 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background:

ESCWA Communication Unit has introduced new audiovisual products to its daily outputs, including live and recorded interviews, videos and voice-over, and reels. For this purpose, a dedicated staff is needed to anchor the newsletter, voice-over the various produced videos, conduct the interviews and coach the senior staff prior to their TV appearances.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Secretary of the Commission and Chief of External Relations and Outreach at ESCWA, the Public Relations Assistant is required to perform the below functions in close coordination with ESCWA Communication staff:

o Innovate effective branding, communication, advocacy action plans and public outreach activities to support the organization’s mission and objectives;
o Identify opportune events, networks and partners, and establish networks and partnerships, to provide ESCWA with the needed platform to participate and contribute to debates on key development issues;
o Undertake the necessary ground work for high-level forums and special events, and provide support during their happening, to ensure that those events are well covered and reach their target audiences;
o Support ESCWA staff in providing proper coverage to events and activities including drafting invitations, press releases, news items, etc;
o Coordinate press conferences, interviews, special communications opportunities and events;
o Organize press conferences, interviews and create special communications opportunities and events;
o Prepare and conduct live and recorded video interviews with the top management, directors and experts on specific topics;
o Provide trainings for TV appearances of ESCWA staff;
o Draft scripts and storyboards, record voices-over, and identify visuals and footages for the production of videos;
o Work with national, regional and international media outlets and cultivate relationships with journalists, reporters, bloggers, editors and other media professionals to publicize and communicate the mandate and strategic priorities of ESCWA;
o Identify, build and maintain partnerships through networking and pro-active collaboration with academia and CSOs to promote ESCWA achievements, key priorities and success stories, and pursue business opportunities;
o Perform other duties as requested.

Outputs/Works Assignment:
Handling public relations and networking with influencers and public figures.
Handling the weekly newsletter.
Conducting live interviews and coaching staff undergoing TVs interviews.

Qualifications/special skills

A Bachelor degree in media relations, journalism, publishing, humanities, social sciences or related area is required.

All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in public speaking, communications, marketing and media is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA.

For this position, fluency in Arabic and English is required, knowledge of French is desirable.

Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Recruitment for this position is on a local basis. The incumbent is required to have the legal right to live and work in the specified working location.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.