Advisor, Internal Communication

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Qualifications

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

 

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

 

The Department of Communications (CMU) of the Pan American Health Organization leads in the development, implementation and management of PAHO’s corporate communication strategy at all levels, internally and externally, within a complex range of media outlets and platforms, media relations, a 24/7 information cycle and increasing mis and disinformation. Corporate communication is essential to PAHO’s mission and strategic priorities and advancement of the principles and practices of communication in support of sound public health principles and practices and PAHO’s mission in the delivery of technical cooperation in the Region of the Americas. Strategic and proactive communication is key to raising PAHO’s visibility and voice, as well as a tool for advocacy and impact. As the lead multilateral health organization in the Region of the Americas and globally recognized, PAHO’s communication must be “best in class” utilizing the necessary leadership, strategies, approaches, tools and technologies in support of PAHO’s roles and responsibilities across a multiplicity of languages, cultures, and political dynamics with a keen focus on public health, science and evidence.

 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

 

Under the general supervision of the Deputy Director (DD), and the direct supervision of the Director, Communication (CMU), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

 

a)   Provide authoritative, strategic, and technical leadership and management of PAHO’s internal communications to ensure effective, timely and impactful staff engagement; formulate and implement communication plans, policies, and procedures that promote a culture of transparency, trust, and shared accountability throughout the Organization;

 

b)   Provide high-level, strategic, informed, and timely guidance to the Director of CMU on internal communication issues; advise on key opportunities and innovative approaches for engaging staff on PAHO’s mission, values, programs, and achievements; provide guidance and advice to ensure consistent, strategic and measurable approaches to the dissemination of information to staff;

 

c)    Create and manage an empowering and enabling environment for communication receivers and senders, including feedback mechanisms, effective channels, and internal spaces where PAHO employees can communicate effectively.

 

d)   Develop and implement strategies to improve internal communications to support change management within the Organization; create information products that promote a common understanding and engagement around organizational, management, administrative and other changes that affect staff;

 

e)   Collaborate with stakeholders to drive organization – wide initiatives, such as the People Strategy and PAHO Forward initiative, to champion change management and foster a culture of transformation and excellence.

 

f)    Establish internal communication plans, initiatives and actions for the Organization that support programmatic and policy implementation in collaboration with relevant Department Directors, Unit Chiefs, and EXM Managers;

 

g)   Conduct critical assessments of the Organization’s existing internal communication products (Intranet, General Bulletins, possible podcasts, etc.) to determine effectiveness and efficacy and make changes as needed; conduct staff engagement surveys to assess the effectiveness and impact of existing internal communication methods and tools; and devise and implement strategies to ensure the Organization’s internal communication tools are cutting-edge, current, creative, impactful, and timely;

 

h)   Manage and improve the PAHO Intranet in strategic and informative bases that includes the planning, developing, editing, posting, and quality assurance of Intranet stories and other content produced by PAHO offices, centers and technical units;

 

i)     Work to ensure collaboration and coordination as/where needed for the development and dissemination of high-value internal messages and content for the intranet, internal newsletters, webcasts, and other communication platforms (e.g., Dialogue with Staff, and PMIS Learning); and work with others in CMU to ensure consistency and develop branding of internal communication tools;

 

j)    Advise and support PAHO entities in developing timely and effective messaging and multimedia content to communicate organizational priorities, leadership decisions, change processes, campaigns and health topics;

 

k)   Develop and as appropriate, oversee the development of creative communication approaches, tools, and channels to increase staff understanding, engagement, and internal information-sharing, with the timely participation of PAHO’s technical units, centers, country offices and their communication focal points (CFPs), as needed;

 

l)     Develop guidelines and educational materials for training purposes, and collect and analyze feedback to help drive continuous improvement of internal communication efforts;

 

m)  Collaborate in the preparation of the Communications Department’s (CMU) biennial work plan (BWP), programs and budgets, semiannual work plans and periodic evaluations for assigned projects;

 

n)   As appropriate, serve as first-line Supervisor to staff and in such a role, directly supervise staff, establish clear work objectives, conduct timely, accurate and meaningful effective performance appraisals, provide informal mentoring, coaching and feedback, and support staff development opportunities;

 

o)   Perform other related duties, as assigned.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

 

Education:

 

Essential: A bachelor’s and master’s degree in communication, public relations, journalism, policy communication, international relations, or a related field from a recognized university.

 

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position.  PAHO, only considers official degrees 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 through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

 

Experience:

 

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in public information, corporate communication, public relations and/or journalism.

 

SKILLS:

 

PAHO Competencies:

 

·       Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

 

·       Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences:  Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity – . Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

 

·       Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others – Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.

 

·       Communication: Write effectively/Share knowledge – Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.

 

·       Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results – Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.

 

·       Ensuring effective use of resources:   Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well – Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives.  Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

 

·       Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond:  Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration – Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success.  Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.

 

Technical Expertise:

 

–       Theoretical and practical knowledge of the principles and practices of communication, collaboration, knowledge management, organization development, and change management

 

–       In-depth knowledge and understanding of communication and collaboration methodologies, concepts, and tools and their role in promoting staff engagement.

 

–       Theoretical and practical expertise in all aspects related to communication, media production and dissemination techniques and methods to include alternative ways to promote staff engagement.

 

–       Ability to acquire knowledge and information about a wide range of subject-matter fields of the Organization, and to select, organize and present information in a manner suitable for the intended audience.

 

–       Excellent knowledge and skills for the design, organization, and coordination of complex special events and communication campaigns.

 

–       Knowledge of business and management involved in strategic planning, resource allocation and coordination of people and resources.

 

–       Strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy, and tact to effectively communicate with the media and with senior level health officials in public and private sector and civil society, multiple stakeholders and professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

 

–       Ability to manage multiple issues and tasks in a complex organizational environment to re-prioritize actions on short notice.

 

–       Strong professional oral and writing skills including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

 

Languages:

 

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with very strong working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset

 

IT Skills:

 

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.

 

REMUNERATION

 

Annual Salary: (Net of taxes)

 

USD $77,326.00 post adjustment

 

Post Adjustment: 70.2% of the above figure(s).  This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.

 

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

 

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

 

PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

 

PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.

 

PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

 

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

 

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance).  Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

 

Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

 

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

 

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post.  The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.