Communication Specialist (WASH), P-3, Office of Innovation, Copenhagen, Denmark #127803

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, innovate…

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.

The vision of the UNICEF Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub (WASH Hub) is to be a global home for building, accelerating, and scaling transformational climate resilient solutions for a WASH secure future of universal and equitable access to services, addressing the full ambition of the SDG6.

The WASH Hub will source, pilot and scale transformational and frontier climate resilient innovations that respond to key programmatic challenges that, if solved, will unlock faster progress for a water secure future for children and young people.

One of the key global challenges that the Hub will address through exploration and scale of innovative solutions will be tackling foreseen climate change impacts on WASH services and delivery access. The Hub will also support research and innovation on the links between climate change and water, sanitation, and hygiene.

The hub will bring together a passionate community of strategic partners including children and young people, academia, private entrepreneurs, public policy makers, social development and humanitarian actors, and our global UNICEF WASH / CEED and innovation colleagues in 150+ countries. Collectively we will co-create, advocate, enable, convene, and motivate for innovative sustainable solutions to long-standing barriers and emerging opportunities for a WASH secure and climate resilient future for every child.

The WASH Hub will be part of a distributed network working in close partnership with child impacted local ecosystems in countries across the world, while simultaneously engaging some of the most impactful global innovation ecosystems.

How can you make a difference?

The incumbent is placed within the newly established Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub (‘the WASH Hub’), reporting to the Partnership Specialist (WASH Hub) with matrix reporting to the communication lead in OOI Stockholm. Their will work closely with other divisions on innovation and WASH.

Within the delegated authority and the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be accountable for all or assigned areas of the following major duties and end results.

1. Communication strategy

Ensure that the WASH Hub has a clear communication strategy and associated work plan to support the WASH Hub programme objectives and get children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, and enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, maintain, and update the WASH Hub advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities, and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.
• UNICEF’s rights- and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products.
• Maintain close collaboration with OOI Stockholm, Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

2. Media relations

In collaboration with relevant UNICEF National Committees and Headquarters leads, ensure that the WASH Hub has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of UNICEF’s cooperation to a wider audience.

 Duties & Tasks

• Promote a better understanding of respect and support for children’s and women’s rights and issues by carrying out media, information, and education activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
• Develop, maintain, and update media relations contact list/database.
• Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.
• Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.
• Identify, develop, distribute, and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes, and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.
• Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage, and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
• Maintain close collaboration with OOI Stockholm, Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

3. Networking and partnerships

Ensure that the WASH Hub has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of individuals, groups, organizations, and fora (including Government, UN, and bilateral counterparts), whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the communication strategy.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, maintain, and update partners contact list/database.
• Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.
• Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes, and messages shared with partners.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
• Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.

4. Celebrities and special events

Ensure that the WASH Hub has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of appropriate, nationally known personalities who have been identified, engaged and support UNICEF’s effort and who actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, maintain, and update celebrities contact list/database.
• Help establish, document, review and refine process of working with celebrities, including special events, media opportunities, field trips etc.
• Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc. including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme. Maintain close collaboration with OOI Stockholm, Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

5. Global priorities and campaigns

In addition to local/national/regional campaigns, ensure that the WASH Hub has an effective process in place for integrating and taking action on UNICEF’s global communications priorities and campaigns, both disseminating these elements in a locally appropriate way, as well as providing/enabling coverage of the work of the WASH Hub for global use.

Duties & Tasks

• Support the UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.
• Develop and deploy WASH Hub communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant WASH Hub efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results.
• Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in OOI Stockholm, regional offices, and headquarters divisions.

6. Resource mobilization support

Ensure that WASH Hub and OOI fund-raising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategy and activities.

Duties & Tasks

• Mobilize country office communication capacity to support/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fund-raising.
• Mobilize resources for fund-raising support by regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

7. Management

Ensure that human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management, and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.

Duties & Tasks                                                                                                                

• Develop a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.
• Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.
• Identify, recruit, and supervise staff, technical resources, and consultants as necessary. Conduct and implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.
• Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency, and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

8. Monitoring and evaluation

Ensure that communication baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy, approach, and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

Duties & Tasks

• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.
• Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.

• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings with OOI, country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s communication work.

9. Capacity building and support

Ensure that the Senior Adviser (WASH Hub) and the WASH Hub programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of external relations communication as required; opportunities are identified and addressed for building communication capacity among the WASH Hub communication team, media and other relevant partners.

 Duties & Tasks

• Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.
• Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.
• Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.

 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 combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree in the field of journalism, communications, external relations, public affairs, public relations, or corporate communications.)
• A minimum of five (5 years) of relevant professional experience in progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and/or new media.
• International and national work experience.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.
• Experience in WASH and/or innovation work is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language (Danish) 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

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

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.

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.

In case of any questions, please contact: swe-ooi-recruitments@unicef.org