Communication Specialist, P3, FTA, Office of Innovation, Stockholm, Sweden (#117608 )

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

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support the realization of children’s rights are key to improving children’s lives. Worldwide, we innovate to tackle the most pressing problems faced by the most vulnerable children. We take a systematic approach to innovation, applying skills and energy across new tools and technologies, products, innovative financing and new ways of working to boost our impact.
The Office of Innovation (OOI) is a creative, unique and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, the tools, the know-how and the partners that turn ideas and energy into scalable solutions for children.

How can you make a difference?

1. Communication strategy: The Office of Innovation (OOI) has a clear and dynamic communication strategy and associated work plan to advocate for innovation as a key driver for children’s and women’s rights. The strategy and subsequent work plans creatively target audiences internally and externally with powerful and engaging story-telling to enhance the organization’s credibility and brand including various public domains to strengthen awareness, political will and partnerships in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives. The story-telling will have a strong focus on effective engagement via social media and proactive outreach in key and diverse influence communities including tech and government partners. The strategy is designed with internal and external inputs to ensure creativity and alignment.

2. Management: Effective and efficient management of financial resources including budget planning, management and monitoring are
prioritized for optimal impact. Strong team player as part of the broader Partnership team and overall OOI.

3. Networking and partnerships: The OOI has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of internal and external individuals, groups, and fora whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives. Effective working relationships with UNICEF, broader UN, and other key external communication counterparts (especially within the innovation ecosystem) are developed, maintained and enhanced. Proactive networking and partnerships with social media and outreach in key and diverse influence communities for joint design and amplification.

4. Media relations: The OOI has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media but with an emphasis on social media, and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of the advocacy and communication objectives.

5. Influencers and special events: The OOI has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of appropriate influencers who have proactively been identified, engaged and support the advocacy and communication objectives. The OOI has an annual list of special events, as participants or coordinators, where key advocacy and communication objectives are optimally achieved.

6. Aligning global priorities and campaigns: OOI has an effective process in place for influencing, integrating and taking action on UNICEF’s global communications priorities, campaigns and partnerships.

7. Partnership and resource mobilization support; New and existing partnership management with both public and private sector are supported by an effective and creative advocacy and communication strategy and activities.

8. Monitoring and evaluation: Robust baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the communication strategy are regularly analyzed to continuously improve and adapt real-time the effectiveness of the communication strategy and activities.

9. Capacity building and support: The OOI and broader UNICEF teams (e.g., communication specialists in other business units) are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of advocacy and communication as required.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations.
  *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.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in communication, advocacy, print, broadcast, and/or new media, especially demonstrating creative and ambitious brand building, and powerful and engaging story telling for internal and external
  audiences especially using social and other web media. International work experience, experience with public and private sector, expertise in international development and humanitarian response, and/or the innovation ecosystem strong assets.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

The VA is open to all (internal and external) candidates.