Global Social Media Manager, UNOPS IICA-2, London

Global Social Media Manager
Social Media Section
Global Communications Service
Division of External Relations (DER)

• Title: Global Social Media Manager
• Duty Station: London
• Duration: Start date August 2021, through 31/12/21 and to be renewed in 2022 and beyond.
• Contract Type: UNOPS – IICA2 (equivalent to P3) – 12-month contract, renewed annually
• Closing date: 31 July 202

Organisational context

UNHCR’s Global Communications Service works to lead the narrative on forced displacement, generate empathy and mobilize action within the wider context of the Division of External Relations. To advance these strategic objectives, the Service’s Social Media Section is responsible for leading the organization’s use of social media. The Section’s responsibilities include developing policies and strategies, providing leadership, coordination and training for country-led, thematic and language accounts around the world, and managing UNHCR’s global English social media accounts, which have an aggregate following of more than ten million people. UNHCR’s social media accounts are a front face of the organization and one of its leading drivers of public communications and engagement. They deliver compelling, sharable content to key audiences , advancing awareness, advocacy and fundraising objectives.

Building and engaging our online community requires dedicated, specialized capacity with strong political and editorial judgement, technical multimedia skills and keen audience awareness. A growing area of our work is based around the activities and advocacy of UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassadors, high-level supporters and social media and digital influencers. This Social Media Manager position is part of the Global Social Media Section, and sits in our London hub alongside the Global Goodwill Ambassador Section. This role devises and executes social media strategy, content production and engagement pertaining to Goodwill Ambassador, high-profile supporter and digital influencers.

The role has an advisory function, guiding and coordinating UNHCR’s regional and country-level networks on how to effectively work with high-profile supporters to use their social media channels to amplify UNHCR messages and content, as well as guide content creation on the activities of national Goodwill Ambassadors in support of UNHCR. These supporters communicate in diverse languages and formats.

The incumbent will build and leverage relationships with social media editors at leading international news and media organizations with the goal of securing external placement of global UNHCR and Goodwill Ambassador social media content and enhancing coverage of UNHCR’s work and the plight of refugees on social media.

Reporting to the Head of Social Media in London, the incumbent will work especially closely with all members of the Goodwill Ambassador Section. They will also work with all other Global Communications Service teams as well as UNHCR Regional Bureaux and Operations colleagues around the world. They will also collaborate with Digital Engagement and Private Sector Partnerships teams to leverage social content, platforms, networks and partners in line with supporter-based and fundraising priorities and audiences.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Social Media, and working in close collaboration with all members of the Goodwill Ambassador Section (GWA), the Social Media Manager will work on:

• Strategy and Planning: Lead social media strategy, content production and publication on UNHCR channels and external platforms relating to the activities of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors, High Profile Supporters, digital influencers, celebrities and other talent.
• Teamwork: Work closely with GWA officers to ensure all social media plans are fully integrated into wider strategic plans and activities of talent, including field missions, events and campaigns.
  • Work collaboratively with Digital Influencer Engagement Manager on digital influencer engagement and communication.
  • Periodically assist with editing social media copy produced by other members of the social team.
  • Contribute to the refining UNHCR’s editorial style and voice on social media, working closely with the Head of Social Media.
  • Internal communications – keep the Social Media Section updated about GWA-related content plans.
• Creative Content: Write, produce and create compelling social media content in English in relation to activities of GWA and talent
  • Develop innovative content projects in collaboration with GWA, Social and other team content producers, for global social channels, utilizing external network of multimedia consultants, animators and directors.
  • Identify opportunities in the content creation process that enable adaptation and translation of applicable content into other languages.
  • Ensure high-level message and branding consistency in social media content and platforms.
• Analysis and Reporting: Collaborate closely with GWA section and Analytics Unit on impact reports and analysis of social media activities in support of UNHCR and/or refugees.
  • Provide recommendations on what can be done to improve GWA-related social media content and activities. This includes ensuring the effective use of digital coding and analytical tools.
• Community Management/Social Listening: Monitoring and responding to comments, analysing audience sentiment, soliciting feedback – on owned channels as well as on GWA/external partner platforms – to encourage engagement with fanbases and target audiences.
  • Monitor crisis communications or potential reputation issues on social media in relation to our Goodwill Ambassadors and other talent.
• Training: Provide capacity building on social media content creation and publishing.
  • Provide support, advice and training, as needed, through the Goodwill Ambassador Section, to our talent on how they can effectively engage their own social media communities with their UNHCR activities, travel and messages.
• Partnerships: Play a supporting role in nurturing UNHCR’s relationships within global media partners (including news organizations, social media companies and relevant technology leaders) to strengthen UNHCR’s social media content and help it reach a wide audience.
  • Participate in relevant professional meetings and events to build active relationships across the industry; represent the organization externally when required.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• UNHCR closely tracks the performance of each social media post to identify effective messaging, formats and strategies. Materials developed by the Social Media Manager will be measured for impact and efficacy.
• The Social Media Manager will attend regular editorial meetings in person and remotely, and confer regularly with team members, including the Head of Social Media.
• Performance will be assessed on an ongoing basis, with established goals, regular informal feedback, and a formal assessment midway through the contract.
• Measurable outputs include social media reporting by the Corporate Communications section, which asses the performance of UNHCR’s social media accounts across the board.

Qualifications and professional experience

Education

Required: Undergraduate degree.

Desirable: Undergraduate degree in the fields of public relations, journalism, communications, media, international relations or related.

Work Experience

Essential: Minimum three years’ social media content strategy and platform management experience, as well as community management of a large online community, engaging global audiences with stories and news-oriented content.
Desirable: Experience of working with celebrity or influencer on social media strategy and content.

Key Competencies

Required

• Excellent oral and written English – including social-first copywriting skills – required. Other languages an asset.
• Experience commissioning, scripting, and editing social native content (social videos and graphics).
• Experience building campaigns for major projects and moments.
• Project management experience.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines.
• Experience using data and insights – including social listening tools such as Sysomos, Pulsar, CrowdTangle and native social media analytics – to drive audience development
• Experience dealing with risk mitigation and crisis communications situations
• Ability to identify relevant or trending news stories and social media conversations which UNHCR should join or be aware of.

Desired

• Knowledge of the United Nations and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
• Familiarity with refugees, statelessness and forced displacement issues.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud applications, especially Photoshop and Premiere Pro, required. Advanced skills an asset.
• A second UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish)