Communication Specialist, (Media and PR) P-3, (FT), # 66223, Media/PR Services for Fundraising, PFP, Geneva, Switzerland

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.

The UNICEF Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) is dedicated to achieving key objectives encompassing income generation, influence, and brand recognition.

Within PFP, the Media and PR Services for Fundraising team in the Marketing and PR Services section seeks the expertise of a Communication Specialist (Media and PR). The Communication Specialist (Media and PR) will play a vital role in risk management and crisis communication, particularly concerning private-sector partnerships and governance.

By ensuring effective crisis communication strategies, the Communication Specialist (Media and PR) will further strengthen UNICEF’s ability to manage and navigate potential challenges while fostering transparency and maintaining trust in its private sector engagements.

The Communication Specialist (Media and PR) will drive the division’s B2B media engagement and support media outreach during a humanitarian crisis.

For every child, a Champion

Under the leadership of the Communication Specialist (P4), the Communication Specialist (Media and PR) will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to provide communication support for multi-country and global partnerships. This will include multi-country coordination for communication planning; development of communication assets and materials; management of reputational risks through communication strategies; and oversight of the roll-out and implementation of these communication assets and strategies across markets. As an experienced Communication Specialist (Media and PR), the selected candidate will provide leadership in managing reputational risks and putting mitigation measures in place to keep UNICEF’s brand high and positive.

How can you make a difference?

The Communication Specialist (Media and PR), will lead on the following tasks:

1. Co-lead on the development of a thought-leadership strategy for the senior leadership through the production and distribution of impactful content that drives engagement.
2. Identify and maximize joint communication opportunities with partners, particularly during key events such as the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, the UN’s General Assembly, and other relevant forums.
3. Provide strategic support on media and communication work linked to global or multi-country corporate, foundation, and major donor partnerships, ensuring that related activities are in line with PFP’s fundraising, advocacy, and brand positioning objectives, as well as UNICEF’s ethical and brand guidelines.
4. In close consultation with internal and external stakeholders, manage communication around risk issues linked to partner engagement, contribute to the prevention of media/PR crises, and work with internal stakeholders, corporate partners, and PR agencies to successfully manage a crisis response when required.
5. Build a proactive media and PR strategy and pitch stories to key B2B and niche financial media to help position UNICEF as a partner of choice among high-value audiences as well as showcase UNICEF’s work in partnership with the private sector globally.
6. Lead on media training for key PFP staff and in National Committees; facilitate webinars and remote training to share knowledge with private sector countries.
7. Lead on coordination of the Joint Strategic Plans (JSP) process and onboarding for senior staff from private sector fundraising countries.
8. Regularly collect and promote new ideas and best practices to the UNICEF network.
9. Support with facilitating media requests from National Committees during peak humanitarian emergencies.
10. Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
11. Maintain close collaboration with HQ and other communication teams for effective overall coordination.
12. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education:

• An advanced university degree is required in one of the following fields: international relations, digital communication, media relations, journalism, marketing, or another relevant technical field.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in communication is required.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing communication strategies or marketing strategies is required.
• Proven writing, rewriting, research, and text editing skills, particularly in writing for different audiences are required.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments with competing deadlines is required.
• Experience in coordinating communication activities for high-level events and forums is an asset.
• Experience in working and managing PR agencies is an asset.
• Experience in developing a media and PR strategy to drive and deepen engagement with public or private sector engagement partners is an asset.
• Experience in building strong relationships with traditional and social media entities and using media relations and channels to engage different audiences is required.
• Experience of working with the UN or UNICEF is required.

 Language requirement:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

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) are required.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.  

Remarks:

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

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

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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