Job Description

Purpose:

Under the direction of the Regional Director: a) develops, implements, manages and monitors a strategy for giving visibility to children’s issues and works closely with the UNICEF National Committees and country offices in keeping UNICEF’s work for children’s rights on the policy agenda; b) provides policy guidance and technical support to country offices in the area of communication and external relations activities within the frame work of country programmes and region/global priorities also promotes capacity-building of the local communication staff; c) provides and coordinates regional recommendations regarding global policy development, regional support and contributions to global corporate advocacy/communication activities, with a focus on equity.

The responsibilities also include providing policy support, guidance and advocacy as required in emergency situations and other humanitarian programme implementation, collaboration with other agencies and partners in this regard.

Qualification:

Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, or equivalent professional work experience in the Communication area, combined with an advanced university degree in a related discipline. Training in negotiating skills, marketing practises for social development purposes and knowledge of current theories, strategies and practices relevant to UNICEF’s concerns is preferable.*

Twelve years relevant work experience in communication, print and broadcast media or interactive digital media, eight of which should be in developing countries, and four at the senior management level.

Fluency in English and another UN language required. Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset.

*A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Key Expected Results:

A. Regional Communication and Public Advocacy

1. Maintain up-to-date understanding of the communication, public advocacy, and media environment in the region, including innovations and developments in digital communication, and build upon that analysis to plan and manage activities that: promote the CRC; promote children’s concerns and UNICEF’s goals in regional networks; advise in developing new partnerships in Middle Income Countries and the private sector for their contribution to child centred development in other developing countries; strengthen relations with regional media; innovative approaches to communications for child survival, child protection etc; and promote UNICEF publications/reports to position UNICEF as a regional knowledge leader for children.

Develops a regional strategy to get children’s issues into the public domain and strengthen political will in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, including communication assessment, analysis and development of a communication plan to enlist the support of the mass media, opinion makers, political leaders, regional governmental and non-governmental institutions, etc., in the promotion of organizational goals. Monitors and evaluates its impact.

2. Develops, establishes, implements, manages, monitors & evaluates regional communication strategies and policies. Promote corporate resource mobilization activities, especially in support of national committee work. Identify and develop close partnership with regional media, public relations, and corporate institutions etc., as allies in support of various UNICEF regional activities and participation in country programmes and policy level for networking. Assesses and manages reputational risks to the UNICEF brand.

3. Identifies the need for communication materials for regional use and manages their production and distribution to target audiences, to advocate and promote organizational goals.

4. Identifies and develops new approaches and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating communication activities.

5. Launches major flagship reports and initiatives (e.g., SOWCR); prepares regional versions of global publications and press releases, feature articles and audio-visual materials, as required. Plan and implement any regional activity related to public advocacy which may be decided upon by the Regional Director and Representatives. This includes promoting the concerns of children and sharing information with such regional bodies as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and other appropriate networks.

6. Conducts major research, collects and analyses data and prepares reports on key communication issues and activities in the region for strategic communication, as well as reporting purposes.

B. Support to Country Offices

7. Provides technical support to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of communication plans through regular visits to country offices and provides feedback to regional management teams and the regional director.

8. Identifies and maintains a network of external technical resources at the regional level to assist country offices in the development and implementation of Communication activities, including production of materials. Facilitates inter-office technical support where feasible.

9. Organizes regular meetings of communication staff to exchange

experience, and facilitates training activities (workshops, seminars,

orientation courses, training modules, on-the-job training) to update

professional skills, especially of national officers, and build their

capacity to undertake communication activities. Focuses especially

on strengthening the capacity of staff in countries facing

emergencies which have special and urgent communication needs.

C. Support to Global Communication Activities

10. Keeps abreast of developments in the field of communication/public advocacy in the region and at headquarters and provides/coordinates regional contributions and recommendations in connection with the development and implementation of global policies and strategies.

11. Contributes to the development and production of materials to support global initiatives, especially those of importance to the work of the National Committees.

12. Manage relationship with global Goodwill Ambassador Jackie Chan and actively engage with EAP Regional Ambassadors to support preparations for field visits. Provide briefings on critical issues affecting children in the region, as needed. Support the planning and implementation of visits of goodwill ambassadors and national committee missions, as well as preparation of communication materials needed (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements.

D. Managerial Responsibilities

13. Develops an annual work plan for regional communication activities, monitors compliance and provides support and guidance to ensure objectives are met. This entails identification of human resource requirements, performance planning, monitoring and appraisal.

14. Plans and monitors the use of communication budgetary resources.

Competencies:

Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking

Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget

Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment

Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching

Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization’s future potential

Analyzes and integrates potentially conflicting numerical, verbal and other data from a number of sources

Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups. Actively nurtures good relationships with people across all organizational levels and boundaries, and with government leaders and stakeholders

Negotiates effectively with people inside and outside the organization by adopting a range of approaches

Anticipates and actively monitors long term local and global developments, constantly seeking new opportunities for advancing UNICEF’s mission

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

If you want a challenging career while improving the lives of children around the world UNICEF, the leading children’s rights organization, would like to hear from you.

Visit us at www.unicef.org/about/employ to register in our new e-Recruitment system and apply to this and other vacancies, quoting E-VN-2011-002175 . Applications must be received by 21 December 2011.

Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted.

In the selection of its staff, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.